News

The latest news from Friendly Street Poets

Celebrate History Month with music and poetry at Milang Lakeside Butter Factory

Sunday, 4th May, 2025
1:30pm for 2:00pm start

Milang Lakeside Butter Factory
22-23 Daranda Terrace, Milang, SA 5256.

$10 entry fee to read
Free to listen

Guest poets:
Nigel Ford & Jude Aqulina

Milang and District Community Association and Friendly Street Poets are proud to present the inaugural Milang Poetry Slam and Music event at the historic Milang Lakeside Butter Factory,

What better venue to soak in history than the Milang Lakeside Butter Factory, which was established in 1893. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon listening to music, and poetry about the past, at this newly restored historic site on the shores of Lake Alexandrina.… Click for more

Voluminous Grid – The Adelaide Poetry App 

Calling All Poets!

Voluminous Grid, a geolocation poetry app, is bringing Adelaide’s stories to life through verse. This interactive app will showcase poems – new and old – that celebrate the CBD of the City of Adelaide.

We’re seeking diverse voices, locations, and perspectives that capture Adelaide’s rich past and poetic present. Whether you’re a South Australian poet or from interstate, we’d love to see your work. The app will feature a mix of unpublished works, previously published pieces, and historical poems.

Featured poems will be accessible via smartphone as text and voice recordings, performed by professional actors, with walking events in 2026 to launch the app.… Click for more

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.

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

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