NO WAVE

Monthly Poetry Reading Series at The Wheatsheaf Hotel

I started NO WAVE in 2018 while completing my PhD and somehow continued to run it while I was living in Cambodia in 2019, through lockdown in 2020 and while living in Melbourne from 2021-2022.

In 2023, we have transitioned the series into a collective, where an Adelaide poet guest curates a line up each month. You can read more about my thinking behind starting the series below and see some of the previous line ups.

If you are a poet looking to read at NO WAVE, please email: nowavepoetry@gmail.com. The line ups are posted on the Wheatsheaf’s website and social media. You can also always try your luck on our twitter page: no_wave_adl.

With thanks to Banjo James, Olivia De Zilva, Gemma Parker and Alex Sutcliffe.

MISSION STATEMENT

This new reading series will bring together some of Adelaide’s best poets on the first Wednesday of each month. Fans of poetry will be treated to readings from established interstate poets as well as some of the best emerging local talent. 

Run by local poet Dominic Symes, NO WAVE is a testing ground for new work and plays an important role in the creative development of local poets. The readings are primarily concerned with raising the profile of poetry in Adelaide, showcasing the best local talent by creating a space for diverse voices to take their craft into new and exciting places. 

Equally, the readings are an occasion for local poets to share ideas, encourage collaboration and enhance the sense of community surrounding poetry in Adelaide. 

IN MORE DETAIL

From my intro at the first edition of the series:

“So NO WAVE. Thanks for coming. The idea to start a new reading series came after I realised that I just didn’t have the same access to the community of poets in Adelaide after Ken stopped running the Lee Marvin series. This might have just been my fault, that I didn’t branch out more, there are other poetry readings in Adelaide which are fantastic, but really none where an established poet might get asked to read at twice a year, or where because of the regularity of the readings and the familiarity of the audience one might feel safe trying out new material, or where an interstate poet might come to launch their latest book, or somewhere, where as a young student of poetry one might get invited to read in front of a crowd of poets and lovers of poetry. To me there seemed nothing wrong with the format of Lee Marvin, with the pool of people who would read regularly; only that Ken wasn’t able to run it anymore. So, after a lot of umm-ing and ahh-ing on my part, after talking to Ken to use some of his contacts, I started sending emails. Lots of emails. And here we are. I have booked this space out for the rest of the year on the first Wednesday of every month. Ria, and the staff at The Wheaty have been really kind to me by letting us have the space for free, on one of their only available regular nights — so please go to the bar and keep repay their kindness if you are able to. 

My intention of course was not to crowd out other reading nights or to create clashes with other events, but rather, start something regular, centrally located, where all of the money from the door price goes to the poets who are reading on the night. Hopefully as the series builds momentum we will be able to get more local poets involved giving readings — to that end, I am certainly looking for expressions of interest if you’re interested— If you are ready to launch a book, if you are nearing the end of a project and sending things off to publishers, or if you just want to share your new work with an audience — please come up to me in the intermission or at the end of the night to chat with me about putting you on the bill for future events. I have been in contact with a number of fantastic poets from interstate to read at future NO WAVE events, as I think there is a really good opportunity for exchange there, and I have had some very positive responses, so we will see how that pans out in the coming months and whether I can make the funding for that happen. For now though, it is great to see so many familiar faces, thank you for coming.”

NO WAVE HISTORY

NO WAVE APRIL JPEG.jpg

This is the first poster for the first NO WAVE. Since then we’ve welcomed such poets as:

  • Aidan Coleman

  • Alex Suttcliffe

  • Alison Coppe

  • Alison Flett

  • Amelia Scott

  • Andy Jackson

  • Banjo James

  • Banjo Wetaherald

  • Billie Wallace Yarrow

  • Braden Palmer

  • Bronwyn Lovell

  • Camille Rouliere

  • Caroline Reid

  • Cary Hamlyn

  • Cath Kenneally

  • David Mortimer

  • Em Konig

  • Francesca Di Rimini (Doll Yoko)

  • Gemma Parker

  • Heather Taylor Johnson

  • Ian Ginnins

  • Jelena Dinic

  • Jen Liston

  • Jessica Alice

  • Jill Jones

  • J V Birch

  • Ken Bolton

  • Maria Bouis

  • Mark Cayanan

  • Hatt Hooton

  • Michael Aiken

  • Mike Ladd

  • Natalie Harkin

  • Olivia De Zilva

  • Rachael Mead

  • Thom Sullivan

  • Travis Lucas

  • Virginia Barratt

  • & like, so many more