Leonard Lambert

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lambert, Leonard (1945- ) is a poet and painter.

Leonard Lambert was born in Waterlooville in the United Kingdom. He immigrated to New Zealand as a child and was educated in Tauranga and, for a time, at Auckland University.

Lambert began his professional life as a radio copywriter, and later worked in advertising. More recently he has worked as a communications consultant.

As an artist Lambert is both a painter and a poet. His poetry has appeared in a number of journals including the Southern Ocean Review and on Radio New Zealand. His work was anthologised in Essential New Zealand Poems (Random, 2001).

He has published three collections of poems: A Washday Romance (John McIndoe, 1980), Park Island (John McIndoe, 1990) and Natural Anthem (HeadworX, 2004).

In a review of Park Island, Guy Allan describes the collection as ‘somewhere between nostalgia and bitterness’. He also calls it ‘an impressive book’. Frank Harper in the Bay of Plenty Times describes Lambert as ‘somewhat iconoclastic, he looks into the past – his nostalgic recreation often tinged with sardonic wit’.

The poet himself describes his work as an attempt to ‘weave a small poetry of quick precision and genuine pathos, returning verse to its natural home in chant and prayer, in psalm and song’.

Leonard Lambert lives in Tauranga.

MEDIA LINKS AND CLIPS

• Four poems by Leonard Lambert
• Leonard Lambert on the HeadworX Publishing site