News

The latest news from Friendly Street Poets

FSP Committee for 2024

Following the recent AGM, FSP is pleased to announce the new Management Committee for 2024-2025:

  • Nigel Ford (Convenor)
  • Kristy Willet (Treasurer)
  • Veronica Cookson (Secretary and Membership)
  • Susan O’Brien
  • David Cookson
  • Fred Willet
  • Erica Jolly
  • Murray Alfredson

We thank out-going Convenor, Susan O’Brien, and Committee Members, Stef Rozitis, Margaret Fensom (Dingle) and Helen Hutton, for all their hard work supporting FSP. Helen will continue on as Publishing Editor for the forthcoming FSP publications.

Submissions for New Poets 25 now open

Friendly Street Poets is pleased to announce that submissions of manuscripts for New Poets 25 are now open (1st April 2024) and close at midnight 31st May 2024.

Each volume in the New Poets series publishes short collections of poems from three South Australian resident poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry.

Before submitting your manuscript, please read the rules and formatting requirements carefully. Failure to comply with the requirements will result in your submission being disqualified. The rules can be read or downloaded as a PDF document at the links below.

Submissions will only accepted via the on-line form below.… Click for more

FSP Anthology 47 launch and order form

Judges and editors
Left to right: David Cookson (editor), Max Merckenschlager (judge), Veronica Cookson (editor), Jacqui Merckenschlager (judge), Sue O’Brien (Convenor)
Winners
Left to right: Stef Rozitis, Elaine Barker, Louise Nicholas, Charlie Madden, Helen Hutton,  Meryl McDougall, Rob Ferris, Maria Vouis, Sue O’Brien

FSP is excited to announce that Anthology 47 was officially launched by in-coming Convenor, Sue O’Brien, at the monthly meeting on 1 May 2023.

Edited by Veronica and David Cookson, the anthology’s title, beyond the bend … , takes its name from a line in Torbay by contributing poet, Sharon Foulkes. The collection of over 100 poems thrilled the judges, Jacqui and Max Merckenschlager, who were at the launch to meet the winning and commended poets. … Click for more

FSP Life Memberships to Erica Jolly and Nigel Ford

Nigel Ford presents Erica Jolly with a certificate for Life Membership
Sue O’Brien presents Nigel Ford with a certificate for Life Membership

Life membership is awarded to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to Friendly Street Poets, Inc. At the 2023 AGM, two such awards were made.

Nigel Ford was awarded Life Membership for his outstanding commitment to poetry generally, to promoting and supporting poets’ groups in the broader community, and to his unswerving support of Friendly Street Poets as a committee member, six years as Convenor and 10 years as Regional Representative.

Erica Jolly was awarded Life Membership for decades of teaching, mentoring and supporting poets within Friendly Street Poets and the wider community.… Click for more

Book Launch: Marking Time. A Chronicle of Cancer by Valerie Volk

Thursday, 12 November, 2020
7:30pm to 8:30pm

Burnside Library
401 Greenhill Road, Tusmore 5065

Please join us at Burnside Library for Writing from the Shadows with FSP poet Valerie Volk. Valerie will talk about the ways writing can help in difficult times and discuss her tenth book, Marking Time, written during her partner’s cancer journey. Out of the time came a book described by one reviewer as “beautiful, brave and achingly personal” and endorsed by the Cancer Council as “a poignant collection of poems that will help an individual who is currently living with, or supporting someone through, a cancer diagnosis.” … Click for more

A Note from the Treasurer

Friendly Street Poets financially strong despite COVID-19

I hope all members are keeping well during our suspension of monthly meetings. Remember that not all activities are suspended and, in particular, you can submit via the website HERE to have poems considered by the editors for inclusion in the FSP Anthology #45.

The shutdown is having an effect on FSP’s financial situation, but we remain strong. With no monthly First-Monday meetings, we are, of course, not collecting door entries. These add up to 15-20% of annual revenue, so they are important. We are likely to miss out on these for most of this year.  … Click for more

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