FESTIVAL 2026 PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER

LIVE AT HIVE

10.30am

Featuring Helga Jermy, Rees Campbell, Craig White, Therese Corfiatis and Kristen Lang.

FINISHED

THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER

POETRY WORKSHOP — ESTHER OTTAWAY

School for Seniors, 8 High St East Launceston. 2.00pm

Stalking the Jaguar: The Techniques of Poet Sarah Holland-Batt

Event Ticket $25 or Festival Pass

POETRY WORKSHOP — MARK TREDINNICK

School for Seniors, 8 High St East Launceston. 4.30pm

The Poetry Place

SOLD OUT

PASSWORD: POETRY

The Lounge 111-113 St John St, Launceston 7.00pm

Curated by Luke Hurst and featuring Luke, Kim Nielsen-Creeley, Laurie May and Damien Becker.

FREE EVENT — bookings essential via Humanitix.

FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER

POETRY WORKSHOP — TIM LOVEDAY

School for Seniors, 8 High St East Launceston 10.30am

The Fundamentals of Metaphor

SOLD OUT

POETRY WORKSHOP — TOBY FITCH

School for Seniors, 8 High St East Launceston 2.30pm

ALL CUT UP: Collage Poetry

Event Ticket $25 SOLD OUT or Festival Pass

FESTIVAL LAUNCH

7.00pm

St John Craft Beer Bar, Launceston

Featuring Mark Tredinnick, Toby Fitch, David Stavanger, Tim Loveday, Ben Walter, Laurie May, Sarah Temporal, Damien Becker and more.

Event Ticket $25 or Festival Pass

SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER

All events at QVMAG Museum, 3 Invermay Rd, Invermay

SATURDAY LISTENING LOUNGE

Immersive poetry readings, all day.

Settle into our intimate, low-lit Listening Lounge and hear our acclaimed published poets, one after another. Come and go as you please.

MORNING:
10.30am — Graeme Hetherington
11.00am — Tim Slade
11.30am — Toby Fitch
12.00pm — Kristen Lang
AFTERNOON:
1.00pm — David Stavanger
1.30pm — Tim Loveday
2.00pm — Ben Walter
2.30pm — Sarah Temporal
3.00pm — David Hallett
3.30pm — Mark Tredinnick

Event Ticket $50 or Festival Pass

Morning Ticket $20 — Graeme, Tim S, Toby and Kristen

Afternoon Ticket $30 — David S, Tim L, Ben, Sarah, David H and Mark

SATURDAY FESTIVAL HUB

FREE ALL DAY

10.00am — Festival Opening & Welcome
10.20am — Guided free-writing workshop – Esther Ottaway
11.30am — The Bicheno Stories LIVE – Adam Martin
12.45pm — Nanaverse – poetry for children and their guardians
2.45pm — Exploring Historic Queenstown – Susan Wallace
3.05pm — Haiku Death Match – Laurie May & Red Dirt Poetry

Musical accompaniment from Lou Fin and D. EHMOR.

FREE ALL DAY – FREE TICKETS HERE

SATURDAY NIGHT

LAUNCESTON POETRY CUP

7.00pm – late

A fun and frivolous competition of one-minute poems from locals and guest poets alike. Enter the competition or cheer with the crowd. The biggest cheer determines the winner!

$15 Poetry Cup Ticket or Festival Pass

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER

QVMAG Museum, 3 Invermay Rd, Invermay

SUNDAY FESTIVAL HUB

10.15am — Community Open Mic
11.15am — Andrew Hardy Youth Poetry Awards & Readings
12.30pm — Thin Reed Throat + more with Damien Becker
12.50pm — Spotlight Poets featuring Ava Leary, Joy Elizabeth, Amethyst Walton, Cameron Hindrum and Esther Ottaway
1.45pm — Laurie May Performance Showcase
2.30pm — Chair book launch with Allan Lake
2.50pm — WHY THE F*CK DO PEOPLE HATE POETRY?
Six professional poets discuss.

Event Ticket $20 or Festival Pass

Bringing poetry to the people, and the people to poetry.