About

Leah Dodd lives in Pōneke/Wellington. Her poetry has recently appeared in Starling, Stasis, Mayhem, Sweet Mammalian, The Spinoff and other places.

In 2021 she won the Biggs Family Poetry Prize from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Leah is a graduate from Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka, and in 2021 completed a Master’s in Creative Writing with Distinction. She won a Victoria University Creativity Scholarship for poetry in 2017, and has had work published in various places across Aotearoa.

Leah’s first collection, ‘Past Lives’, was published by Te Herenga Waka Press in March 2023. It was included in the NZ Listener’s top ten books of the year, and has been critically well received.

Alongside writing, Leah is a classically trained pianist. She gained Grade 8 from Trinity College when she was 16, and has won numerous awards for performance and sight-reading, including the Collier Cup for most promising pianist. 

Leah grew up in Taranaki and currently lives in Pōneke/Wellington. She is available for performances, panels, festival appearances, commissions and projects. You can get in touch at leahjanedodd@gmail.com.