Dear, dear friends,

It is the time of year when there is constantly “something going round” and there will be times over the winter when you will have no choice but to stay home under the doona. We get it, because… us too. But that’s all the more reason to get out and do things when you can. It can feel too hard to step out of the front door, but once you are among friends and fellows, you know it’s worth it. We all feel better for it.

So we have a range of things for you this winter. Our regular Open Mic where our community gathers and shares. Shut Up & Write sessions where you can be deliberately focussed and productive, or simply feel good about being out of bed and in a bookshop on a Saturday morning. The Poets’ Forum debut gathering where we can help each other grow and become better writers and performers. Encore performances of All Roads Lead to Bowie - at this one you can just relax and enjoy while we, Pam and Jazz, entertain you. And at the end of August, another edition of Poets Take Over! for a casual evening of curated readings, games, and fun at the mic. Details, as we know them, are further down the newsletter.

On a clear bright night towards the end of May, the Poets Take Over! of Page & Turner attracted a brilliant line up of features and a stella cast of open mic speakers. We had a range of voices from shy first timers to the Australian Slam Champion herself!

Some wonderful stuck-together poems were made from the Doin’ Lines activity, so look out for those in our zines in the coming months.

Shout out to Yoshi, a.k.a. SilverGhostFish for the music. And our venue host Mark who has now procured sound gear to make the whole thing that much more audible.

Once again, we had a full list for the Open Mic, but only just. That meant that, for the first time in 2026, there was time for both Pam and Jazz to take a turn. We were once again delighted to see a mix of new voices and returning favourites, some we hadn’t seen in a while. Every month is a new and exciting mix of poetry. That’s what keeps us coming back.

There was a terrific response to Say It In Six. The final decision was tough, but in the end, the prize of a Scrivener licence went to first-time Ellipsis Open Mic participant, Courtney. Congratulations!

Twice a month at Page & Turner. Anyone is welcome to come along. It’s free. First and Third Saturdays. Details in the link.

If you would like to know if it’s worth your $10, you can read what The Clothesline had to say about it at Fringe:

The wheels of Ellipsis Poetry are always turning in the background. We are constantly planning new things and finding ways to improve the things we already have. Stay tuned; there’s more to come!

For the love of poetry…