Poet Nick Ascroft considers one of his claims to fame to be “nearly winning the Kathleen Grattan Prize four times, the most anyone has nearly won it”. Which might partly explain why his fifth collection of poetry is titled The Stupefying.
As funny as it is personal, the book revels in diverse experimentation with different poetic forms, while also dealing with the uncertainties that come with a relationship breakup.
Based in Wellington, Nick is also a leading Scrabble player and is on the dictionary committee for the New Zealand Association of Scrabble Players. He’s part of the New Zealand team taking on Australia in the 2022 Scrabble Trans-Tasman, 5-7 November.
Photo: Ebony Lamb / Supplied
