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 six months, we are hosting a series of free Uplift Workshops! Join us for Evoking the Senses with Raelee Lancaster on 17 August, in-person at Indooroopilly Library and online via Zoom.
Queensland
19 June, 6.30pm at Southport Library - Rainbow Poetry Open Mic Night
22 June, 1pm at Strathpine Library - Make a zine workshop
5 July, 6pm at Avid Reader - Jacaranda Journal - 11.1 Exposed Roots launch
13 July, 12pm at Jagera Arts Centre - Paperbark Zine Fair
23 July, 6.15pm at QUT Art Museum - Texta Book Club: Reliefs by Jarad Bruinstroop
17 August, 2pm at Indooroopilly Library & online - Evoking the Senses with Raelee Lancaster
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Alternator Poetry - last Thursday of the month at Dust Temple
Avid Reader - book launches and events throughout the year
Carindale’s Creative Writers group - at Carindale Library
Calanthe Poetry - regular poetry events at Tamborine Mountain
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
Online & Australia-Wide
18 June on Zoom - DucK&dASh 4th Online Poetry Fundraiser & Open Mic
20 June - Liquid Amber Press Zoom Poetry Reading, feat Jenny Pollak, Rose Lucas + Open Mic
21 June - Poetry from Agitation Hill, feat Hugh McMillan
16-22 August online - Sarah Temporal launch week for Tight Bindings
17 August, 2pm - Evoking the Senses with Raelee Lancaster
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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
Red Room Poetry - online and in-person events throughout the year, including Poetry Month in August
Victoria
19 June, 7.30pm at The Brother's Public House, Fitzroy - Poetic Express presents Kevin Brophy
23 June, 2pm at St Martins Chapel, Blackwood- Raw Salt by Izzy Roberts-Orr - Poetry Book Launch and Open Mic
26 June, 7pm at Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood - Poets for Palestine #3: Poetry Showcase and Fundraiser
26 June, 7pm at Platform 3095 Bar Cafe, Eltham - Platform Poets presents Dorothy Poulopoulos
28 June, 7pm at Victorian Pride Centre, St Kilda - Wordcraft Spoken Word Open Mic feat. Nick Jenkins
Australian Poetry Slam - Victorian heats July-August
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Assorted Sporks - queer friendly poetry and performance night - last Thursday of the month at Mamma Chen's
Ballarat Spoken Word - events throughout the year
Chamber Poets - spoken word, second Saturday of the month in Woodend
Cherry Poets - events throughout the year
Crockpot Poetry - monthly poetry and spoken word night hosted at Unassigned Gallery
La Mama Poetica - poetry events throughout the year
Last Outpost of Poetry - weekly poetry and spoken word open mic in St Kilda
Melbourne Morphemes - community poetry in Naarm
Melbourne Poetry - comprehensive calendar for poetry events in Melbourne
Mother Tongue - events throughout the year
Pizza Box Poetry - monthly open mic at Palling Bros Brewery
Poetryspective - montly poetry in Footscray
PoetiCas - fourth Saturday of the month at the Northern Arts Hotel
Radio Laria Poetry - women’s poetry, first Wednesday of the month
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
ACT
23 July, 11am at Crosbie Morrison Building - First Nations Peace Poetics Workshop
23 July, 2pm at Crosbie Morrison Building - First Nations Peace Poetics Seminar
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Canberra Poetry Slam - monthly poetry slam events
Poetic City Canberra - poetry festival, events, performances and workshops
That Poetry Thing - weekly Monday night poetry at Smith’s Alternative
NSW
17 June, 6.30pm at Marrickville Pavilion - How to Knit a Human with Anna Jacobson
20 June, 7pm at M|Arts, Murwillumbah - Poets Out Loud feat. Possum & Tango
Australian Poetry Slam - NSW heats throughout July
4 July at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf - Poetica Petit Poetry Night
8 August, 6:30pm at The Citadel, Murwillumbah - Poets Out Loud YOUTH SLAM
15 August, 7pm at M|Arts, Murwillumbah - Sarah Temporal book launch
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Bankstown Poetry Slam - spoken word poetry at Bankstown Arts Centre
Bread and Butter Poetry Slam - last Thursday of the month in Camperdown
Enough Said Poetry Slam - last Thursday of the month in Wollongong
Loose Leaf Literature - monthly events supporting local creatives
Poets Out Loud - various slams and poetry courses throughout the year
Quiet Readers by licensed poetics - quiet reading events in Camperdown
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
WestWords - in-person and online poetry events throughout the year, including workshops, open mics and WestWords Academy
Northern Territory
27–30 June at Museum and Art Gallery of the NT in Darwin, Larrakia land - Northern Territory Writers Festival
9 July, 10am at Shenannigans, Darwin City - The Poets Breakfast
21-25 August - Mparntwe (Alice Springs) - Red Dirt Poetry Festival
25 August in Araluen - Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson
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Centre Verse, Desert Voice - monthly poetry at Watertank Cafe, Mparntwe (Alice Springs)
Northern Territory Writers Centre - various events throughout the year
Wild Words - open mic events on the last Sunday of the month in Darwin
South Australia
20 June, 6pm at Summertown Studio - Draw Your (S)words Ft Beedubz & Sofia Menguita
30 June at Broadcast Bar - Koraly Dimitriadis at Spoke N Slurred
16 August, 7pm at Nexus Arts - Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson
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Draw Your Swords - spoken word events throughout the year
Effective Living Centre - Poets Corner and other various poetry and writing events throughout the year
No Wave Poetry - Monthly poetry reading series at The Wheatsheaf Hotel
Spoken Words SA - various events throughout the year
Winter Words - poetry slams and events throughout May-August
Tasmania
5 September, 6:30 pm at The State Cinema, Hobart - Poetry night
7 September, 7.30pm at Australian Italian Club at Launceston - Tasmanian APS State Final
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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
Western Australia
29 June, 5pm at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn - The Bard of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore
23 August, 7pm at Perth Town Hall - Perth Poetry Festival Gala - save the date
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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
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.