POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘Selling Yourself’ by Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton

This week’s spotlight once again shines on Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton’s tandem collection Nearly Lunch, this time highlighting the poem ‘Selling Yourself’.

‘A spectrum of individuals, from the naive to the kind, caustic to the stoic, to those who suggest other ways of being – either hopeful, philosophical, grateful or resigned – pleased, though, all of them, that it’s NEARLY LUNCH.’ – Cover blurb

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POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘Farewell to a Colleague’ by Julian Zytnik

This week’s spotlight shines on an early volume in the Friendly Street series, Friendly Street New Poets 5.

Working in the Wakefield bookstore, with hundreds of books laid out before me, I am often in the position to judge the books by their covers, searching for the most interesting looking ones to flick through and sometimes (often) buy. The cover image (shown above) was why I picked this particular book off the shelf, and I was surprised to find that Wakefield’s own Jonny Inverarity had designed it!

In this week’s poetry spotlight, I’ve chosen to feature ‘Farewell to a Colleague’ by Julian Zytnik.

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POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘In the Room with the She Wolf’ by Jelena Dinić

This week’s spotlight shines on the award-winning poetry collection by Jelena Dinić, In the Room with the She Wolf.

Following this week’s announcement that Jelena Dinić has won the Mary Gilmore Award, it seems fitting we resume our Poetry Spotlight series by focusing on her startling debut collection.

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POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘Marta Saulnier’ by Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton

Poetry Spotlight: Nearly Lunch

Our spotlight shines on a new poetry collection by Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton, Nearly Lunch.

Fresh off the press, Nearly Lunch is another collaboration from these two poets, after their previous Elsewhere Variations (also published by Wakefield Press), which is a companion volume.

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Launching BECOMING A BIRD by Stephanie Radok

becoming a Bird by Stephanie Radok

Our brand-new event series, the Saturday Soirees, continued in March with the launching by Kay Lawrence of Stephanie Radok’s Becoming a Bird: Untold stories about art.

Our laneway was once again filled with eager punters and supporters of Stephanie’s collection of meditative stories. And, as a special treat, our bookshop was also graced with a small collection of Stephanie’s Spend More Time Listening to Birds Suite. One of the etchings from the collection features as the cover for this beautiful new collection.

Today, we are thrilled to be publishing launcher Kay Lawrence’s speech for all to enjoy.

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Launching THE SOUTHERN OSCILLATION INDEX by Cath Kenneally

Cath Kenneally's Southern Oscillation Index

At the first of our new afternoon event series, Saturday Soirees, the Wakefield Press laneway was filled with merry makers for the launch of The Southern Oscillation Index by Cath Kenneally.

Launched by Linda Barwick, Emeritus Professor of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and Emceed by Wakefield Press’ fearless leader Michael Bollen, the launch was a wonderful way to start the series.

Find out about future editions of the Saturday Soirees series by subscribing to our newsletter here.

We are thrilled to be publishing Linda Barwick’s wonderful launch speech for all to enjoy.

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POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘Copley Street’ by Geoff Goodfellow

Preparing for Business, Geoff Goodfellow

This week’s spotlight shines on a new poetry collection by Geoff Goodfellow, Preparing for Business.

Award-winning poet Geoff Goodfellow is back with another vivid, affecting, laconically dark-witted collection that pulls no punches as it masterfully chronicles Australian life.

As always, Geoff delivers a series of brilliantly captured portraits of working-class life, from the street scenes of formerly industrial Port Adelaide and his home suburb of Semaphore, with its heightened blend of affluence and poverty, to his fearless inhabitations of teenagers beset by home lives that feature domestic violence and addiction.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Stephen Orr Long-Listed for the DUBLIN Literary Award

THIS EXCELLENT MACHINE long-listed for the 2021 DUBLIN Literary Awards

We’re thrilled to announce some exciting news from across the seas this week, as the long-list for the 2021 DUBLIN Literary Award is released. Amongst a host of stellar books sits our very own Stephen Orr and his marvellous This Excellent Machine. Read on to find out what the judges are saying …

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POETRY SPOTLIGHT: ‘Endless Summer’ by Cath Kenneally

Poetry Spotlight: Cath Kenneally's Southern Oscillation Index

This week’s poetry spotlight shines on Cath Kenneally’s new poetry collection, The Southern Oscillation Index.

These poems reflect on travel, on staying at home, on the passing of time, and on our afflicted world. Both tough and gentle, nostalgic and sharply political, Kenneally’s work is enlivened by flashes of gallows humour.

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