‘We are living in a time where our instinct that some things matter more than their bottom line is being systematically challenged by a government that has decided that our quality of life can be measured only in terms of its fiscal output.’ thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-...

A new poem about the ‘state’ of things: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

On dirtying poems up instead of tidying them. The world keeps getting stupider and shinier; I prefer human mess. lesleywheeler.org/2026/05/19/g...

Let's hear it for the Ockhams 2026 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction winner Ingrid Horrocks! #theockhams @thwupbooks.bsky.social @ingridhorrocks.bsky.social

When a gig comes to town, or near my town, I go all in. How so? Let me count the ways: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Stunned , shocked, encouraged - Ingrid Horrocks in the Guardian www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

The main thing I remember about Covid lockdowns as an Aucklander is that I am not dead #NZPol

Paul Goldsmith Never Learned To Read — is the name of my latest poem: simonsweetman.substack.com/p/poem-paul-...

🍾📖🎉Wherever you are, you can be part of the night. 🎟In person: www.ticketmaster.co.nz/event/240064... 👉Livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUun... #theockhams

Sir Ken was also a stalwart of the New Zealand Book Council (now ReadNZ)

Here’s a new short story from me, over on my substack today, it’s called Stinkfist: simonsweetman.substack.com/p/stinkfist And if it helps, you can imagine it taking place in 1996

New ambient music review: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe... This album is exquisite

Bloody outrageous. They're absolute wreckers. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

New very short story called “Efficiency Is The Greatest Luxury” — open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Saw two great Kiwi films at the cinema this weekend — and I’m sure glad I did: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe... The Weed Eaters and Caterpillar

A poem about giving 60% - open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Sunday essay about grabbing all the pop culture: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Not linking to the Jacobin piece raising the corpse of rockism v. poptimism YET AGAIN but @robinjames.bsky.social CRUSHES in this response. "...much like so-called DEI and affirmative action, the real issue with poptimism seems to be that it makes white men feel bad about themselves." bit.ly/3PeaRZJ

Happy 100th to a real one.

I reviewed the new Tori Amos album earlier in the week on RNZ, here’s a link if you missed it at the time: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

1: Gardening is illegal. 2: We support the All Blacks and anyone playing against Australia. 3: We abhor vowels. 4: Blow on the pie. 5: Arrivals to New Zild must be asked how they're finding it. 6: When someone shouts "Tūtira mai ngā iwi" you must shout back "Aue" and offer them a place to stay.

Remember: Wealth cannot be separated from power. We're seeing in real time how the extreme concentration of wealth is distorting our politics, rigging markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people. Taxing the rich isn't just an economic issue, it's a defense of our democracy.

Enjoyed having a natter about the new Tori Amos album on RNZ today: www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Okay, January 20, a reason to be excited about the new year when it comes…

Kim Gordon is the boss. Love her work. New solo album is wonderful. open.substack.com/pub/simonswe... Review here.

It’s chapter 110 of “The Autism Diaries?!” — simonsweetman.substack.com/p/the-autism...

Save the date — Wednesday May 27 for the next Say The Thing spoken word open mic at Meow. All welcome. Koha entry welcomed, and donated to charity. Sign up on the night at 7pm for a 7.30 start. This will be the one year anniversary of Say The Thing!

Like Stanley Kubrick once said, You actually can polish a turd if you freeze it first. Chris Luxon to thaw for November is a stupid risk though. Surely.

Harold Budd & Brian Eno with Daniel Lanois: Lost In The Humming Air - from their 1984 album, The Pearl www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKPs...

I got to write about doing the MA last year, while hanging onto a job — just! www.wgtn.ac.nz/modernletter... It can be done. For anyone that’s wondering. And it’s nuts, but you should do it!

Everyone should listen to Craven Faults

Sunday essay about the time I Did Not see Pink Floyd: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

A new sequence is emerging, “The Dak-House Madrigals”, here’s an early entry: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe... There Is A Light And It Never Goes On

Had my mind blown by the new Craven Faults album, so I had to try write something in celebration. Here’s my review of the best new ambient/electronica I’ve heard in an age: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Notes Toward A Regenerative Economy: Tear down tall walls. Wood that could make longer tables simonsweetman.substack.com/p/poem-notes...

Here’s all the album review i write across April open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Janet Jackson on tape. Feels right. Correct format. Great songs: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Half of the AI data centers have been cancelled. A quarter are under review. And just 24% are being built as planned. The AI scam is dying.

Today seems like a good day to remind people that Trump's first act as president this term was to pardon over a thousand people who committed political violence on his behalf. Because that’s just who he is… A criminal.

‘Over time, deep trust has developed between poet, composer, and singer. Meehan describes his long partnership with Griffin as one rooted in clarity, restraint, and close attention to text…’ The concert includes Bill’s moving and widely shared poem in response to the Christchurch mosque attack.

Not long now! Join us for the Wellington launch of Lucky Creatures, a brilliant debut essay collection by Joseph Trinidad. The book will be launched by Mikee Sto Domingo. 🌟 Monday 11 May, 6pm 🌟 Unity Books Wellington 🌟 Free entry — all welcome!

Wrote an old fashioned “Album Review” of the new (final) Megadeth album (“Megadeth”) which is currently my favourite, or second favourite album of the year. And no, I didn’t expect that either: open.substack.com/pub/simonswe...

Well, April’s “Say The Thing” is in the bank. Wonderful night. Here’s two poems by me to kick off the night… substack.com/profile/4956...

You know what phrase I hate? “Shark-infested waters”. No, you dumb fucks. Sharks LIVE in the water. The waters are human-infested just like every other part of the planet. HUMANS are the problem, not animals.

A review of the Peaches soundtrack to the new Dan Levy show, Big Mistakes: simonsweetman.substack.com/p/peaches-no... Peaches and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum make some great punctuation and propulsion music for this very funny show…