Allen Curnow

Home / Authors and Editors / A / Allen Curnow

Description

Born in Timaru in 1911, Allen Curnow is regarded by many as New Zealand's foremost poet and at the time of his death was regarded as one of the greatest of all poets writing in English. Curnow first began publishing poetry in the 1930s and is the author of many collections and the editor of two major anthologies of New Zealand poetry. He was also an important critic and editor – his critical writings, manifestos, essays, reviews, dialogues, prefaces, lectures, tributes and letters were gathered together in Look Back Harder (Auckland University Press, 1987). His poetry reached an audience outside New Zealand too – Early Days Yet was published in 1997 by Auckland University Press and Carcanet; and his later collection The Bells of St Babel's: Poems 1997–2001 went on to win the Montana New Zealand Book Award for Poetry. This was just one of many awards and honours Curnow won for his poetry, including the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry a total of six times, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Queen's Medal for Poetry. Curnow was awarded the A. W. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He died in 2001.

Auckland University Press

Your cart

Allen Curnow

Allen Curnow

Allen Curnow Biography and Poems Slipcase edition

Allen Curnow: Collected Poems

Look Back Harder: Critical Writings, 1935–84

The Bells of St Babel’s: Poems 1997–2001

Early Days Yet: New and Collected Poems 1941–1997

You Will Know When You Get There: Poems 1979-81