BEFORE THE QLD POETRY FESTIVAL

April 16:

Here I am in Queensland somewhere west of Chinchilla (Burncluith area) and beyond a dingo fence. I feel I’ve really gone bush. I’ve said hallo to the cows including Sweet Pea, Baked Bean, Boogers and Aniseed from the other side of the fence (cows are big); had a bush walk along the east fence, the west fence, the north dam, the new fences, the new gates, the creeks; photographed native wild flowers; did a tour by truck of the back paddock (2-3 hours), into the spotty gum country, down along the Wild Dog fence, jumping in and out to examine and photograph trees in all their colours and hear about ‘old timer things’ like how they used to log on this place. There are koalas but we didn’t see any and birds but it was too hot for them. A frog called out just once but loudly. In a few days I will head to Brisbane for the Queensland Poetry Festival. It's important to get around poetry/literary events even if you are not performing ... don't you think? Be the audience they need; see what's going on where, what other poets are writing where, what the issues and trends are there ...

Ooops that's not me although it is a ginge ... hang on ... 

There I am. Me and a big sky. 

Me and a little brother called Stretch.

POETRY ON THE MOVE: CREATIVE RESPONSE

Poetry workshops, poetry readings, book launches, poetry in translation, panels, exhibitions, all on themes relating to Boundary Crossings. Find the Poetry on the Move 2017 program here. The festival is organized by the International Poetry Studies Institute (IPSI) in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. It's directed by Paul Munden.

‘Take Five’: The Creative Response

Ten poets will talk about their creative response as part of the forthcoming anthology titled Take Five (ed. Kathy Kituai). Hear about Kathy Kituai's project and the diverse responses by Kathy Kituai herself, Paul Hetherington, Paul Munden, Judith Crispin, Owen Bullock, Kerrie Nelson, Melinda Smith, Sarah Rice, David Terelinck and myself, on Thursday, September 14, 4.00 pm-6.00 pm, Building 1, A21.

TWO LIPS GO SHOPPING IN TASMANIA

I recently visited Launceston at the invitation of the fabulous Tasmanian Poetry Festival, directed by Cameron Hildrum. Here I am at the Gunners Arms Tavern reading from Two Lips Went Shopping (Spinifex Press, print & e-book). The first part of this book is a social history told through shopping and shopwork. I knew that at the time but somehow I knew it all over again on the weekend. In other words it still works. Phew! More soon. (I'm back - I've resolved most of my technology problems.) 

From the right: poetry festival + plus poet = yak.

WOMAN SCREAM: POETRY

'The Woman Scream festival - http://womanscream.blogspot.com.au/ - aims to bring together men and women poets in various countries, to pay a fitting tribute to women and to contribute with self-steem messages  and messages against violence. Musicians, actors, and other artists are welcome to contribute in the events to work together in favor of the cause.' Visit the website to find out about holding events March 1-31, 2013.

A Feast of Poetry - includes on-the-spot prizes

For the history of the Raglan Gallery click here.

Here’s an event I have watched with interest - the Feast of Poetry, Cooma had had it’s beginnings in the passion of Cooma poet Lucia Nesci. I first heard Lucy talk about her determination to have a poetry competition and related events in Cooma at a writing workshop any number of years ago now. She sussed out how to go about a poetry award, presentations and readings, gathered committee members and Chairs and rallied the support of poets to judge. The team brought in sponsorship for prizes, involved schools, and combined poetry and art through the Raglan Gallery as the supporting venue.

The Feast of Poetry prizes are usually presented from the charming verandah of the Raglan in Lambie Street, with poets reading to the audience relaxing on the front lawns. Passersby can hear what’s going on and sometimes join in. Everyone has the opportunity to visit the exhibitions on show (this time you'll catch the last day of the John Briscoe Memorial Art Award).

The 2012 Feast of Poetry event will be held on Sunday November 4 starting 10 am. Live entertainment, refreshments, coffee. Prizes awarded for the Song and Poetry sections. Stop Press: on-the-day prizes for open mike, poem on the spot and student’s bush poetry.

Enquiries: Coordinator Lucy Nescia, phone 02 6452 5546.

Immerse yourself in poetry

Queensland Poetry Festival calling - Feb 24

How do you get into a poetry/literary festival? Well sometimes you are just invited, sometimes your publisher or agent lobbies for your involvement, sometimes there will be a positive response to an individual enquiry or submission (send a promo pack earlier rather than later). Or you might respond to a call for expressions of interest! You have until February 24 to submit an individual or group proposal to the 2011 Queensland Poetry Festival: spoken in one strange word to be held in Brisbane August 26-28. Special interest in an exploration of relationships between poetry and other art forms. More info here.

Poetry Alive weekend - Mar 4-6

Livewire poetry activists Nicola Bowery and Harry Laing are organizing the poetry program for the Two Fires Festival (see below). Don’t wait for April to visit the Southern Tablelands – get into the mood with an early autumn visit to Nicola and Harry’s property Geebung for 'another of their unique PoetryAlive weekends offering an immersion in poetry and the chance to write it'. The Fruits of Poetry will be held March 4-6. Phone 02 48461075 or email geemonga@bigpond.com

Rotterdam - June 14-19

Poetry International Rotterdam 2011 will be held June 14-19 in the Rotterdam Schouwburg city theatre. Twenty poets at least, from around the world; lectures, readings, discussions, on-stage interviews; intimate and large-scale locations. Poets present their work in their own language with Dutch and English translations made available. Some info here. To learn about Dutch poets visit www.poetryinternational.org

Festival Highlights

Highlights from the Canberra Spring Poetry Festival Nov 13-15 included Terry Jaensch with his monologues on growing up in an orphanage - subtle phrasing, gentle, disturbing, beautiful; Amelia Fielden and Kathy Kituai reading from their collaborative book of responsive tanka In Two Minds (MET Press, USA) and a fascinating discussion of their process and inspiration; Emily Ballou's readings from her verse novel on The Darwin Poems (UWA Press); Omar Musa who might hold the Australian Poetry Slam title but his words and performance go beyond labels.

The Poetry Appreciation panel on promoting poetry was a jampacked meaty session if I do say so myself as one of the speakers with John Foulcher, Harry Laing, Paul Magee and Geoff Page.

Wigtown, Writing and a Wee Dram

Wigtown Book Festival - so why am I mentioning this Scottish literary festival opening September 25? Not because it won the Scottish Thistle Award last time (I think it’s a tourism thingy). But because I’m interested in festival marketing strategies. As well as its list of writers, Wigtown also features music, film, theatre, exhibitions, a continental market and wait for it, a unique festival-within-a-festival celebrating the connections between whisky and writing for anyone who has ever curled up with a book and a dram! I also loved the placed poems in the Wigtown 2008-09 poetry competition (click here): 1st: Dancing for Monsieur Degas by Victor Tapner who appears on quite a few prize lists - You didn’t see the blisters on my heels…; 2nd: The Scold Bridles by Barbara Smith - She waits with her head in the optician’s cage: a scold’s bridle for those with frown lines…; 3rd: Examiner 192 by Mora Maclean - You’ll have spotted those little flat full moons I leave - that dot the insides of unstuffed new shirts…

San Francisco - I like that sound

Jack Hirschman's dream to "... promote the harmony of languages and of poetry" is reflected in the San Francisco International Poetry Festival which he instigated as San Fransisco's poet laureate in 2006. All readings are in the poets' original languages followed by English translations and projections on screen. "Poetry is the most powerful thing on earth, and everyone is a poet. Poetry is the most naked, sincere and innocent example of the power of language to harmonize people." (Hirschman in Nataraj 2009) Currently the poet-in-residence for the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library he is co-host of the festival now running. Read the article here.