Rowan Taigel

Rowan Taigel - Nelson

Rowan is a poet, based in Nelson.

She enjoys writing in cafes on the weekend, accompanied by one, or more, double-shot flat whites. 

Rowan's poetry has been published in Landfall, Mayhem Literary Journal, Folly Journal, Action Spectacle (USA), No Time to Lollygag, Takahe Journal, Shot Glass Journal, Aotearotica, Catalyst, White Hot Heart (NZPS Anthology 2023), After the Cyclone (NZPS Anthology, 2017), Building a Time Machine (NZPS Anthology, 2012), and I've been a featured poet in A Fine Line, (NZPS). She was a guest poet at the 2018 Christchurch Word Festival in a session alongside Bernadette Hall and Hollie McNish, and have been a guest poet on the podcast All Good Poems Wear Travelling Shoes (2018). She was an honoured to receive a Highly Commended award for the 2020 Caselberg International Poetry Competition with her poem 'Catch and Kiss',  won 3rd place in the New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition in 2012 with the poem 'Swimming With Frame'. She also won the Wintec Open Poetry Competition the same year with her poem 'Indelible Ink'.

Why Zines?

Poetry is often stereotyped as being inaccessible, incomprehensible, and for tortured, emotional, intellectuals. 

Rowan's mission is to dispel that way of thinking through the medium of zines. These are bite-sized, visually appealing, mini magazines containing a single poem thoughtfully paired with images which support the meaning of the words on the page. They're poetry picture books for grown-ups (and clever kids).