Harry Laing

Hello everyone and I’m excited to tell you about my new collection of poems, Time of Fire. It was launched here in Braidwood on 6th August 2023 and I’m thrilled with the response I’ve been getting. People saying they’ve had to read it right through in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down! I’m not used to hearing this in connection with poetry so it’s music to the ears. Time of Fire is my first book on one theme. It’s in three sections Before, Fire and After. A strong narrative sweeps the first two parts along and then the pace is more reflective and the tone redemptive, even hopeful. I’m going to indulge myself now and quote from the blurb: Put bushfire and a poet together and you get an electrifying, rare, poetic insight into the drama of fire and its aftermath. Time of Fire, Harry Laing’s fourth poetry collection, zeroes in on his experience in the 2019/20 bushfires – both as a landholder living on the edge of Monga National Park on the NSW Southern Tablelands and as a volunteer with the NSW RFS. It’s as if the fire itself was dictating these poems. Fire as the elemental force driving the narrative – from lightning strikes in a time of extreme drought and heat to the sheer ferocity of the fire’s rampage followed by the ashen silence. Laing’s grief at what’s been lost is lightened by his witnessing of the regenerative power of the forest, his hearing the first treecreeper days after the fire, sighting the emerald shoots of tree ferns. And throughout he salutes the powerful depth of connection within the Braidwood community and people’s care for each other in that most threatening of times: the time of fire. You can read a couple of the poems on the poems page of this website and you can of course buy the book from the shop (on the website). I can of course sign and dedicate it for you if you would like.

I see my last post was June… 2019. Yeah, well things don’t happen so fast round here. Then again maybe they do. Because I have news for you. Two new books out at the same time. It’s not highly recommended, stress-wise, but that’s how it goes. They are unsettled, my third collection of poetry published by Walleah press and RapperBee (Ford St) which is poetry for kids. It’s been 11 years since my last book for adults, so unsettled inevitably is concerned with a wide range of themes and subjects. There are several sequences in there: they include the title sequence unsettled which looks at my ancestors’ settling in first Tasmania then Western Victoria, Talking road, a road trip and what’s cooking, another tilt at the overwhelming subject of global warming. I do think there’s something in there for everyone and a strong dash of humour (yes, and the pains of being ageing male to boot.) My children’s book RapperBee – poems to give you a buzz is also out and about. It’s quite a fat collection of poems (63 in all) with fabulous B&W illustrations by Anne Ryan who did the wonderful double page full colour illo of the Pet Flea in MoonFish. She’s excelled herself in this new one with many cracking double page spreads in her inimitable anarchic and exquisitely graphic style. You can buy both these books from the website of course. And I’m not going to say anything more about what’s been happening these last two years. You really want a recitation of where I’ve been and what I’ve done? No you don’t. Nor do you you require my views on any particular subject. But I’ve enjoyed bringing you up to date with the books, at least. Cheers for now.

Well hi everyone,

I’m not even going to look at the last time I blogged. Probably before the Anthropocene era. But I did want to tell you about my new poetry picture book MoonFish of which I’m rather proud. It came out in March with Ford Street (and has already been reprinted a couple of times which is exciting.) The book came about when I approached Paul Collins from Ford Street in September of last year and asked him whether he’d be interested in publishing my new poetry collection for kids. Errr… he said, poetry’s a hard game. I know I said. We talked a bit about who we might approach for the illustrations and then a couple of weeks later, Paul floated an idea the idea of having multiple illustrators and making it a picture book. I gulped,  thinking I wasn’t really picture book material but then thought well why not? So Paul sent round the poems to some of Australia’s best-known illustrators and quite a number of them agreed to provide illustrations. By November we’d gathered most of the material. Then things had to move fast. I was on retreat, somewhat out of contact and Paul let me know he needed a title, a blurb, and various other things by… well tomorrow. The phone rang hot between myself and Nicola my wife who is also a poet. And somehow (with wonderful input from her) we came to  the title MoonFish based on one of the best illustrations in the book, the lovely moon and fish by Lucia Masciullo. The subtitle too, ‘Poems to make you laugh and think’. I did the various blurbs and sent it all off. When I got home I then wrote a brand new poem The MoonFish especially to fit the poem. I also wrote new poems for the Shaun Tan artwork. Not the way things usually happen I’m sure, but it was a challenge and I enjoyed it. Then the cover had to be worked out and Grant Gittus, the designer did a great job on that, working closely with Paul on the various iterations. Grant has also, I think you’ll agree done a fabulous job with the typography and layout and made every poem and illustration combo really sing. MoonFish is a book you want to hold in your hands and so far kids seem to really enjoy the poems and quickly find their favourites. Which I hope they repeat over and over. Cheese Rap for instance. So there we are. And I should say the book can be ordered on my website. So I look forward to signing some for you!

Hi everyone,

I thought I’d surprise you all and I mean all (I know how many of you are eagerly following my blogging efforts, alright just the one of you in Ulan Bator) with an update and a recommendation to check out my new YouTube videos. I decided it was time to actually get some of my Shoctopus poems on video and found a great guy, Michael in Canberra, to actually do the business and we ended up posting about ten or so. So you can either check them all out on YouTube itself or on my Books page here. And now for the update.

I’m still here. I’m still doing it.

Right. Let’s get down to the business of refashioning my reputation as a once-a-year-blogger. Here’s my second blog in, well two months. they’re pouring out of me. But I’m so excited I just can’t hide it as the song goes. I swore not to start the blog with ‘I’m just back from’ but as it happens I’m just back from The Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival. What a good time. I’m telling you, those festival organisers are so good. They made me feel so welcome, catered to my every whim (before I’d even had it) and provided thousands of children to hurl myself at, metaphorically speaking. This was the first outing of Shoctopus, a rather wonderful giant purple octopus created by my dear friend Denise who actualised the cover of my eponymous book. He seemed to go down pretty well with the kids and I loved doing my little Shoctopus chant with the younger ones. I also brought Lennie The Hungry Leech, a finger puppet (fabricated by the House of Denise) and he created the right amount of delighted loathing in the audience. Oh, and cheeky monkey went down well too. But just in case you think my gigs were all about soft toys… I did offer up a goodly amount of poetry to the kids and they listened more than attentively so I couldn’t be happier really. As did the teachers at my LitChat PD talk who took copious notes. Oh and the surprise gig was being bounced onto the opening night panel in the place of John Marsden. August shoes to fill but I thoroughly enjoyed that too with the excellent and dynamic Oliver Phommavanh as MC. And while I’m on the other writers what a friendly and convivial bunch they were. We had plenty of good yarn/ dinner sessions and it struck me again how undefensive and supportive children’s writers are. A fine breed methinks.

All in all a fabulous and rich time in Mackay. It’s hard to get used to staring out the window at the paddocks and forest here in Braidwood and not seeing two students hovering, waiting to guide me to the next gig and enquiring about when I’d like lunch. Thanks so much to them, all the organisers, in particular Sonia, who remained cool as a cucumber. Gee I always have a good time in Queensland. And I’ll be back, I hope. Oh, and this is proof jenny that I’m now connected. Via twig, bark and magpie tweets to the wider world.

This is my first post for a long time. Alright, probably ever. No worries, I don’t expect anyone to read it. But I just received a lovely email from Diane Idle who teaches at Churchlands Primary School in Perth and I wanted to share her words. I did two days of poetry workshops at Churchlands including a poetry performance for 300 Yr 2-6 kids. It’s a terrific school and Diane has organised a mini writer’s festival there for the last couple of years. I was lucky enough to get a gig, the only children’s author from ‘Over East’ and though they worked me extremely hard, I had a ball. The more kids I can connect with around poetry the better. That’s really why I’m writing poetry for kids, though as my wife says I’m probably also writing it because I’m still a bit of a kid myself. Be that as it may, it’s a special thrill when the words go out and the response comes back: yeah, we want more! I also did two days at another excellent school, Wembley Independent Primary which has 820 kids…now that’s big. I maybe saw half of them and admit by the end of my time there I was a bit punch drunk. But it was all worth it and especially when Les, the Principal, after I’d done a poetry performance in their undercover arena said ‘See that boy? He’s the most disengaged child in the school and he’s been lapping up your poetry.’ Now that makes me happy! Anyway, here’s what Diane Idle (Churchlands primary) had to say: ‘Harry! It was a sight to behold in the undercover arena…300 children glued to your every word. the poetry captivated them and I hope catapulted them out onto their own poetry journey….there has been SUPER feedback. Families discussing poetry over dinner, arguing over the best poem!!! A year 3 girl who is usually too shy to say anything, but went up to you and asked for her hat to be signed. her Dad was overwhelmed. She has announced that she loves poetry and will write a poem about her family. It just goes on and on…’ So that’s a bit of a warm glow to bask in as nights turn a little colder here on the Southern Tablelands!

Hi everyone,

I thought it was about time I made this site look a bit up to date seeing as I have a new book coming out in a few weeks. A book of illustrated poems for 7-13 yr olds, Shoctopus – poems to grip you. I’m not going to waste your time confessing my total inertia in the blog world to date. Though I’ve been happily writing poems about the perils of having too many devices, 3D printing and more. (Maybe I’ll put one or two up so you can see what I’ve been up to.)No, it’s goodbye to the old fogey and hello to the new, dynamic Harry who wants to reach out and connect with all you people out there…