This week at Cherry Poets we have a special guest who has a had a really fascinating and inspiring journey in poetry over the past few years. Steve Jones will be most familiar to Eltham poetry peoples, but we think Cherry Poets are gonna love him just as much.

*Plus* a special reading by Beijing based poet Anthony Tao, who just launched his debut collection of poetry at Readings in Melbourne.

As alway, open mic sign up is from 1.30pm and show kick off is 2pm. So come on down and grab a drink, some food and we'll have a lovely time.

Steve Jones bio

I have never written anything meaningful, never expressed myself with words, never even contemplated wanting to write, but somehow, something in me was woken during my cancer recovery.

I could see words; I could feel words. They were a little consuming and seemed to come to me when my mind was in a restful place. On my country walks, while I was at rest, sometimes they would wake me in my sleep.

In hindsight these words were very therapeutic for me. They allowed me to move on the psychological aspects of cancer while at the same time opened a new world of words and expressions.

Anthony Tao bio

Beijing is a city of multitudes, filled with contradictions and perpetually in flux. In his debut poetry collection ‘We Met in Beijing’, Anthony Tao invites readers onto the tree-lined streets, dusty alleys, fashionable rooftops, and sweaty nightclubs of China’s political and cultural nerve center, capturing snapshots of a sprawling capital in the throes of constant change.

Tao, a longtime China news editor, is visiting Melbourne from Beijing, where he has been based for sixteen years. His poetry collection was launched at Readings Emporium earlier this week.

COST: Free

ACCESSIBILITY: Step up to access to venue. Staff can assist with entry for wheelchair users. Toilets may be too narrow for wheelchair access.