Sydney Speakeasy presents: Lyric Assembly - OCTOBER
Description
Poetry Sydney and Verity La are delighted to welcome you our monthly open literary arts event in the heart of Kings Cross.
Lyric Assembly is an open performance evening celebrating contemporary poetry, spoken word and literary writing in all its forms, held on the second Thursday of month commencing in August.
Whether you're an emerging voice, an established writer or simply someone who enjoys listening to great writing, you're warmly invited to be part of the inaugural gathering.
Want to read?
Performance registrations are strictly taken on the night.
• Maximum 15 readers
• Five-minute reading limit
• Places allocated on a first-arrived basis
No advance bookings for readers will be accepted.
Lyric Assembly is a performance night dedicated to literary spoken word—an open forum for poets, writers, and thinkers to share work in progress or fully formed pieces. Expect a room that listens closely and is open to a range of styles and approaches. The emphasis is on language, presence, and the live encounter between voice and audience. This is a space to test work, take risks, and be part of a literary culture shaped in the room and built in real time.
Come early, sign up, enjoy a drink and settle into an evening of thoughtful listening and generous literary exchange.
Venue: El Rocco Bar
Doors open ... Till late
Doors open 6:30pm, commencing 7:30pm. The main event wraps up at 9, but the venue stays open as long as the conversation flows...
Note: bars sales are CASH ONLY
Food can be purchased from Pizza El Rocco next door and brought into the venue.
Accessibility: The upstairs bar area has good street-level accessibility; the downstairs performance space is accessed by a flight of stairs.
Spoken Frequencies, our curated literary salon featuring invited guests, will be announced soon for Thursday 12 November 2026.
Calendar and Save Dates:
Sydney Speakeasy: Spoken Frequencies
7:30pm Thursday 12 November 2026
Sydney Speakeasy: Lyric Assembly
7:30pm Thursday 10 December 2026
Sydney Speakeasy design by The Salons. All rights reserved.
Poetry Sydney and event partners acknowledge First Nations peoples as the sovereign custodians of Country, and pay respect to Elders of past, present and to future generations. We value the distinct culture, customs and practices present in the many and diverse tribal nations across Australia.
Stay in touch with poets and poetry @poetrysydney #poetrysydney
poetrysydney.org
FAQs
- How do I register to read?
Performance registrations are strictly taken on the night.
• Maximum 15 readers
• Five-minute reading limit
• Places allocated on a first-arrived basisNo advance bookings for readers will be accepted.
- Is there an ATM on site?
No, there is no ATM. The venue is strictly CASH-ONLY. There is an ATM adjacent O'Malley's Hotel, that can be used, or there are multiple options in Kings Cross retail precinct.
- What is the menu at Pizza El Rocco?
The Pizza El Rocco pizza MENU.
- What else is programmed at BarMe El Rocco?
Take a look at the PROGRAM of events at the El Rocco What's On.
Lineup
Host: Michele Seminara
Michele Seminara is a Sydney-based poet, writer, essayist, and editor. Her writing has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has appeared in publications such as Australian Poetry Journal, Mascara Literary Review, Jacket2 Magazine, Cordite, and The Australian. She has published two full-length collections, Suburban Fantasy (UWA Publishing, 2021) and Engraft (Island Press, 2016), as well as two chapbooks, Scar to Scar (written with Robbie Coburn, PressPress, 2016) and HUSH (Blank Rune Press, 2017). Michele has performed her poetry, chaired panels and appeared at numerous national and regional literary events and festivals across Australia, including the Canberra Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival, Wollongong Writers Festival, Words on the Waves Writers Festival, Queensland Poetry Festival, and at the Brett Whiteley Studio. She has co-judged the Queensland Poetry Festival Philip Bacon Ekphrasis Award (2017-2019), curated the Manly Art Gallery and Museum Poetry Alive readings (2018-2021), and was Managing Editor and Co-poetry Editor of online creative arts journal Verity La from 2014-2021, and is currently Co-managing editor at Verity La. Michele is working on her third poetry collection and is represented by Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. Michele's Seminara official website: https://micheleseminara.net/about/
Description
Verity La Journal was established in 2010 as an online, transnational creative arts journal publishing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, visual art, reviews and interviews from Australia and around the world.
At Verity La, we are interested in publishing compelling stories that offer insight into the human condition. We believe that in recent years literary culture has lost sight of what writers are called to do — to tell the truth, to be courageous with our pens, to be independent thinkers, and to be led by our art. We value each writer as an individual with their unique experiences and perceptions, and uphold the right of our authors and editors to create and publish without fear or favour. We’re committed to our craft and to maintaining a thriving literary community that allows for unfettered creativity and fosters an exciting exchange of ideas.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
