Poems & Poets

Poetry – like meditation or prayer – is a form of paying close attention, of listening deeply in a way that allows for a flow between inner and outer, observer and observed. At our Zoom event this evening poets and meditators Rose Lucas, Tony Mills and Cathy Altmann each read and explored the confluences of poetry and their contemplative practices. Video now available.

Thanks so much to Jennifer Harrison for her enthusiastic launch of ‘Remarkable as Breathing’ the Willy Lit Festival last week. Congratulations to Rose Lucas on a fine collection of contemplative insights.

Thanks heaps to Jennifer Harrison and Ross Gillett for launching ‘Remarkable as Breathing’ and ‘Volte Face’, respectively at the Willy Lit Festival last week. Congratulations to Rose Lucas and Dominique Hecq on really fine collections.

‘Ways to Say Goodbye’ is out in the world. At our September Poetry Zoom Kevin Brophy provided a wonderful introduction to Anne Kellas’ new collection and Anne shared her some of her work. Watch the feature again, or catch up if you missed it on the evening.

The opportunity to listen and to read is the heartbeat of poetry – in open mic sessions poets get to try out their latest work with an audience, and listeners hear new and emerging art – and Zoom has thrown the gallery wide open, geographically speaking. At our Liquid Amber Zoom Poetry evenings we have readers and audience from across Australia and internationally. You can listen again, or enjoy sessions you missed real-time on YouTube.

“I say to myself ‘go on, write it, I dare you.’”

We were pumped to announce the winners of the Liquid Amber 2023 Poetry Prize …..

Liquid Amber Press is delighted to publish Diane Fahey’s new book ‘The Light Café’ which was launched by poet and editor Ross Gillett at our Poetry Zoom on 15 June 2023.

You can hear emerging poets and old hands share their new poems on Open Mic at our Zoom Poetry sessions. If you missed 15 June, or would like to hear them again, this is your chance.

Ross Gillett’s publications span from 2006 to 2022. He has been shortlisted for and won a swag of prizes (including the Newcastle) and is a poetry editor and mentor. And now as our ‘poet in the spotlight’ he reflects in his quiet and thoughtful way about how he writes and what he loves to read.

‘Poet in the Spotlight’ is a new feature from Liquid Amber in which one of the wonderful poets in our community tells us something about themselves, shares favourite poems, reflects on the business of writing and completes the pleasure by reading for us. Thanks heaps to Rose van Son, newly appointed Patron of the next Perth Poetry Festival for being our first poet to take the spotlight.

Tricia Dearborn is a wonderful writer with ‘trademark finely balanced, masterfully honed poems’. Her third collection ‘Autobiochemistry’ is powerful, engaging in its directness and emotional honesty, further establishing Dearborn’s position as an important voice in Australian poetry.
We were super excited that Tricia was the feature poet at our November Zoom Reading. Now on our YouTube channel.

At our second Zoom Poetry Reading the fabulous Sarah Rice entranced us – the intersection of poetry and the visual embodied. The mood in the gallery: “blown away by Sarah Rice’s artistic and poetic convergence, her sheer energy and enthusiasm as well”. And there were a dozen open mic readers with powerful poems. All now available on YouTube.

Lockdown Poetry: The Covid Long Haul – our first Zoom Poetry Reading.
20 wonderful poets and participants from Australia and across the globe – UK, USA to the Philippines – shared thoughtful, confronting and beautiful reflections on varying experiences of this Covid-era.
Keep an eye out for the Chapbook which will be published November 2021.

Bringing together the stunning work of visual artist Sharon Monagle and the poetry of Rose Lucas, this project involved an exhibition of paintings and poems all of which tracked the multiple experiences of 2020. From fires, the pandemic anxiety and lockdown, to new ways of thinking about how we live our lives. A book of 36 images of paintings and 29 poems was produced as a catalogue for the exhibition and is available here.

We’re off and running (well publishing) – Anne M Carson launches Liquid Amber Press in April 2021 at the exhibition for our publication 2020 Shelter in Place. Thanks so much Anne – everyone catches your verve.