Jenny Bornholdt has published 13 books of poems including two Selected Poems. Her most recent book is What to Wear, published in 2026 by Te Herenga Waka University Press.
As well as books of poems, Jenny has written two books for children and edited anthologies, including Short Poems of New Zealand (Victoria University Press, 2018).
Working with visual artists, book artists and architects, her poems have appeared on ceramics, on a house, on paintings, in the foyer of a building and in letterpress books alongside drawings and photographs.
Bornholdt comments: 'In 2025, Greg O'Brien and I visited Japan. While on one of the country's art islands we visited an installation by French artist, Christian Boltanski. A structure on the shore of the Japan Sea housed recording booths and an adjoining gallery/room. In the booths, people were able to record their heartbeats, noting their name, address and date. In the room, which was pitch black, the sound of a heartbeat was heard. Outside, you could read the name of the person/persons whose heart you had listened to.
'Christian Boltanski's heart was loud, but despite waiting for some minutes, Thomas Abbot's heart made no sound.'
Photographer credit: Deborah Smith