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Becominging, Always
Writer's File

Always Becominging

Wellington - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Becominging, Always
In brief
Always Becominging is a writer, editor, and librarian, born and based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. She co-founded We Are Babies, now known as Tender Press. Her poetry has been published widely online and in print, and her collection of poems 'I am a human being' won the Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry in the MitoQ Best First Book Awards at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2021.
  • Primary publisher
    Compound Press
Bio

Becominging, Always (also known as Jay Nieuwland) is a genderqueer writer, editor, librarian, born and based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.

In 2020, Becominging's first book, I am a human being was published by Compound Press. In 2021, it was the winner of the Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry in the MitoQ Best First Book Awards at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Author Jo Randerson describes the collection as "fresh, funny and philosophically original. I am a human being is a warm, intelligent and humane collection, a real hit with the whole family. I laughed out loud and smiled all the way through these unique and personal poems."

In his review, Chris Tse says Becominging "explores and explodes the limits of how we write about identity and all its aching complexity and beauty. The question posed in I am a human being isn’t so much who, but what am I?... These poems swing between the deadpan and the surreal, inviting us to reject the obvious and embrace the mess of who we are as individuals in a world that demands easy categorisation."

LINKS

Sam Duckor-Jones reads 'I am a unicorn' by Jay Nieuwland
Review by Vanessa Mei Crofskey for The Pantograph Punch
Review by Paula Green on NZ Poetry Shelf
Interview with Kete Books, 2021

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