The Queensland Poetry Festival (QPF) begins today with a little help from a QUT partnership giving poetry students the chance to get up close to Australian greats including Jennifer Maiden, Bronwyn Lea, David Musgrave, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Tony Birch and QUT alumna Ellen van Neerven, as well as international guests such as Mark Doty and Joy Harjo.
Joining them will be internationally acclaimed poet and QUT creative writing lecturer Sarah Holland-Batt, winner of the poetry category of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2016.
“QUT is delighted to be supporting several key events, including a number of readings, and other sessions like an in-conversation with Jennifer Maiden, one of Australia’s most significant living poets, on Sunday,” said Ms Holland-Batt, who will read from her book The Hazards at a literary cabaret at the Judith Wright Centre tomorrow night.
“We are also hosting a poetry edition of the QUT Literary Salon during the festival. Seven exciting QUT poets will be reading at the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) this Friday, which will be an exciting showcase of young and emerging poets.”
Ms Holland-Batt said the QUT partnership provided a priceless opportunity for creative writing students.
“We have had five of our students working as interns in the lead up to the QPF while a further 12 poetry students are volunteering over the course of the festival weekend,” she said.
“It’s of great mutual benefit. The QPF organisers have told us the interns have been invaluable to them, and the students enjoy the experience of meeting and hearing poets read up close. It’s a fantastic real world experience for them.”
Other festival highlights include a Viral Verse event featuring three leading lights of the online and social media poetry revolution: Button Poetry’s Co-Founder and two-time National Poetry Slam champion Sierra De Mulder (USA); award-winning NZ poet Hera Lindsay Bird; and acclaimed USA author Patricia Lockwood, dubbed by Rolling Stone as ‘The poet Laureate of Twitter.’
The QUT-sponsored events are:
Fri 25 Aug 10-11am QUT Poetry Salon
Institute of Modern Art Screening Room
Chair: Mindy Gill. Readings by QUT poets Zenobia Frost, Ella Jeffery, Emily O’Grady, Sean West, Leo Porter, Rebecca Jessen and Laura Kenny.
Fri 25 Aug 1-2pm Deep North: Poetry Reading
Judith Wright Centre Shopfront
Chair: Sarah Holland-Batt. Readings by Zenobia Frost, Red Room Poetry Director Tamryn Bennett and one of QLD’s foremost contemporary poets, Bronwyn Lea.
Fri 25 Aug 230-330pm We the Mapless: Poetry Reading
Judith Wright Centre Performance Space
Chair: Sarah Holland-Batt. Readings by award-winning contemporary poets David Musgrave, Jennifer Maiden and Ian McBryde.
Sun 27 Aug 10-11am Jennifer Maiden In-Conversation
Judith Wright Centre Shopfront
Join leading contemporary poet and writer Jennifer Maiden in conversation with QUT’s Sarah Holland-Batt.
Sun 27 Aug 3-4pm Conversion: Poetry Reading
Judith Wright Centre Shopfront
Chair: Emily O’Grady. Readings by award-winning contemporary poets Caitlin Maling, Christopher Tse (NZ) and Bella Li.
Media contact:
Amanda Weaver, QUT Media, 07 3138 3151, amanda.weaver@qut.edu.au
After hours: Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au
