Lynn Jenner is a poet and essayist from New Zealand.

Background

Jenner was born in

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was established i ...

, Taranaki. She worked as an educational psychologist and counsellor until 2003. She began studying writing at

Whitireia Polytechnic Whitireia New Zealand, previously called Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Parumoana Community College (Māori: Te Kura Matatini o Whitireia), is a government-owned and funded tertiary education institute in New Zealand. It was established ...

and completed an MA in creative writing at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

. She received her PhD in 2013 from the

International Institute of Modern Letters The International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) ( mi, Te Pūtahi Tuhi Auaha o te Ao) is a centre of creative writing based within Victoria University of Wellington. Founded in 2001, the IIML offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses (i ...

at the Victoria University of Wellington. Her advisor was

Bill Manhire William Manhire (born 27 December 1946) is a New Zealand poet, short story writer, emeritus professor, and New Zealand's inaugural New Zealand Poet Laureate, Poet Laureate (1997–1998). He founded New Zealand's first creative writing course at ...

. Jenner currently lives on the

Kapiti Coast The Kapiti Coast District is a local government district of the Wellington Region in the lower North Island of New Zealand, 50 km north of Wellington City. The district is named after Kapiti Island, a prominent island offshore. The pop ...

Works

Jenner published her first collection of poetry, ''Dear Sweet Harry'', in 2010. Her second book, ''Lost and Gone Away'', was published in 2015 and is partly a memoir, including essays, and poetry. A third book titled "PEAT" was published by Otago University Press in July 2019. This book weaves Jenner's reactions to the building of the Kapiti Expressway near her home together with her relationship with the late poet, editor, and philanthropist Charles Brasch. Poems by Jenner have been included in the ''Best New Zealand Poems'' series in 2008, 2009, and 2010. She has also published in several literary journals including ''Turbine'' and ''4th Floor.'' Jenner was also published in the anthology ''Oxford Poets 2013''.

Awards

Jenner's MA thesis won the 2008 Adam Foundation Prize for Creative Writing. In 2011, ''Dear Sweet Harry'' won the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry at the

New Zealand Post Book Awards The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder W ...

. ''Lost and Gone Away'' was named a Metro Best Books in 2015 and a finalist in the general non-fiction category of the 2016

Ockham New Zealand Book Awards The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder W ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenner, Lynn Living people International Institute of Modern Letters alumni New Zealand fiction writers New Zealand women poets People from Hāwera People from the Kapiti Coast District Year of birth missing (living people)