10+ years ago I wrote this blog post “GOODBYE Poets Corner” (copied below in full) signalling the end of Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe (2005 – 2008) posted on-line 2008-10-20 17:13:44 GMT.
I spent a while yesterday looking at the photos on The Moon Cafe‘s Poetry Club Facebook page and pleased to see so many familiar faces of participants at Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe but also so many new faces active in the Perth Poetry Scene.
Even though I have stepped back in my retirement, I keep up-to-date with the writing community on the net. So every time one of those names listed below has a book published or appears on an award-winning list – my heart swells for them.
It still amazes me how many wonderful wordsmiths from all levels of achievement and ability, enthusiastically shared their words in our little corner of the State Library in Perth City once given the opportunity. And how many came to listen.
GOODBYE Poets Corner:
“As the initiator, facilitator and host of Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe, I’d like to sincerely thank everyone who’s had anything to do with the event for their most valuable and much appreciated support and encouragement over the last three years, and say goodbye.
Even if Poets Corner @ Pages Café was never ‘cool’ according to Janet Jackson, I’m proud to say the chapbook, website, photos and blog have played a vital though often unacknowledged role in the Poetry Community of Perth.
Poets Corner @ Pages Café was a unique and free event: It was important to have somewhere central to the City, so the State Library in the Cultural Centre was easy to get to by bus or train. My Saturday afternoon event (daytime as opposed to evening) intended to encourage the general public to attend – which they did!
By promoting and supporting many poets, the event often provided first performance opportunities for those who were new to the Perth Poetry Scene, alongside well-known and highly-regarded academics. It’s great to see those same Newbies are now printing their own chapbooks, running blogs and events.
Of course, Poets Corner could not have happened for the last three years without the on-going and much-appreciated support directed by the then Minister for the Arts The Honorable Sheila McHale to Staff at the WA State Library and of course, Pages Café.
Or vitally, the poets who most generously gave their time over the last three years to Poets Corner either as hosts or invited guests for no fee (many more than once) when they would earn one elsewhere.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH:
Rosanne Bersten (Melbourne)
Donovan Blundell-Wignell
Sally Clarke
Sue Clennell
Hal Colebatch
Irene Connor
N.J (Jim) Cornish
Suzanne Covich
Simon Cox
Emma Crook
Miranda Crothers
Jen de Ness & Bill
Marlia Douglas
Meg Dunn (Melbourne)
Alex Falconer
Terry Farrell
Tiffany Garvie (Paris)
Maureen Gibbons
Raymond Grenfell
Ashley J Higgs
Debbie Hills
Pat Johnson
Desmonda Kearny
Marilyn Dorothea King
Paul Langford
Brian Langley.
Elizabeth Lewis
Frances Limb
Dosh Luckwell
John McBain
Heath Miller
Ann Morgan
Susan O’Brien
barry parsons
Rachael Petritis
Primo Lux Poets
Zan Ross
Trisha Saggers
Cecily Scutt
Kate Smith
Dov Spinks
Klyth Tan
Kriston Terbutt (Melbourne)
(If I’ve missed anyone off the list, again – I do apologize.)
Thanks also to those who allowed me the privilege to either host the launch of or feature their books such as T.A.G. Hungerford, Andrew Taylor, Tracy Ryan, Deanne Leber, Afeif Ismail Abdelrazig, FAWWA, etc.
It was always my intention to have guest hosts and many have stepped up to the mike for what is mostly an underrated but important role: Glen Phillips, Lily Chan, Coral Carter, Andrew Burke, Deanne Leber & Andrew Lansdown. (If I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m sorry.)
Personally, I’ve enjoyed all the words, enthusiasm for poetry and each contribution to sharing and building a viable Poetic community here in Western Australia since that first flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants but highly successful WA Spring Poetry Festival in 2003.
Nine days of amazing events where Maureen Sexton and Lynn, al boyd and I set the ground-work for so much more to come (and repeated the effort the following year), even though we all ended up burning ourselves out. Well done to all those who continue to organize or facilitate, host and encourage others.
I’ve watched with pride, as many poets who’d never performed in public before appearing at Poets Corner, now confidently stride onto various stages at the many poetic events which happen around the Metro area.
Still, I’m very proud of the original Poets Corner, that’s why, if I can’t devote the same amount of time and energy, I must bow out. So Poets Corner is no more.
May your muse amuse…”
Frances Macaulay Forde
2008-10-20 17:13:44 GMT
#FrancesMacaulayForde #PoetsCorner@PagesCafe #PoetsCornerPerth #StateLibraryWA #PagesCafeSLWA #SLWA #PerthPoets #PerthPoetry #PoetryInPerth
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[…] 2005 I published a selection of poetry read by many poets at Poets Corner@Pages Cafe . It was to thank and celebrate those who participated in our events (listed below) many […]
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