Upcoming poetry events

Check out poetry events happening near you!

Welcome to Uplift’s monthly free events newsletter, featuring poetry events in Meanjin (Brisbane), Queensland, and Australia-wide.

Don’t see your fave event listed? Leave us a comment on Substack or send us an email (upliftpoetry@gmail.com), and we’ll include your event in our next newsletter and/or feature it on our social media.

Over the next month, we are hosting our very first Uplift events! Join us for an evening with Singaporean authors on 27 May in partnership with Sing Lit Station, and our Poetry Submit-a-Thon on 16 June in partnership with swim meet lit mag. Both these events are being held in-person in Meanjin (Brisbane) and online.

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Queensland

• 27 May, 5pm at Brisbane Square Library - a panic room / a piercing: an evening with Singaporean authors

• 30 May - 2 June - Brisbane Writers Festival

• 31 May, 5.30pm at Superordinary - ScratchThat Winter Fantasy Zine Launch Party

• 5 June, 6.30pm at Broadbeach Library - Poetry to stage – Learn to SLAM

• 19 June, 6.30pm at Southport Library - Rainbow Poetry Open Mic Night

• 5 July, 6pm at Avid Reader - Jacaranda Journal - 11.1 Exposed Roots launch

• 13 July, 12pm at Jagera Arts Centre - Paperbark Zine Fair

• Alternator Poetry - last Thursday of the month at Dust Temple

• Avid Reader - book launch and workshop events throughout the year

• Carindale’s Creative Writers group - at Carindale Library

• Echoes from the Cave open mic - first Tuesday of the month at the Cave Inn

• Ekphrastic Writing Club - first Saturday of the month at Museum of Brisbane

• Liquid Lyrics - spoken word poetry events in Coolum

• North Pine Bush Poets and Bribie Island Bush Poets - various dates throughout the month

• Poets Up Late - third Thursday of the month at Wynnum Library

• Queensland Poetry Writers Group - third Thursday of the month via Zoom - Contact Mike Gilmour, Coordinator - mgilmour92@gmail.com

• QUT Literary Salon - salon reading events every month

• Red Light Poetry - Prince Poetry Beat every month at the Gold Coast

• Ruckus Poetry Slam - last Wednesday of the month at Lefty’s Music Hall

• Scribblers on Sunday - second Sunday of the month at Carindale Library

• Wham! Bam! Cabaret Slam! - second Tuesday of the month at The Bearded Lady

• Writers of Manly - third Tuesday of the month at Wynnum Library

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Online

• 29 May & 12 June on Zoom - Poems to Pamphlet with Audrey Molloy

• 2 June on Zoom - Girls on Key poetry Zoom featuring Alana Kelsall

• 7 June on Zoom - LTRL Week: Poetry Pages with Elizabeth Lewis

• 10 June to 8 July on Zoom - The Unbound Self: 5 week online poetry course with Sarah Temporal

• Events on The Verandah with Cath Drake - events throughout the year via Zoom

• Girls On Key Poetry - events throughout the year via Zoom

• Haiku Feedback Workshops - last Sunday of the month on Zoom

• Perth Poetry Club - events throughout the year on Zoom

• Queensland Poetry Writers Group - third Thursday of the month via Zoom - Contact Mike Gilmour, Coordinator - mgilmour92@gmail.com

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Victoria

• 20 May, 7pm at Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub - SpeakUP Showcase May 2024

• 24 May, 7pm at Athenaeum Theatre - Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson

• Assorted Sporks - queer friendly poetry and performance night - last Thursday of the month at Mamma Chen's

• Ballarat Spoken Word - events throughout the year

• Cherry Poets - events throughout the year

• Crockpot Poetry - monthly poetry and spoken word night hosted at Unassigned Gallery

• Last Outpost of Poetry - weekly poetry and spoken word open mic in St Kilda

• Melbourne Poetry - comprehensive calendar for poetry events in Melbourne

• Mother Tongue - events throughout the year

• PoetiCas - fourth Saturday of the month at the Northern Arts Hotel

• Radio Talk: Poetry Open Mic - every fortnight in Fitzroy

• Sip & Share Speakeasy - spoken word events on the Mornington Peninsula

• Slamalamadingdong - monthly poetry slams at Brunswick Ballroom

• Spoken Word at Bar Oussou - every second Monday of the month

• Thin Red Lines - quarterly poetry events

• To the Ends of the 'Verse - third Tuesday of the month in Northcote

• Words Out Loud - poetry and spoken word events throughout the year

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ACT

• 20 May, 7pm at Smith’s Alternative - Recent Work Reading with Asha Naznin and Jennifer Allen

• 23 - 26 May - Sydney Writers Festival ‘Live and Local’ at ACT Libraries

• That Poetry Thing - weekly Monday night poetry at Smith’s Alternative

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NSW

• 11 June, 7pm at Sappho Books - AVANT GAGA #68, with Ellen van Neerven, Omar Sakr, Eunice Andrada, and Luke Patterson, plus open mic

• 13 June & 4 July at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf - Poetica Petit Poetry Night

• 17 June, 6.30pm at Marrickville Pavilion - How to Knit a Human with Anna Jacobson

• Bread and Butter Poetry Slam - Last Thursday of the month in Camperdown

• Poets Out Loud - various slams and poetry courses throughout the year

• Sappho Books, Cafe & Bar - poetry and open mic nights throughout the year in Glebe, including AVANT GAGA

• Society City - monthly poetry, zine and other events in Wollongong

• Sydney Poetry Lounge - third Wednesday of the month at the Glebe Hotel

• Quiet Readers by licensed poetics - quiet reading events in Camperdown

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Northern Territory

• 27–30 June at Museum and Art Gallery of the NT in Darwin, Larrakia land - Northern Territory Writers Festival

• 21-25 August - Mparntwe (Alice Springs) - Red Dirt Poetry Festival

• 25 August in Araluen - Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson

• Northern Territory Writers Centre - various events throughout the year

• Wild Words - open mic events on the last Sunday of the month in Darwin

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South Australia

• 2 June, 10am at The University of Adelaide - Masterclass: Poetry as Activism

• 16 August, 7pm at Nexus Arts - Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson

• Draw Your Swords - spoken word events throughout the year

• Effective Living Centre - Poets Corner and other various poetry and writing events throughout the year

• Soulful Home with Poet in Residence Tikari Rigney - workshops throughout May at City Library, Adelaide

• Spoken Words SA - various events throughout the year

• Winter Words - poetry slams and events throughout May-August

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Tasmania

• 20 May, 5.30pm at Fullers Bookshop, Hobart - Seasonal Poets: Autumn

• 6 June, 6.30pm at Kickstart Arts Network, New Town - Scream and Shout Poetry

• Fullers Bookshop, Hobart - events throughout the year

• Poet’s Corner at Hobart Library - events held monthly

• Poets Corner at Rosny Library - events held monthly

• Silver Words Poetry - monthly events at Shambles Brewery, Hobart

• The Hobart Book Shop - events throughout the year

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Western Australia

• 30 May, 5.30pm at City of Vincent Library - Feminine Space: Author Talk and Poetry Reading with Lisa Collyer

• 2 June, 2pm at Mount Lawley Bowling Club - Double Book Launch: Almost Like Home by Rita Tognini and Suited to Grey by Ross Jackson

• 5 June, 1pm at State Library of Western Australia - LTRL Week: Now Listen: Performance Poetry with Scott-Patrick Mitchell

• Perth Poetry Club - every Saturday at The Moon, Northbridge & on Zoom

• Perth Slam - monthly poetry slams at Rosemount Hotel

• Poetry Lovers Perth - fortnightly workshops at Hillview Intercultural Community Centre

• Victoria Park Poetry Club - fourth Thursday of the month

• WA Poets - various events and opportunites throughout the year

• Writing WA - various events and opportunites throughout the year

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Uplift is based on stolen lands in Meanjin, the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal people. Sovereignty was never ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.