Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy Saturday the 28th of March 2026

Article by Joel O’Connor. Pictures courtesy of Sandy Jensen and Marina Perkovich.

I owe a huge apology to the fine folk who attended this launch. I had all good intentions of being in attendance, and ‘life got in the way’ (not having a car, I had planned to ask someone to drive me, but he disappeared and took that opportunity with him). Not an excuse but it is a reason. The article below was written by one of the most passionate men I know. A man who clearly strongly believes in community, history, poetry and a cold beer or two with his mates. The world would be a much better place if it had more Joel’s in it.

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.

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.

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 unyielding persistence, 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.

Please ‘subscribe’ to Q Magazine Media and receive all the latest from all of my sites directly to your inbox FOR FREE! Click here to go to THE STORE and here to go to Q MAGAZINE MEDIA and just below to subscribe for free.