Brothers, lovers, and others - anyone with a close connection to renowned poet the late Brian Turner came together at Alexandra’s Central Stories on Friday night to remember him.

Held in conjunction with National Poetry Day, the evening was organised by his good friend and fellow writer Michael Harlow, along with Alexandra’s Poetry Party club.

It has been six months since the Central Otago icon died, aged 80, but the stories and poems live on, and more than 100 people came together to share those memories - so many in fact, they had to turn people away at the door.

An accomplished writer with a career spanning nearly five decades, Turner was New Zealand Poet Laureate from 2003–05, and received numerous accolades during his literary career including the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry, the Lauris Edmund Memorial Award for Poetry, the J.C. Reid Memorial Prize, and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize.

In the 2020 Queens Birthday Honours he was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to literature and poetry.

He was also a veteran road cyclist and experienced mountaineer, who ascended most of the country’s major peaks.

Turner came from a family of top-level sportsmen - playing hockey for New Zealand in the late 1960s and early 70s while brother Glenn captained the New Zealand cricket team.

His father was a first-class cricket umpire and cycling coach, and youngest sibling Greg played golf internationally. 

Glenn and Greg both spoke at the event of growing up with Brian, and also shared some of their last fond memories of their brother.

Glenn talked about him escaping the dementia unit in Wānaka - he put a table up against the wall outside, and climbed over - his brother found him lying amongst the wild flowers outside.

Partner Jillian Sullivan said he was moved by his experiences in nature, and that’s where his poetry first began.

Exactly a year ago they both took the stage in Dunedin at the last National Poetry Day and she said he was still so articulate, “like the captain back on the ship”.

The Turner Brothers - Glenn and Greg, watched behind by the late Brian, at Central Stories. Photo: Lyndsey Newton

Greg talked about how his brother was one of those people who considered his thoughts before he spoke.

“He trod lightly but left a big footprint. I’m so grateful that he left so much of himself for all of us.”

Good friend Sir Grahame Sydney said he often drives past the old rabbit board house near St Bathans where Turner lived as a hunter back in the day, and thinks of him.

The pair met as road cycling training partners in Dunedin, biking out to Taiaroa Head and Taieri Mouth three to four times a week, but Sir Grahame said he never won a race against him: “He had the Turner gene.”

They’d argue about the merits of painting vs poetry, and when Sir Grahame’s father died, he remembers the special hand-written note that Turner left him in his letterbox.

Harlow was overcome with emotion as he recited a poem he wrote for his special friend - ‘Always.’

He told the room Turner was brilliant at being succinct, and then threw in some humour - “we’re all for the gurgler but he had a good gurgle along the way”.

The evening concluded with Jillian reciting one of his well known poems ‘Blackbird’, before the audience was treated to a video of Turner in his favourite place in nature, reciting those same words one last time.

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