'All the world’s a stage’ and on Anzac Weekend Castlemaine became the stage for the Australian Poetry Centre’s inaugural Regional Festival, Harmonic Threads, which included three days of poetry performances, readings, workshops, dialogues, discussions, theatrical presentations, music and food.The key guest speakers included international poets: Sam Hamill (USA), Lorna Crozier (Canada), Peter Balakian (USA) and Laksmi Pamuntjak (Indonesia). There was also an impressive line up of award-winning national poets including: Robert Adamson (NSW), Judith Beveridge (NSW), Geoff Page (ACT), Barry Hill (VIC), Anthony Lawrence (TAS), Jaya Savige (QLD), John Foulcher (ACT), Esther Ottaway (TAS), Ross Gillett (Regional VIC), Lorraine McGuigan (Regional VIC), Ross Donlon (Regional VIC), E A Gleeson (Regional VIC), Tim Sinclair (SA), Jayne Fenton Keane (QLD), berni m janssen (regional Vic), Sean Wheelan and Emilie Zoey Baker (VIC), Elizabeth Hodgson (NSW) and Ali Cobby Eckermann (NT).
The highlight of the weekend was the opening night dinner MC’d by actor, satirist, writer and the Australian Poetry Centre Patron, John Clarke, who was thrilled with the response by the general public to the weekend. Other highlights were a session on Leonard Cohen and a performance poetry evening called ‘Breaking the Form’.
The Australian Poetry Centre is a national body established in 2007, which aims to take poetry to the people, provide opportunities for Australian poets nationally and internationally and promote the collaboration of genres, as demonstrated by a recent reading at the Centre of Barry Dickins’ dramatic monologue Juden, directed by Bruce Myles and performed by established actress, Janet Andrewartha.
For more information about the Australian Poetry Centre and its program of events, call (03) 9527 4063, visit www.australianpoetrycentre.org.au or email
Australian Poetry Centre’s Inaugural Regional Festival
Castlemaine, Victoria
April 25-27
Director: Teresa Bell
