graphics by Toto De Waele
A range of free and low-cost events including workshops, discussions and poetry readings that will inspire you and encourage you to develop your poetry.
These events take place on Whadjuk Noongar land. WAPI acknowledges the original custodians of this land and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.
To download the program click on this link; 2019 Festival Events V1.8
Note: program subject to change without notice. Please check closer to the day for updates.
For details about Festival Workshops click here
To book tickets for poetry readings and performances, please goto: https://www.trybooking.com/BDFHO
Events
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Creative Connections Art & Poetry Exhibition
26 July-11 August
10am-4pm
Moores Building
A free event
An eclectic exhibition of artwork by artists with complex needs accompanied by poetry inspired by the artwork. All artwork is for sale. An Anthology of the art and poetry is available for sale.
Big Screen
Cultural Centre, Perth
Festival week
WAPPI is collaborating with the MRA to project poetry and related content on the big screen, at random times from 09-18 August, in James Street outside PICA.
12-15 August
10am-1pm
Queens Room, Queens Building
$20 per 30-minute session. To book click here
Peter Bakowski will be available for one on one, 30 minute “consultations” with poets to provide constructive criticism of any of their poems that need diagnosis, analysis, revision etc.
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Friday 9 August
Outspoken
7 – 9.30pm
Queens Building
$5 at the door with funds donated to a charity supporting the LGBTIQA2+ community.
Wine and beer for sale. Light catering available.
OUTspoken is Perth Poetry Festival’s annual LGBTIQA+ poetry night. Each year we bring you some of the biggest and brightest voices in local queer poetry.
In 2019 expect to hear poetry from slam poet Abby Taylor, story teller and columnist Jay Chesters, experimental theatre-maker Noemie Huttner-Koros (THE LION NEVER SLEEPS), Rocko’s very own Biddle plus award winning poet & provocateur Andrew Sutherland
Limited open mic spots available: signup on the night.
This event takes place on Whadjuk Noongar Land. As such we would like to pay our respects to Elders past, present and future and acknowledge that this is, was and always will be Aboriginal Land.
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Saturday 10 August
Workshop: SIX OF THE BEST with Dean Meredith
9.30-11.30am
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Workshop: THE POETICS OF GRIEF with Scott-Patrick Mitchell
12.00-1.30pm
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Young Poets
2-4pm
Moon Café
Entry by donation
When these poets were young and still at school, their voices had a chance to be heard. Each of them were selected from many entries to be included in Western Australia’s only student poetry anthology, Primo Lux. Their voices were edgy, perceptive and resonant with an appreciation and understanding of language and how it could be manipulated to make observations, offer comment and demonstrate insight.
Julia Dolin , Sonya Frossine and Mina Wallis are three fine young poets who began their published careers as poets within the pages of Primo Lux, and now stand on the edge of greater things. Don’t miss hearing these fresh voices speak out.
This is a combined WA Poets/Perth Poetry Club event and includes limited open mic.
WA Slam Heat 2
4.30-6.30pm
four5nine bar
$10 waged/$5 un-waged at the door
Perth Slam presents the second WA heat of the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam at the four5nine bar in North Perth. Poets and spoken word artists of all sorts have a chance to make it to the finals at the end of August, where the top two slammers get a trip to Sydney for a chance at the title of 2019 Australian Poetry Slam Champion!
Experimental Poetry
7-9.30pm
Queens Building
$10 waged/$5 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales.
Wine and beer for sale.
An opportunity for unconventional poets to perform their work. Participants will be selected for their innovation and willingness to challenge accepted norms.
Featuring:
Limited open microphone opportunities.
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Sunday 11 August
Workshop: FLESHING IT OUT with Ann Gilchrist
9.30-11.00am
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Workshop: POETRY AS A FORM OF SELF PRESERVATION with Maddie Godfrey
11.30am-1.30pm
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Anti Slam
7-9.30pm
Queens Building
$10 waged/$5 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Wine and beer for sale.
A reaction to conventional slams where the worst/most humorous poetry performance wins. Cash prizes for winners. Sign in at 6.15pm, limited slots so be prompt.
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Monday 12 August
Celebrating Poetry
7-9.30pm
Queens Building
$10 waged/$5 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Wine and beer for sale.
Writing centres and collectives in WA maintain and extend writing as the bonding seedbed of our culture, and Poetry the acknowledged Queen of words is currently the most vigorous of our literary genres.
Thanks to multi-media, creative writing classes, self-publishing and online anthologies Poetry is booming. Tonight’s entertainment is a conspectus of all our efforts in poetry ranging from the long standing FAWWA, KSP, PETER COWAN, and WAPI and Reading groups such as the MOON CAFE and VOICE BOX to the start-ups like Henry on Eighth, and of course the Slams. Also featuring the launch of Ann Gilchrist’s new book Glass Cabbages(Mulla Mulla Press).
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Emerging Poets
7-9.30pm
Queens Building
$10 waged/$5 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Wine and beer for sale.
Selected readings from poets in the WAPI Emerging Poets Program– AJ Bain, Sunny Blundell-Wignell, Jo Clarke, Fable Goldsmith, Ruari Jack Hughes, Mel Knight, Taonga Sendama and Colin Young. Plus open mic.
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Wednesday 14 August
Workshop: “WHAT DO WE WANT…?!?” with Vivienne Glance & Afeif Ismail
4.15-5.45pm
Queens Building
UNFORTUNATELY THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Spoken Word Perth
7.30-9.30pm
Picabar
UNFORTUNATELY THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
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Thursday 15 August
Poetry Gala
7 – 10pm
Queens Building
$15 waged/$10 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Catered with wine and beer for sale.
Featuring key note speech by Festival Patron, Peter Jeffery OAM and a taste of what is to come from guest poets Natalie D-Napoleon, Peter Bakowski, Melinda Smith, Shey Marque, Dean Meredith and Ann Gilchrist plus the Creatrix Poetry and Haiku Prize presentations.
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Friday 16 August
Wellness Poetry
11am for a 11.30 start
Lorikeet Centre
A free event. Lunch, tea and coffee and poetry anthologies for 2019 are free; soft drinks are $1.50
For the fifth year running, the Festival will travel to the Lorikeet Centre/Clubhouse to enjoy the poetry of WAPI Poets as well as poetry prize-winners from the Open Your Mind contest, who will also be featured in the 2019 anthology of the same name. The emphasis in work will be positive and focussing on the journey to mental wellness. Everyone is invited to perform in the Open Section, as long as pieces stay on topic. This is your chance to enjoy the supportive and friendly atmosphere of the Club House and some of its members. plus the free lunch and poetry anthology are always a treat. Featured guest poets are Saoirse Nash and Colin Young
Panel Discussion
“There’s no such thing as a prose poem”
4.30-6pm
Queens Building
Free event
A form? A genre? A line that doesn’t turn? What is a prose poem (and do they actually exist)?? Join us for a bit of fun, as we debate the blurred line between poetry and prose, in a conversation between six great (prose) poets.
Debaters:
- Rose Van Son
- Alan Fyfe
- Dennis Haskell
- Natalie D-Napoleon
- Two mystery poets
- Chair: Kate Noske
Poetry Pep Talk withPeter Bakowski
7.30-9.00pm
Queens Building
$15 waged/$10 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Wine and beer for sale.
During a 90 minute poetry pep talk, Melbourne poet Peter Bakowski, who has been writing poetry exclusively for thirty-six years, will impart to those attending, practical and philosophical tips, insights, suggestions, challenges and exercises connected with the writing of poetry.
Key points addressed will include:
- Allocating and protecting writing time
- Facing the blank page
- Finding and broadening your subject matter
- Writing the researched poem
- Writing the character-driven poem
- Nourishing yourself as a poet/writer
- Questioning the adjective
- Questioning the simile
- Pruning and revising poems
- Submitting your poems to magazines and competitions
- Building up a track record as a poet
- Securing a publisher
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Saturday 17 August
Workshop: WRITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE with Shey Marque
9.30-11.00am
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Workshop: NEW CHAINS TO SET YOU FREE: with Melinda Smith
11.30am-1.00pm
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Perth Poetry Club
2-4pm
Moon Café
Entry by donation
A smattering of poetry from all of the festival guest poets; Natalie D-Napoleon, Peter Bakowski, Melinda Smith, Shey Marque, Dean Meredith and Ann Gilchrist.
This is a combined WA Poets/Perth Poetry Club event and includes limited open mic.
Panel Discussion
‘Living for Poetry and Living off Poetry’
4.30-6pm
Queens Building
Free event
This panel will offer a discussion of the challenges of a life in poetry, both economic and philosophical: the privileges and terrors of facing the blank page.
Panellists:
- Shey Marque
- Peter Bakowski
- Dennis Haskell
- Melinda Smith
- Kate Noske (Chair)
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WA Slam Heat 3
4.30-6.30pm
four5nine bar
$10 waged/$5 un-waged at the door
Perth Slam presents the third WA heat of the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam at the four5nine bar in North Perth. Poets and spoken word artists of all sorts have a chance to make it to the finals at the end of August, where the top two slammers get a trip to Sydney for a chance at the title of 2019 Australian Poetry Slam Champion
Many Words, Many Voices – A Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) poetry & spoken word event
7-9.30pm
Queens Building
A free event
Wine and beer for sale.
The emerging and established CaLD poets and spoken word artists include Raihanaty A Jalil, Michael Joboy, Zahraty Husin and Rafeif Ismail, who will join established poet Afeif Ismail and co-transcreator Vivienne Glance followed by WAPI international guest poet, Natalie D-Napolean (USA).
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Sunday 18 August
Workshop: ERASURE POETRY with Natalie D-Napoleon
9.30-11.00am
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
Workshop: INK ADVENTURES with Peter Bakowski
11.30am-1.00pm
Queens Building
$25 waged/$20 un-waged. To book click here
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OOTA Cornucopia
3–5pm
The Orient
This is a free event
Cornucopia: a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn; an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind. Join OOTA readers at the Orient Hotel on to hear a cornucopia of pleasures.
Festival Finale
7 – 10pm
Queens Building
$15 waged/$10 un-waged. To book click here. Limited door sales
Catered with wine and beer for sale.
A celebration of everything about the festival with final performances by the guest poets; Natalie D-Napoleon, Peter Bakowski, Melinda Smith, Shey Marque, Dean Meredith and Ann Gilchrist plus the presentation of the Ros Spencer Poetry Contest Prizes.
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Venues
four5nine bar 459 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth (cnr Angove St)
Lorikeet Centre 104 Cambridge St, West Leederville (near Chappell Lane)
Moon Café 323 William St, Northbridge (near Newcastle St)
The Orient 39 High St, Fremantle (cnr Henry St)
Picabar51 James St, Northbridge
Queens Building Level 1, 97 William St, Perth (cnr Murray St)
Queens Building: Enter via the doorway on William St, go through to the courtyard and take the lift/stairs to the first level. The venue is along the walkway and to the right. This building has good disability access.
The 2019 Perth Poetry Festival receives funds from Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund and is supported by:
