Victorian Poetry Month Gala 2022

A blazing lineup of artists graced the stage at The Wheeler Centre for the Victorian Poetry Month Gala, demonstrating just how different poetry can be in all its forms.

The night kicked off with a special tribute to the late, great Uncle Archie Roach with a performance of his work Cradle of Life by his niece Tamala Shelton accompanied by his musical family Stephen Magnusson on guitar and Sam Anning on double bass. We were also lucky enough to hear from Archie Roach's manager since 2007 Jill Shelton in conversation with Red Room Poetry Senior Producer Anne-Marie Te Whiu.

Next up was a powerful performance from Larrakia, Kungarakan, Gurindji, and French writer and performer Laniyuk, a recorded reading from Victorian Premier's Literary Award winner for Poetry Maria Takolander, Bebe Backhouse reading work including his piece commissioned as part of 30in30, 'the light that bleeds', ex-poet and comics artist Mia Nie imagining many Earths, Overland co-editor and poet Jonathan Dunk's tongue-in-cheek answer to university lectureship, and poet Anthea Yang's poking at the holes in mortality and reality. Finally, Joelistics rounded out an incredible event with a sound and spoken word tribute to his grandmother.