Poets@Stones: boutique monthly poetry series (July)

Poets@Stones: Queensland's boutique poetry series - live readings by local poets

The next in our series of curated poetry events is on Thursday 31 July, 6pm arrival for a 6.30 - 7:30pm event, including live readings by three local poets.

About Poets@Stones

Curated by renowned Queensland poet, Brett (B. R.) Dionysius, Poets@Stones is held on the last Thursday of each month, from January through to November.

Our featured Poets for July are Nicole Melanson, Mark Carkeet and Nathan Shepherdson.

Nicole Melanson has been awarded Australia Council grants in both poetry and fiction and shortlisted for the 2021 Island Nonfiction Prize. Her writing is widely anthologised and published everywhere from Meanjin to Mississippi Review. A native Bostonian and former Sydneysider, Nicole now lives in Brisbane, where she mentors emerging writers with disabilities and runs WordMothers, supporting women’s work in the literary arts worldwide. Find her at www.nicolemelanson.com and www.wordmothers.com.

Mark Carkeet published his first poem 50 years ago, ‘A child’s garden of philosophy’, in the Toowoomba Grammar School magazine. The following year, his poem ‘Living Tomorrow Today’ appeared in the (sadly now defunct) Redcliffe Herald. He never stopped writing, and a mere 40 years later, his only book of poems, A line on hold was published by Watson and Ferguson. Unlike Robert Graves, he believes that poetry should be written for and read by people who are not poets. He aims to make his work local, particular and accessible. For the last 15 years or so, he has published the website www.oldqldpoetry.com, which showcases Queensland poetry up to 1959.

Nathan Shepherdson is the author of ten books of poetry. In 2005, he won the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize for his beautiful, elegiac volume of poetry Sweeping the Light Back into the Mirror. Apples with Human Skin was his second volume of poetry. He is also a sometime collaborator with artists and poets including Pascalle Burton, Sandra Selig, Jonathan McBurnie, and Peter Hudson. His most recent books are axolotl waltz (Puncher & Wattmann) and soft meteorites (Upswell).

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All our events are free to attend, but bookings are required as seats are limited.