Tuesday October 18 Sappho Books Cafe and Wine Bar will play host to two of Australia's leading poets, Judith Beveridge and Stephen Edgar. As well as Judith and Stephen reading their own works, the open microphone competition will return. We also have the honour of hosting the 2011 Dorothy Porter Poetry Prize.

The 2011 Sappho Poetry Nights are hosted by Sydney poet Toby Fitch.

The 2011 Dorothy Porter Poetry Prize is awarded to the best poem of the year published in Meanjin magazine, one of Australia's leading literary journals. The winner will be announced on the night and read their winning poem.

JUDITH BEVERIDGE was born in London, England in 1956 and migrated to Australian in 1960. She has published four books of poetry all of which have won major prizes. Her most recent collection is "Storm and Honey" (Giramondo, 2009.) In 2005 she was awarded the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal for excellence in literature. She is the poetry editor for Meanjin and teaches poetry at Post Graduate level at The University of Sydney. Her poems have been translated into several languages and have been studied at HSC and University level. She has served on the Literature Board of the Australia Council and has attended many literary festivals both in Australia and overseas.
http://www.poetryinternational.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=676


STEPHEN EDGAR is the author of seven collections of poetry, the most recent being "History of the Day" (Black Pepper, 2009) which was awarded the William Baylebridge Memorial Prize. His next book, "Eldershaw," should appear in 2012. He is the inaugural winner of the Australian Book Review (now Peter Porter) Poetry Prize in 2005, and in 2006 was awarded the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal. Poetry Chicago says of him that "he achieves, overall, a supple classicism that earns him a place next to the best twentieth-century American formalists." Writing in the Times Literary Supplement, Clive James said of him: "Models of plain speech even at their most eloquent, his poems are more sheerly beautiful from moment to moment than those of any other modern poet I can think of."
http://stephenedgar.com.au/

OPEN MIC COMPETITION is open to anybody on the evening. Simply show up and write your name down. There is a two (2) minute limit for each reader.

As usual, the Sappho Cafe and Wine Bar will be open and serving a great selection of wine, tapas, and desserts. Kicks off at 7pm. Entry is FREE.

Upcoming Readings: Tuesday November 8 David Malouf