Down Under Ditties: Rhymes of Our Times 2024

For a bit of light relief and some thought-provoking rhymes, drawn from events of 2024
Inspired by items in the print version of The New Herald

Down Under Ditties: Rhymes of Our Times 2024 is a witty and topical collection of poems by David Conway Hopkins, also known as “Dr DC”, following on from the popular and well-received Down Under Ditties: Rhymes of Our Times 2023.

Each short rhyme was inspired by a headline or story from the New Zealand Herald, capturing the spirit of everyday life and current affairs across Aotearoa during 2024. From truancy crackdowns, speed cameras and ferry mishaps to power prices, politics, protest and sporting highs, Hopkins turns the year’s news into light-hearted reflections with a sharp satirical edge. His “ditty-a-day” project has grown into a lively poetic chronicle – clever, funny and distinctly Kiwi, offering readers both laughter and moments of thoughtful recognition.

Blending rhyme, humour and social observation, Down Under Ditties 2024 is the kind of book that belongs within easy reach – the perfect way to give yourself a break from your mobile phone, while the day’s news rhymes, amuses and occasionally makes you think.