More than an hour of poetry and conversation between poets David Adès and Peter Boyle, on Peter’s selected theme— exploring the unknown in life. DAVID Peter, with the theme that you’ve selected ‘Exploring the unknown in life’, you’re reading poems today from your last two books ‘Ideas of travel’, and ‘Notes towards the dream book of endings’….
Small Press Network—2022 Book of the Year Award: winner Eleanor Jackson
The Small Press Network (SPN) this evening announced the winner of the 2022 Small Press Network Book of the Year Award (BOTY): Gravidity and Parity by Eleanor Jackson, published by Vagabond Press! Below, from Small Press Network’s Fiona Wallace’s interview with Eleanor earlier in the month: Q. Your poems have a powerful sense of immersion in the…
Colette—from the short story ‘Grape Harvest’
She wanted some more bacon, and cut into the peasant bread, made of pure wheat, brown but succulent, and demanded from the gnarled giant an account of the war of 1870. It was brief. “What’s to say? It wasn’t a very pretty sight … I remember everybody falling all around me and dying in their…
Woorilla Poetry Prize 2022
The Woorilla Poetry Prize was judged this year by Kevin Brophy and Alicia Sometimes, with the awards event taking place in Emerald, Victoria. Kevin Brophy spoke briefly about the judging process. ‘I guess I want to remind you at the start that judging a poetry competition is a very human process. There is a human…
Ukrainian folk music quartet DakhaBrakha—NPR Music Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
DakhaBrakha—an NPR Music Tiny Desk (Home) concert DakhaBrakha … founded in 2004 … The group’s name derives from Ukrainian verbs daty and braty, which mean “give” and “take”, respectively.
2022 Tasmanian Literary Awards—shortlists announced
Lovely to see Lyn’s book made it to the shortlist, sorry Pete’s didn’t (he had two nominations that made the longlist)… sorry too for Adrienne who also had a couple of longlistings. (And for Jane, of course). Meanwhile, congrats to those who made it through. There’s a link to the shortlists on this page, as…
The Joan Didion estate sale
Sophie Haigney, writing for ‘The Paris Review’ (17th Nov 2022) about the artefacts being auctioned in the US at the Joan Didion estate sale…. Then there were the three lots of blank notebooks, tied with twine. They went for $9,000, $11,000, and $11,000 each. They were empty, some still wrapped in plastic, yet they were…
Csik Zenekar—Hungarian folk music ensemble
Jane’s poetry residency in Slovakia in 2016 led to an introduction to Hungarian and Slovak music. This, from Csik Zenekar, (recorded 2009)….
Launch of ‘Reaching Light’, by Robert Adamson [Sydney, July 2022]
Robert reading and in conversation with his Flood Editions USA editor/publisher & poet Devin Johnston, with readings by Sarah Holland-Batt and Michele Seminara. The very sad news is that Robert Adamson is gravely ill. * * * * …
Anne Collins—book launch
Lovely to see that Anne Collins has launched her newest collection of poems and prose—’Listening to the Deep Song’ (Bright South)—in Hobart last week. The book was launched at Hadley’s Hotel on 11th November by Petrina Meldrum: I’d like to say how happy I am to be back in Hobart to share in the…
Didion: ‘the civil war was yesterday’
Haven’t decided on Didion. Some things she writes are breezily anecdotal—and no more—at other times she hits the spot. Here she’s in Greenville, Mississippi, reflecting on New Orleans and the South with locals. The year is 1970. The time warp: The Civil War was yesterday, but 1960 is spoken of as if it were about…
Poets on the Line—featuring Gina Mercer (18th Nov)
‘Poets on the Line’ is zoom event organised by Ross Donlon from Agitation Hill (Castlemaine, Victoria) this Friday 18th November, from 6 – 7 pm. Zoom link will be posted in a few days. Featured poet for this first event is Gina Mercer. Format is of a 20 minute reading, then Q & A involving…
Hobart launch—Jan Colville’s ‘a small universe’
Jan is releasing a new chapbook of her poetry, a small universe! (published by Bright South). Where: Hobart Bookshop When: 24th of November, at 5.30pm Please rsvp: rsvpbrightsouth@gmail.com or call (03) 6223 1803
Book launch—Gayelene Carbis’ ‘I Have Decided To Remain Vertical’; Melbourne 16 Oct 2022, launched by Marion May Campbell
Plenty of support for Gayelene Carbis, when Marion May Campbell launched her new poetry collection—’I Have Decided To Remain Vertical’—at Readings in St Kilda last month. With Claire Gaskin MC-ing the event, local choir The Red Hot Singers — (‘This is not a choir, it’s a singing group … in other words, informal’, someone clarified;…
Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology—Call for submissions
The Australian Haiku Society has announced a call for submissions for the Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology (4AHA) that will showcae the work of poets who are writing haiku in Australia today. It is almost a decade since the previous Australian haiku anthology was released and the landscape has changed significantly since then. The society’s mission…
Myron Lysenko: ‘If we lose this war, we’re going to lose our country, our language and our culture….’
Myron Lysenko, in conversation with Tina Giannoukos on 3CR Spoken Word this morning, Thursday 27th Oct 2022. “A lot of the Ukrainian people believe that we will win the war, even though we’re fighting against extreme odds. If we lose this war, we’re going to lose our country, our language and our culture so it’s…
All their information was fifth-hand….
[Joan Didion: from ‘South and West’ (pg 34)] “You-all ought to come visit with us,” a third woman said. They were all young women, the oldest among them perhaps thirty. “I’d play organ for you.” “We’ll never get up there,” the first woman said. “I never been anyplace I wanted to go.” (and, a couple…
Alice Allan—3CR’s ‘Spoken Word’
It was good hearing poet and podcaster Alice Allan in conversation with 3CR’s Waffle IronGirl on the ‘Spoken Word’ show, on the 20th October 2022. Alice has published a couple of poetry titles—’The Empty Show’ (Rabbit Books), and the chapbook ‘Blanks’ (Slow Loris)—but considers herself primarily a podcaster. She produces the weekly podcast ‘Poetry Says’,…
Poetry London—the Poetry London Prizewinners 2022
Streamed live on 14th October 2022. First: Teresa Ott Second: Ann Giard-Chase Third: Daragh Byrne
Silvana Estrada, ‘La Corriente’ from the album ‘Marchita’ [Jan 2022]
Mexican musician Silvana Estrada—‘La Corriente’ [Thom Jurek, ALLMUSIC]—”…’Marchita’ is steeped in tradition but far from traditional. This album makes use of her entire musical background, including indie pop, classical, jazz, and Latin American folk traditions. It is rendered simply and directly, deeply influenced by the poetic tradition of women composers including Chavela Vargas, Violeta Parra, and Soledad…
26th Oct: Robbie Arnott & David Whish-Wilson in conversation—Hobart
Robbie Arnott (author of ‘Limberlost’) and David Whish-Wilson (‘The Sawdust House’) in conversation about their new books. Hobart Bookshop, 5:30 pm Wednesday 26th October This is a double Author Event with David Whish-Wilson and Robbie Arnott talking to each other about their newly released books The Sawdust House and Limberlost. The Sawdust House is a historical fiction set…
Francesca Haig’s new historical novel ‘Salt Blood’
October 10, 2022 Bloomsbury has pre-empted Salt Blood by poet Francesca Haig, a historical novel about the infamous 18th-century pirate Mary Read, in a six-figure deal. Publishing director Emma Herdman signed UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada and including audio, from Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment in a two-book deal. Haig will be writing as Francesca…
Longlists announced, 2022 Tasmanian Literary Awards
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 For full details, visit Tasmanian Literary Awards 2022
The madman….
There’s a character in Anuradha Roy’s novel ‘Sleeping on Jupiter’. He’s mad, has no money, sleeps wherever he can find shelter. He cultivates a twig, plants it in the sand by the ocean, waters it with seawater, moves it to higher ground when the tide comes in and waves threaten his ‘plant’. And then there’s…
A conversation with musician and photographer Jules Witek
‘At First Glance’ is a marriage of the writing of celebrated poet Karen Knight, and the photographic inventiveness of Jules Witek. The result is a captivating spectacle of words and images. Jules discusses the couple’s forthcoming publication, along with plans for its launch. Read more.