A positive review on Gregory Piko’s blog of Vanessa Proctor’s recent collection…. Vanessa’s words know exactly how to fit together and how much to say. Nothing is forced, nothing is rushed. The timing of the words is comfortable. The sound of the words is pleasing. These poems are a delight to read. More at Gregory…
Category: poets
Henry Sheerwater – Vale
Henry Sheerwater (1984–2025) grew up in Sydney and gained a BA (English) at the University of New South Wales. He lived in Tasmania for many years, writing poetry and essays about ecology, war and literary culture.
Louise Akers | 12 to 20 questions (from rob mclennan’s blog)
(from ‘rob mclennan’s blog’, 17 April 2025) 5 – Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings? I love doing readings–because they are fun and social and ephemeral experiences, but also it is a hell of a way to edit a poem….
Helen Swain’s poetry collection ‘Calibrating Home’ | launch speech by Gina Mercer (Nov 2024)
Gina Mercer, Hobart | 24th November 2024: So, here is a book. It’s Helen’s book. It’s a very good book. Filled with – and ‘about the goodness of people’. You, all of you – you are a ‘goodness of people’. Gift yourself this very good book. Gift one to any of your people who love…
Tasmanian Literary Awards 2025
The judges have selected longlists in the four book categories: Premier’s Prize for Fiction Premier’s Prize for Non-fiction Minister for the Art’s Prize for Books for Young Readers and Children Tim Thorne Prize for Poetry.
‘Class’: new (free) downloadable anthology of poems (Meuse Press, Aust)
Maybe of interest? New (free) downloadable pdf anthology of poems entitled ‘Class’ (Meuse Press, NSW Australia, edited by Les Wicks) featuring 74 contributors (45 Australiana along with international contributors published in 14 languages) — at https://meusepress.tripod.com/Meuse.htm (scroll down the right hand side of the page and click on Class.pdf) with contributors including Margaret Bradstock, Kit…
Elanna Herbert ~ ACT Literary Awards 2024
Lovely to see Elanna Herbert’s 2023 poetry collection ‘sifting fire writing coast’ has been shortlisted in the ACT Literary Awards, along with Sandra Renew’s ‘Apostles of Anarchy’, K. A. Nelson’s ‘Meaty Bones’, Tim Metcalf’s ‘The Moon the Bone’, and Paul Hetherington’s ‘Sleeplessness’. Good luck to all.
Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian and Alison Evans — writers’ workshops cancelled
(Kelly Burke, The Guardian, 6th March 2024) Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian and Alison Evans have been left to speculate on whether cancellations relate to their pro-Palestinian stances. State Library Victoria has cancelled a series of writing events out of concerns over “child and cultural safety”, leaving some of the participants demanding an explanation. More
Seasonal Poets – The Summer Reading | Monday February 26th (Hobart)
Seasonal Poets returns to Hobart on Monday 26th February for the Summer Reading with poets Pamela Leach, Irene McGuire and Peter Jerrim. Seasonal Poets’ new venue is Fullers Bookshop 131 Collins Street and tickets are $10.00 at the door or via the Fullers website: www.fullersbookshop.com.au./events The $10.00 which no longer needs to be cash includes…
Perth Poetry Festival
Event by WA Poets Inc – Perth Poetry Festival ********* Perth Poetry Festival is continuing its accessibility commitment to those who are unable to attend events in-person OR who live regionally, interstate or internationally. There will be a large number of events that you can attend virtually via Zoom. These events include: – WAPoets Presents, Saturday…
Fullers Poets in Conversation: Esther Ottaway & Susan Austin, 10 August
5.30pm – 6.30pm, Thursday 10 August Fullers Poets in Conversation – Esther Ottaway and Susan Austin Venue: Afterword Café, Fullers Bookshop, cnr Collins and Victoria Streets How intelligent and seemingly social women can be exhausted from undiagnosed autism/ADHD; and how some women end up travelling on unseen, gruelling medical and IVF rollercoasters to become pregnant:…
A new Tasmanian blog — Kim Nielsen-Creeley
Artist and poet Kim Nielsen-Creeley has begun a blog on her website, with her first post about her experience of this year’s Cygnet Folk Festival. The Cygnet Folk Festival 2023 mantra is Back in Full Swing. After such a rich day, I’m feeling it. Professional comedian Jenny Wynter had a Masterclass, Freeing the Funny from 11 – 3.30…
Tasmanian poet Tim Slade, reading ‘Thylacine’
Tim Slade’s been writing poetry for a decade, his work has appeared in publications as diverse as The Weekend Australian, The Koori Mail, Australian Poetry Anthology, Growing Up Disabled In Australia and Cordite Poetry Review. Originally from Hobart, he settled in the tiny Tasmanian town of Pioneer a decade ago where he’s drawn inspiration for…
Fullers Poets — Mary Blackwood & Liz McQuilkin: 12th May (Hobart)
Fullers Poets is a new event series celebrating contemporary poetry. The first event in this series will feature poets Liz McQuilkin (Unwrapping Clouds) and Mary Blackwood (Small Cosmos) in conversation, with readings from their work. Praise for Liz McQuilkin: ‘Liz McQuilkin has Mary Oliver’s ability to show us ordinary, yet extraordinary, moments in the natural and human worlds….
Notes from a launch: Esther Ottaway’s ‘Intimate, low-voiced, delicate things’
My take on Jane Williams’ launch of Esther Ottaway’s poetry collection ‘Intimate, low-voiced, delicate things’ in Launceston last year — please visit here. ‘I’ve been a fan of Esther Ottaway’s poetry since her first, small, powerful book Blood Universe some fourteen years ago.’ she said. ‘The long wait has been well worth it and … I suspect Intimate,…
Poetry evening, Launceston — Tuesday 12th April 2022
After a break, poetry is back in Launceston on Tuesday 12th April, in the back bar area of the Sports Garden Hotel, corner of George and Cimitiere Streets. It will be a re-launch of POETRY PEDLARS. Arrive between 7 p.m. and 7.30 for a 7.30 reading start, but come earlier if you want to read in…
A poet’s view of the war….
(Talia Lavin, ‘The Intelligencer’, 15th March 2022: ‘The War Never Left. A conversation with Ilya Kaminsky about memory, viral poetry, and the tragedy of Ukraine.) Which poets in Russian and Ukrainian, contemporary and past, should we be reading to understand this moment? We don’t read the poets to understand the moment. We read poets to…