Poets' Breakfast at the Kincumber Neighborhood Centre

Poets and poetry lovers, come one come all to help us start this monthly meeting of poets and poet enthusiasts. All are welcome. This 'event' is about sharing work or the work of poets you love, enjoying hearing other people's work and getting together in the name of the Arts and in particular, the written and spoken (or sung) word.

This is the launch of a monthly poets' gathering where all are welcome to read out their poetry to a supportive audience. Inspired by the multiple poetry meetings and events in NSW such as 'Poetica' in Sydney (produced by Miriam Hechtman), the Gosford Poets and the annual Words on Waves Festival in the Central Coast and many more, Poets' breakfast in Kincumber begins. Each month there'll be a guest poet and an open mic section open to all, as well as a fun and brief communal poetry writing activity (just for fun) near the end of the event. 

The open mic section offers anyone who so desires, around 5 or so minutes to read their work or that of a poet they love - we'll keep the time the same for everyone in the open mic section to give everyone a fair shot. No need to be a professional poet (but we welcome you if you are). Song lyrics and short stories are also encouraged. 

And you do not need to be a poet to attend - support a friend or colleague, find inspiration in other people's work or just enjoy the ambiance as well as the hot food and drink available for purchase.

If you'd like some help with which poem you want to share on the day, follow our theme for this round -  

                                                    'Winter and the hope it brings'.

Guest poet -  Jacquelene Anne Pearson, will be our very first guest poet and we feel extremely honoured to have her! A long time Central Coast resident, Jacquelene is a poet who published her first collection of works last year (2022), called Mother's Song (https://thepoint.net.au/shop/) and is also the editor of 'The Point' - the Coast's first independant electronic news site( https://thepoint.net.au/). Jacquelene has been a guest speaker for many different writer's festivals and poet gatherings. We are so thrilled that she is our first guest poet. Come to hear Jacquelene's work at our first gathering. See more about Jacquelene below.

The event is at the Kincumber Neighborhood Centre. We'll set the room up for comfortable listening and for eating and drinking. There'll be couches and chairs and tables for all as well as a microphone and speaker set up for those who would like to use it. The atmsophere will be personable and warm. 

Entry fee is $15 per person with the option of paying what you can if $15 is not possible at this time. The ticket options are on our ticket site and will also be at the door. 

There will be a yummy mini buffet of sorts for sale. Tea and instant coffee included in the entry fee. The food will be simple, hot and tasty and mostly plant based - If you are not used to plant based or haven't like it previously we promise tasty-ness.

We are looking forward to your company on this Wintery July morning and if you are hesitating to attend, please give it a try for this first event to see what we're about. It's really just a group of different people getting together to share poetry and creative writing in a happy and common space, to share a morning together, and to hopefully inspire each other to create more or simply enjoy more.

For more information, or if you'd like to put your name down as a feature poet for a future Poet's Breakfast, contact Alexi Kaye on 

0414 261 391, contact@alexikaye.com

FB event link: 
https://fb.me/e/Rli48wrv

A little bit more about Jacquelene Anne Pearson, our guest Poet.

Jacquelene Pearson is a poet, publisher and activist who lives and works on the NSW Central Coast. Jacquelene has written and loved poetry since she was around six years old. Pearson has had poems published in anthologies and Mother’s Song, published by Ginninderra Press in 2022, is the first published collection of her own work. Aside from her poetry work, she has worked as a journalist, content producer, editor, and executive producer since 1988. Her career has included senior editorial roles with CHOICE Magazine and she spent around a decade as a contributor to the Australian Financial Review Smart Investor Magazine. In 2020 she made a conscious decision to spend the remainder of her productive years as an activist writer and publisher specialising in environmental justice, human rights and democracy. She now publishes an ESG News Site called www.thepoint.net.au.

Where to buy Jacquelene's work:

https://thepoint.net.au/shop/
https://www.ginninderrapress.com.au/store.php?catalog/search/Jacquelene+Pearson/date/1
https://www.amazon.com.au/Mothers-Song-Jacquelene-Pearson/dp/1761093398

Article about her new collection: Coast Community News Article

Affiliated sites: 

https://truepennymedia.com/
https://thepoint.net.au/

A bit about the host - Alexi Kaye is a singer-songwriter and singing teacher living on the Central Coast. She directs the Heart and Soul Community choir weekly at the Kincumber Centre. She recently started putting on different community events focused on bringing people together through the arts. She is an avid lover of the arts and of poetry and comes from a poetry-loving family headed by her mother who is a keen poet herself.

More info at www.alexikaye.com

See you there!