Joanna Preston (born 1972) is an Australian poet, editor and creative writing tutor based in New Zealand.
[2] From 2003 to 2006 she lived in England, where she obtained a MPhil in creative writing from the University of Glamorgan.
[7] The Waikato Times described it as a "dazzling debut", with her poems "beautifully worked, insightful, emotionally gentle yet unsettling".
[4] Judge Saradha Koirala said of Preston's work: "Simply written, yet dramatic and powerfully eloquent, each poem in this book is a banger.
"[4] Reviewer Chris Tse had predicted it would win the top prize in advance of the ceremony, describing it as "a wide-ranging collection that traces the paths we take in life, and reflects on the experiences and wisdom we gain from our travels".