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just happens to be me, which is fab seeing as it’s my birthday month!
Following the successful run of featuring a Pocket Poet each month in the window of East Avenue Books, Ginninderra Press have decided to run through the Picaro Poet series, with my collection, Smashed glass at midnight, up next to entice passersby into the shop.
And once again Stephen and Brenda Matthews have done a wonderful job of pulling this together, including some of my favourite poems from the chapbook.
So if you’re about pop in; immerse yourself in the voices of a thousand and more pens.
I had completely forgotten about this, so it was a nice surprise in all the madness when the latest issue of Mslexia arrived in our postbox…
Don’t think I will ever tire of seeing this little chapbook in print. And hope no one else does either 🙂
from Karen Dennison of Smashed glass at midnight on Abegail Morley’s The Poetry Shed.
A beautifully written piece, insightful and thought-provoking, you may need to get yourself a copy 😉
A wonderful event hosted by the adorable East Avenue Books – a beautiful mix of poetry, champagne, friends and sunshine, what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Peter, the bookshop owner, MC’d the event and started by introducing talented local poet Jill Gower to officially launch eight of the 11 chapbooks in the Picaro Poets series published by Ginninderra Press (those from South Australian poets).
Jill briefly spoke about each poet in the series, quoting specific lines and sharing snapshots of their work to convey the variety and depth the new line has to offer. Next up was Brenda Matthews, editor of the series, and who is a fine poet herself with a chapbook of her own in there (published under her maiden name Brenda Eldridge). Brenda paid special thanks to her partner Stephen, who was lurking in the corner and later, I discovered, prefers to stay in the background, for his advice and hard work in producing the new-look chapbooks. Brenda also made special mention of me, who was the first to be accepted in the new series and got pulled in by the first poem I found out after!
So I was first up and read three poems from Smashed glass at midnight – ‘Admission’, ‘Offspring’ and ‘Visiting hours’ – all of which some of the audience had heard before at my launch and there were a few familiar faces – Jules Leigh Koch, Heather Taylor Johnson and Rob Walker.
Next up was a reading from Kate Deller-Evans’ collection Open Inspection, who unfortunately was not able to attend, quickly followed by Margo Poirier who read an entertaining poem about Centrelink from her chapbook Wellspring. Zenda Vecchio was up next reading from her collection Luminous, followed by Lyn Williams and Rosemary Winderlich reading from their collections Stray Thoughts and Suspended Lives respectively. Finally it was Brenda’s turn, who shared a delightful piece about how even the toughest nuts can have a soft centre from her chapbook Not what they might seem.
Jude Aquilina, an amazing local poet, was also not able to attend so I brought a copy of her chapbook, Ship Tree, to read at leisure when I have chance to breathe again. I have also been asked to be guest poet at a local poetry group, so watch this space for further details!
My chapbook. On a bookshelf. In a real live bookshop. Must get out more I know. But thanks Ken Bolton at the Dark Horsey Bookshop!
And a reminder about the Picaro Poets series launch at 2pm this Sunday at East Avenue Books, Clarence Park – would love to see you there if you can make it!
Ginninderra Press, in association with East Avenue Books, are celebrating their new look Picaro Poets series on Sunday 27 September at 2:00pm.
Jill Gower will be launching the chapbooks, which I am honoured to have been the first selected for the new series, and there will be readings from poets Kate Deller-Evans, Brenda Eldridge, Zenda Vecchio, Lyn Williams, Rosemary Winderlich and me!
So if you’re around and interested, pop into East Avenue Books in Clarence Park for an afternoon of thought-provoking poetry, gorgeous books, drinks, nibbles and, fingers crossed, some sunshine!
Courtesy of Andrew Noble, photographer extraordinaire !
Well it’s happened, the launch of my first collection! And what an amazing experience it was!!
Hosted by The Coffee Pot, which did a great job of catering to everyone’s needs, Rachael Mead did an absolutely fantastic launch for me. I really was quite touched by a number of things Rachael said, and she set the scene beautifully for me to then get up and read six poems from the collection, which from what feedback tells me, I did well! And the crowd liked the fact I gave a bit of context before reading each one, just to explain a little of how and why they came about, so that went down well.
Was I nervous? Yes, but also strangely calm, I think because it was my work and I knew it well, it was familiar, cosy, almost like a safety blanket in case I fell, literally (but I was a good girl and only had one glass of wine before reading, made up for it after though!).
And surprisingly I sold 30 copies, although I say I it was actually Andreas who was in charge of sales and did it so well. Photos were snapped courtesy of Andrew, Rachael’s partner, so there will be more moments to share and keep and look back on and think, wow, what an incredible night!
getting around a bit! Check these out:
I am one buoyant, if not slightly nervous, poet! But pressure can be good; it shows just what you can do.
J V Birch 