Poetry event

World Poetry Day with our Poet Laureate

Hobart has just been named a UNESCO City of Literature (it’s a big deal), and because we’ve just named Cally Conan-Davies our inaugural Cafe Poet Laureate for 2024 (also a very big deal!) and just because we love us a bit of poetry round ‘ere, we’re celebrating.

Every year on 21 March, UNESCO World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity. It’s the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts, and generally raise the visibility of poetry. As poetry continues to bring people together across continents, all are invited to join in.

Cally will be here to talk about anything poetry with anyone in the cafe: if you want to chat, you can even book in your own time at a cafe table together. Email her at poet.laureate@fullersbookshop.com.au to book in.

You’re welcome to take part in the writing of a collective poem: spend some time in the Afterword Cafe and write what you notice on a slip of paper provided. Pop it into the box, and Cally will collect these at the end of the day and make a poem out of the images you. (Those who buy coffee or tea in the café will be served new-minted ‘coffee couplets’ as well.)

Our shop window is also public poetic property for the day. Grab a chalk marker pen from our front counter to scribble your favourite poem across our glass frontage for passers-by to read. Poetry for the people.

(As if that wasn’t enough, customers can look forward to a shiny new poem written by Cally slipped into their purchases…)

*this is a free event.