Sydney Speakeasy presents: Spoken Frequencies - NOVEMBER
Description
Poetry Sydney and Verity La are delighted to welcome you our monthly open literary arts event in the heart of Kings Cross.
Spoken Frequencies convenes the voices of poets, writers, and thinkers for an evening of long-form readings and in-depth conversations. We focus on the craft of writing in all its forms and welcome a range of styles and perspectives, with an emphasis on artistic risk-taking and genuine exchange. This is a space for a curious audience ready to engage with a variety of ideas and aesthetics and be part of a literary culture shaped in the room and built in real time. 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.
/SLANT
Our November gathering takes its inspiration from Emily Dickinson’s much-loved line, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant,” opening a space for writing that explores disability, mental health and the many ways we experience, interpret and articulate the world. Join us for a night of electric conversation and boundary-pushing poetry with a trio of authors celebrated for their unique perspectives and artistic innovation. Featuring Gayle Kennedy, Michael Aiken and Alise Blayney.
Hosted by Michele Seminara is a Sydney-based poet, writer, essayist, and editor.
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.
Save the Date:
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/
Michael Aiken
Michael Aiken Texilake is a neurodiverse parent of four and survivor of long-term domestic violence. He is the author of two poetry collections ('A Vicious Example' and 'The Little Book of Sunlight and Maggots') and one verse novel ('Satan Repentant'), for which he received the Australian Book Review's Laureate's Fellowship, as selected and mentored by David Malouf. His 'Short poems' is forthcoming with Gazebo Books
Alise Blayney
Alise Blayney is a poet digging through trauma, embodiment, and mythic transformation with feral, rhythmic grit. Her work blends dark humour and raw nerve to map the nervous system’s fault lines and the rough terrains carved by survival. She is the author of Grief for Hire (Verity La Press, 2020).
Gayle Kennedy
Award Winning Writer, Disability Advocate and Speaker Gayle Kennedy speaks widely on Indigenous storytelling and disability, inspiring audiences across Australia and internationally through her writing, film, performance and advocacy.
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
