What a glorious spring day. I’m growing daffodils in my petit garden and every day I check on them to see how they’re doing. I can see why the poets have always written about nature, birdlife, fauna, flora, the wild. Witnessing life unfold is spectacular. Which brings me to our wonderful Poetica Petit this Thursday night on Sep 11 – a celebration of our youth and our own youth-hoods. We have two very special features for this night – poet Rachael Williams and teen singer-songwriter Catalina Petrola Mederos who will sing in Spanish and English. We are also celebrating @woollahragallery ‘s 2025 Youth Photographic Award and Short Film Prize so you will have a chance to walk around the gallery and explore the works. The open mic is OPEN for all to share their poems – for our younger audience to share about anything and everything and for our older audience to share their youth inspired poems. Plus there’ll be the usual wine and cheese and kombucha.

BOOK HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/poetica-petit-poetry-night-tickets-1112224456289

Rachael Williams is a spoken word poet and writer from Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast. She has featured at poetry slams and festivals across NSW including Byron Writers Festival, Yours & Owls Festival, and in the ACT at Canberra Slam. Williams is a two-time finalist in The National Youth Poetry Slam, and in 2024, performed with Bankstown Poetry Grand Slam for a sold-out Sydney Town Hall. Hitting venues like the Sydney Opera House and the State Library last year, Williams is the current NSW State Poetry Slam Champion, and the current national runner-up in the Australian Poetry Slam.

Then on September 15, I’ll be the MC at Stacey Cotter Manière’s debut poetry book launch at Woollahra Gallery. This is going to be an exquisite night – in true Stacey style and I urge you to get booking!

The Punctuation of Days – A Night of Poetry, Film & Conversation is a book launch celebrating Stacey Cotter Manière’s debut collection. Immerse yourself in an evening of presence, creativity, and the beauty of slowing down — held in the elegant Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf.

The evening features:

• Launch of Stacey Cotter Manière’s debut collection, with live poetry readings by the author

• An intimate fireside-style conversation with Stacey and Miriam Hechtman, Writer, Creative Producer and Founder of Poetica

• Debut screening of the art film Cosmic Commons, drawn from Stacey’s poem and commissioned by Dörte de Jesus (Founder and Creative Director, The Lissome) with international creative directors Cristina & Sara Guerrero Fernández.

• Curated art conversation pieces expanding on the themes of the book, to explore in the gallery space

Your ticket also includes light refreshments.

About the Book

‘Stacey Cotter Manière writes with a listening heart. Her poems feel like conversations with silence, guiding us into contemplative spaces where the inner and outer worlds meet. She calls us to pay attention, to remember what is truly worth holding on to. The Punctuation of Days is a stunning invitation to listen to our own lives.’ — Jessica Chapnik Kahn, Poet

The Punctuation of Days is a deeply personal collection exploring love, grief, mindfulness, parenting, creativity, and the human experience. Spanning 11 years of the author’s life, the poems move between raw vulnerability and contemplative uplift, inspired by everyday moments, nature, and fleeting glimpses of light and shadow. Stacey’s writing is infused with gratitude, curiosity, and a belief in the interconnectedness of all things, inviting readers to engage with the poetry as a mirror for their own experiences.

This collection celebrates the beauty and complexity of being human, offering a poetic map back to mindfulness and presence in a fast-paced world.

BOOK HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/the-punctuation-of-days-stacey-cotter-maniere

THEN, MARK YOUR CALENDARS ... Sep 26 is Poetica’s 8th birthday and Miriam is hosting her Poems as Prompts workshop on that day! Join us for writing, listening, and eating birthday cake 🙂

BOOK HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/poems-as-prompts-writing-workshop-10