What happens at a Pizzaboxpoets event?

We have a wide range of poetry performed on the third Sunday of every month. It ranges from the rhyming to the modern to slam poetry and occasionally even songs! Themes range from love, to nature, to philosophy to history, to grief, to personal, to beat poetry and satire. Poems tend to run to the shorter styles, but poets have in the past read sections of longer works. We keep it moving so poets are never in the spotlight for too long. It’s more fun for the audience, and takes the pressure off poets too.

The event happens like this:

Poets turn up about 3.30 and their names are added to the pizzabox. At 4 there’s an Acknowledgment of Country and a welcome by one of the hosts. Each poet on the pizzabox steps up in turn and reads one piece. Then there’s a drinks break before round two. Some only read the one piece, others come back in rounds two and three. Often after poetry, a bunch of poets will stay for an early dinner, and it’s a good chance to catch up and talk about what you’ve just heard.

There are a couple of rules of engagement.

• We don’t apologise about the standard of our work - we let the work speak as a creation we have made. The audience will be their own judges.

• We don’t punch down - so no belittling others or making others feel less-than.

• We make our own rules for ourselves based on kindness first of all. There’s a challenge each month.

  The challenge is announced at the end of each Sunday session and listed in the FB group. Those who meet the challenge are welcome to share but there is NO downside to not meeting the challenge. As Yoda says “do, or do not. There is no try.” It does not matter. What matters is the making of things that weren’t there before. And enjoy the journey.