The World's Fastest Flower

The World's Fastest Flower - Charlotte Simmonds

Victoria University Press, ISBN 978-0-86473-576-8, $25.00 pbk

The world’s fastest flower is the Canadian Bunchberry Dogwood. It opens in 0.4 milliseconds. This was not discovered until just recently as no camera had been created fast enough to record such information, but now, with cameras that film at ten thousand frames per second, we know. Combining the urgency of the Canadian Bunchberry Dogwood with the suspended time of the lyric poem, this book introduces a courageous and innovative new voice in New Zealand poetry.

Born in 1983, Charlotte Simmonds is best known for her work in Wellington theatre. Her plays include Arctic-Antarctic, The Story of Nohome Neville and Unwholesome Clare who Worked in Kitchens and Smelt like a Dish and Burnt Coffee. She is a big fan of Batman and violent romance. She is often found smoking outside theatres. She aims to become New Zealand’s most famous bipolar playwright and is currently working on a book called 100 Small Robots You Can Build At Home.