in the cracks of light

in the cracks of light, Apirana Taylor's seventh book of poetry, shows one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most prolific and versatile writers at his best. The seventy-three short poems here challenge our conceptions of poetic form. They are minimalist in construction but ambitious in emotional impact. They burst out of their small spaces like gas expanding in a cylinder and pushing a piston. They expertly inhabit both the natural and the political worlds, sometimes simultaneously, because Taylor is wise enough to know that they can't be separated, especially in a colonised land. A new volume by Apirana Taylor is an occasion. Relish it. ‘in the cracks of light presents heart-centred poems that are deeply rooted in te taiao. Reading this book will give you the strength both to fight your battles and observe the world around you with fresh insight. These short verses are profound soul nourishment.’ —Kiri Piahana-Wong‘Api's short, spare poems compel you to take notice of who you are, where you come from and what's going on. They engage, entrance and outrage you, all at once.’ —Morrin Rout