The editors of Rochford Street Review were sadden to learn of the death of poet Susan Adams on Monday 7 December. The day before her partner, Les Wicks, had read some of her poems at the launch of Te Purere/The Exodus: The Anthology of Expatriate New Zealand Poets, Edited by Vaughan Rapatahana and John Gallas, Cold Hub Press, 2025, at the Stanley Street Gallery in Darlinghurst.

Susan Adams was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She has performed and taught ballet internationally, worked as Nursing Consultant/Educator and following her PhD as a Research Scientist. Having come late to poetry she has nonetheless been published across nine countries in three languages. Her book Beside Rivers was runner up in the prestigious Anne Elder Prize and her work was also ‘Commended’ in the 2012 O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition, ‘Highly Commended’ in the Val Vallis Award in 2012, ‘Highly Commended’ in the Adrien Abbott Poetry Prize 2012 and short listed for the inaugural Axel Clark Poetry Prize 2014.

Rochford Street Review extends it’s condolences to Susan’s family, friends and colleagues in the poetry community.