I got such an overwhelming sense of positivity from the launch over the weekend, and from everyone involved. I was so impressed with the quality of the readings, the cleverness of the text brought to life, the art of delivery, and just the loving hearts displayed by everyone involved.
I was so proud of the young poets and poets getting up and doing readings after not having done so, for a long time, and the poets whose performances and brilliance I have known and loved, from the get-go, who continue to fire at the top of their game.
And, for the love for Grant McCracken and others not around anymore. Putting Grant on the laptop to watch was a funny and lovely touch, as was Hamish Dank Brown's reading and seeing performers new to me, like Katie Lohner, bossing it.
I know there were some trials with the venue and the sound system and I know that a lot of effort was put in to prep by the poets who could have got overshadowed by this but, to their credit, didn't. If I were to focus on that I think it would overshadow the love in the room and my feeling that meeting at the Empress again, to launch our book, was the right thing to do, as it sparked an ember of something new.
It inspires me to want to right the above for the readers especially Amber, Ollie, Sean and Evan who didn't get full justice because of the music playing, when we do this again. The positivity I feel says we should totally do more readings and find a space, whether it is a venue or other welcome ground (Sean's suggestion when we talked yesterday) so we get to fully appreciate the words and the art everyone puts in to their performance.
That said, what I really care about is celebrating what I got to experience from everyone involved:
Sandy- Seeing that this is the first time you got up in 30 years and how you delivered so naturally. Amazing.
Amber- I am so, so proud of you for getting up there and reading your work. Not just your resilience and composure, as a spoken-word poet dealing with a curve-ball like the unwanted music in the background, but being able to deliver the emotional depth in the beautiful imagery of your words. You’re brave +
Oliver- I loved hearing your words put in to emotional context as you read them out. I can feel them keenly on the page, but it really resonated with me to hear you read them. I know how much prep you put in to your performance and I really want to see it again in a space where I can focus on that without distraction.
Bear- You're so good. The humour and the exasperation. Taking us on a journey through that, as ever, making us laugh at this outrageous life.
Scott- Hearing you read live and how you communicated the atmosphere of the central Victorian machismo we grew up around, in all its perfunctory artlessness, was brilliant
Evan- I continue to love your truly unique style and flow of apocalyptical and magickal imagery and simmering political rage. It is brilliant as ever
Jez- I really enjoyed seeing your work come to life and what a great spoken word performer you are, adding dynamics to the words
Eddy- I have always loved how you can make absurdity funny and make people laugh in surprise at the imagery in your writing. You brought it again and it was delightful
Daniel- Thank you so much for giving me permission to read the poem about Maxie. The audience were delighted by the pathos and sci-fi possibilities and laughed and felt the love.
Gabby- I also loved hearing your poems come to life and the emotional expression in your words so I could really feel them and better understand them
Sean- The seething rage in your delivery is always an assassin that jumps out at me and catches me unawares, reminding me of your brilliance again
Experiencing the quality of the readings, and where it took me in to the hearts of the readers (their love and rage) told me I was right about my recollections of what the first Millennium Poets book captured of a scene of performers of extraodinary breadth in their styles who shared a common confidence to be truly themselves, without filter, because of that confidence each gave to the other.
That's the vibe I admire, an ember I know has never snuffed out and which I had the belief would shine through a new work, if we could get it together. I am glad to be proven right.
Thank you again to Scott and Jez for backing me up and helping with the MCing and the raffle. I loved how the latter fitted in to the playful vibe and it was so sweet of Spitz Groom to make the effort to add poems to the prizes. There's real care for what we are doing in that, as much as the generosity of giving a gift for the prize winners on the day to enjoy. Kudos to them and Reigner for going above and beyond to support us. It shows good heart and I hope the positivity magnifies for them.
If anyone knows the mystery man Pete who won the Reigner prize, have him get in contact with me as they are keen to get him his voucher.
And to my Mez for your love, support and patience, being there with me to carry boxes (alongside that kind woman who took time to help us lug them to the Hotel when we were struggling on the street) I smile when I think of you being inspired too, to think of poems you have written and how they might be brought to life. To see the quiet goodwill and unyeilding persistance, with which I look to go about things, touching you in this way, makes me happy.
A pathogen of positivity unleashed. Let no-one escape.
Photos courtesy of Sandy Jensen and Marina Perkovich
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Rambling Podcast interview. Sean Stanyer & Joel O'Connor
With Scott Hunt. 26-02-2026
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More performance pics. Katie Lohner, Eddy Burger, Gabrielle Everall, and Jez P.A Speelman
🕊 Background to birds in Anthony James Day's poems:
Daniel, Anthony's brother, has shared this lovely story with me about the deep history and emotional connection to the bird imagery in Anthony's poem 'If I had wings.'
Daniel says: 'It is great to hear a voice reading Anthony's poem. His reference to the Turtle Dove is quite an emotional moment for me.
When we were kids (in the 1980's) living in Inala (Brisbane Housing Commission area) we hit a tennis ball over the fence while playing cricket, and when we went to retrieve the ball Anthony found an injured Turtle Dove which he nursed back to health. Anthony bought some white peace doves and John-Boy (the name Anthony chose for the original dove) lived his life in safety in a large cage (small aviary) in our backyard.
John-Boy fathered many a little dove, and these babies would be white peace doves with a black ring on their necks. Anthony would sell the offspring to pet stores, who loved the unique black ring on the white dove.
Anthony used the money he earned to expand his bird aviary (he ended up with two), and we had finches (my favourite) and quails.
His reference to 'Coming to your bedroom window if he was a Turtle Dove' is a powerful image for me, as I spent many mornings laying in my bed with the birds located under my window, their chatter and noises signified a new day, new beginnings.'
