Queensland Poetry Festival ( or QPF) is one of Australia's premier organisations for all things poetry and spoken word. It exists to support and promote a poetry culture in Queensland and Australia. QPF began, and has continued, as a three-day festival - spoken in one strange word - held over the last weekend of August in the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Brisbane. 2011 will celebrate the 15th annual QPF event.
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History
QPF was established in 1997 after the dissolution of the Brisbane Fringe Festival. Since then, and in the last five years particularly, the festival itself, along with its audience and participating artists, has grown extensively. Along with the traditional three-day event spoken in one strange word, QPF administers and manages a year-long program of poetry workshops, programs, events, and competitions. These include: the Arts Queensland Val Vallis Poetry Award and Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, as well as the Arts Queensland Poet-in-Residence program, supporting an international poet to spend three months in Brisbane, developing their own work and contributing to Queensland's poetry culture. QPF also partners on programs such as the annual Riverbend Poetry Series.
Organisational structure
The current structure of QPF includes a Board, a Programming Committee, the QPF Manager, and an army of volunteers. QPF is a community organisation with a dedicated audience and a strong tradition of volunteerism. With the exception of the opening night event, the entire programme of spoken in one strange word is free to attend. QPF is currently housed with collaborative partner the Queensland Writers Centre, in the State Library of Queensland. In 2011 QPF will be managed by Sarah Gory, previous Manager of the National Young Writers' Festival, and new Queenslander, having recently moved from Melbourne to Brisbane. Past Directors and Managers include: Lee-Anne Davie, Kim Blinco, Julie Beveridge, Graham Nunn, Bronwyn Lea, Rosanna Licari, Jayne Fenton Keane and Brett Dionysius. Graham Nunn has caused controversy in 2013 for plagiarising a number of poems published under his name according to articles in the Courier Mail and Australian Newspapers.
Past guests
In its 15-year history spoken in one strange word has featured some of the worlds finest poets, singer/songwriters and other artists including Steve Kilbey (The Church), Emily XYZ (USA), August Kleinzahler (USA), Tracie Morris (USA), Chris Bailey (The Saints), Mia Dyson, Dave Graney, Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss), Hinemoana Baker (NZ), Sam Hunt (NZ), Shane Koyczan (Canada) and Neil Murray (Warumpi Band).
Important dates
Expression of Interest deadline: Thursday 24 February 2011
Queensland Poetry Festival Inc. AGM: late February/early March
spoken in one strange word: 26–28 August 2011