Poetry at Piha: The Listening Sand with Anne Kennedy
Schedule
Sun Nov 02 2025 at 01:00 am to 05:00 am
UTC+13:00Location
North Piha | Auckland, AU
Bring a picnic and gather at North Piha and join award winning poet Anne Kennedy for a gentle, exploratory poetical workshop under the pohutukawa. Then carve your words into the vast sand-art mural of David “Beach Tagger” Hilliam.
Please register interest to [email protected]
RAIN DATE: 16th November
We’re thrilled to host the fourth edition of our now-famous Poetry at Piha event. This free, public workshop is – in essence – a trip to the beach with one of our finest writers and literary mentors, Anne Kennedy. What could be nicer than that? The inspiration of nature, the power of literature, and the sweeping beauty of large-scale sand art to wrap it all up: it’s a lot!
Anne will take us through a gentle but thought-provoking workshop under the pohutukawa at North Piha. Then we’ll all take our work to the beach to meet with David “Beach Tagger” Hilliam to entwine our words, our kupu and our visions with his own beach mural.
Anne’s poetry workshop is easy, exploratory and fun. She’ll help you find your tone, select words, and work poetical wizardry like crystalising time, resolving insurmountable challenges and telling secrets, memories and hopes to the sand, the sea and the seagulls
In the words of a former participant; "That was a special day for me - the sharing of our deeper feelings with complete strangers, subtle but powerful. The grounding of the ocean, the senses, the truth.”
Special thanks to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for their ongoing support to Going West Trust and for making this unique connection with nature a reality.
You can see samples of previous editions of this event here and here.
https://www.goingwestfest.co.nz/going-west-video/literallittoral?rq=piha
https://www.goingwestfest.co.nz/going-west-news/poetryatpiha2025?rq=piha
Where is it happening?
North Piha, 76 College Hl, Freemans Bay, Auckland 1011, New Zealand, AucklandEvent Location & Nearby Stays:


















