Sonja Yelich

Sonja Yelich
Born (1965-02-26) 26 February 1965
Occupation Poet
Language English
Nationality New Zealand
Alma mater University of Auckland
Genre Poetry
Notable awards Jessie Mackay Best First Book of Poetry
Partner Vic O'Connor (engaged)
Children Jerry Yelich-O'Connor
Ella Yelich-O'Connor (Lorde)
India Yelich-O'Connor
Angelo Yelich-O'Connor

Sonja Yelich (born 26 February 1965) is a New Zealand poet.

Early life

Yelich was born in 1965 into an immigrant family from Dalmatia in Auckland, New Zealand.[1] She studied literature at the University of Auckland and became a trained teacher.[1]

Career

Yelich's early poetry was included in AUP Poets 2 (2002). Her first collection of poems, Clung (Auckland University Press, 2004), won the 2005 Jessie Mackay Award for 'Best First Book of Poetry' at the New Zealand Book Awards.[2] Her poems were chosen for the Best New Zealand Poems series in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008. She was also included in New New Zealand Poets in Performance (AUP, July 2008), a book that was released with an accompanying CD.[1]

Yelich’s second collection of poetry, Get Some (AUP, 2008) was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards.[3] Get Some focuses on an American marine named "Edgar" who is serving in Iraq.[1]

In 2010 Yelich received a Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship that allowed her to write full-time in residence at the Sargeson Centre.[4] The Centre is adjacent to the University of Auckland and recipients receive an annual stipend of NZ$40,000.

Personal life

As of October 2013, she lives in Auckland with her partner Vic O'Connor and their four children,[5][6] including her singer-songwriter daughter Ella Yelich-O'Connor, better known by her stage name Lorde.[7] In June 2014, Sonja became engaged to her longtime partner, Vic O'Connor.[8]

Poetry collections

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yelich, Sonja". NZ Book Council. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "New Zealand Book Awards - Winners 2005". Booksellers. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Get Some". Auckland University Press. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "About Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship". Buddle Findlay. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Greive, Duncan (October 2013). "Storm Singer". Metro: 56.
  6. ↑ "SONJA YELICH (PERSON)". NZ Electronic Text Collection. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Lorde: Storm Singer". Metro. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Lorde's parents get engaged at Niagara Falls". The New Zealand Herald. 17 June 2014.
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