Elizabeth Smither has published 14 collections of poetry, including A pattern of marching (Auckland University Press, 1989) winner of the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry and The Lark Quartet, (Auckland University Press, 1999), winner of the Montana New Zealand Book Award for Poetry. She was the first woman to be Te Mata Estate Poet Laureate (2001-3) and Red Shoes (Godwit, 2003) was the result of her two year term. Her most recent publication is A question of gravity; selected poems, edited by John Kinsella (Arc Publications, UK, 2004).