Start with warm drinks and a recitation of Cavafy's 'Ithaca' at the stone etched with that poem, tucked away among olive trees in a corner of New Acton.
Then, in the cosy interior of Parlour, we will voyage with poets whose writing documents journeys and adventures in queerness: Sandra Renew, Zhi Yi Cham, Joo-Inn Chew and Tāmati Kentwell. Queer Voyages will be hosted by Jacqui Malins. There will also be a short open mic, so bring a poem of your own queer voyage.
Cavafy is considered among the most distinguished Greek poets of the 20th century. He was an avid student of ancient civilisations and also wrote deeply personal and frankly erotic poetry of gay desire. In 'Ithaca', Cavafy evokes Homer's Odyssey, stressing the importance of the journey over the destination.
Tickets: $10 Full / $5 Concession / $0 Access.
Sandra Renew’s recent collections are Apostles of Anarchy (Recent Work Press, 2023), V8 with PS Cottier (Ginninderra Press, 2022), and The Ruby Red’s Affair (Ginninderra Press, 2022)
Sandra is the winner of the ACT Writers Notable Awards for Poetry 2021 for her collection It’s the sugar, Sugar (Recent Work Press, 2021). She was also the winner of the 2020 ACT Writing and Publishing Award for Poetry for her collection, Acting Like a Girl (also shortlisted for the 2020 ACT Book of the Year).
Sandra’s poetry reflects on gender, sexuality and coming out in the Far North Queensland of the 70s and 80s and employs themes of dissent, protest and living on the fringes of heterosexuality
ZHI (they/he) is a poet/artist based on unceded Ngunnawal and Ngambri country. They are the author of the award-winning collection of poetry, blur by the; and is one half of the experimental poetry/sound duo known as 莎瑜 (ShaYu). ZHI loves play and experimentation. This currently involves tactile mediums like crocheting and nail art. He loves lo-fi stuff and emotional maximalism and is trying his best not to be so obscure.
Tāmati Kentwell is a Ngati Porou poet living and working on Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. They have been part of the Canberra spoken word quilt since 2013, and are very happy to be celebrating 10 years sharing stories. Tāmati’s work centres themes of justice, homecoming and dreams, and the spaces where they meet.
Joo-Inn Chew writes prose and poetry. She has been published in various Australian anthologies, including Growing Up Queer in Australia. She edited Heart Murmurs: Stories by Canberra GPs. In 2021 she performed in the storytelling project Queerstories. She has a background in general practice and refugee health, and is now working in psychological medicine.
Jacqui Malins is a performance poet, artist and producer living and creating on Ngunawal and Ngambri land. She published her first full collection 'F-Words' in 2021 (Recent Work Press) and has performed at events including Woodford Festival, National Folk Festival and Poetry on The Move. Find Jacqui and her work on stage and page, in galleries and online at www.jacquimalinsart.com.