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.
Continue readingOur 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…
Continue readingAt 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…
Continue readingThis 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…
Continue readingWe'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 ...
Continue readingThis 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.
Continue readingWhen Adelaide's quasi-lockdown hit in mid-November, the launching of Helen Parsons' The Feeling of Bigness: Encountering Georgia O'Keeffe was momentarily put on hold. We were so thrilled to be able to have a rescheduled launch in early December. Launched by Jan Owen, and Emceed by Louise Nicholas, the launch was held on the beautiful grounds of St John's church on Halifax Street, on a balmy evening befitting Helen's gorgeous poems. We are delighted to be publishing Jan Owen's…
Continue readingEven in a year like 2020, where it seems that every possible chance for fun is cancelled before it can begin, Christmas prevails. Exciting for all, of course, but what do you get for your teen sister-in-law? Your friend who loves travel and history? Your (checks notes) yoga teacher? Read on to find out ...
Continue readingThis week, we shine the spotlight on Steve Brock's poetry collection, Live at Mr Jake's. Relaxed and laconic, Live at Mr Jake's riffs on a mix of highbrow and popular culture references. Accessible yet literary, this collection celebrates a diversity of voices from Australia and beyond. Spanning four continents, the poems are equally at home in the front bar as they are on the literary trail in Paris or San Francisco. Cool and understated, Brock…
Continue readingThis week, we shine the poetry spotlight on Helen Parsons' new collection, The Feeling of Bigness: Georgia O'Keeffe sonnets. The sonnets in the collection draw inspiration from Georgia O'Keeffe's art and life, and her love for the big open spaces – the 'feeling of bigness' – that New Mexico offered her.
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