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Entry $10 / $5. No open micWelcome to the first 2026 reading in Geoff Page’s long-running monthly series. To kick off the year, Geoff will be featuring David Brooks and Deborah Dawkings.
David Brooks was born and (partly) raised in Canberra, educated at Canberra High and the ANU. Since then he has published numerous novels, collections of poetry, short fiction and other works, edited Southerly from 2000-2018, and taught a long time at the University of Sydney. He lives in the Blue Mountains with rescued sheep. His The Other Side of Daylight: New and Selected Poems received the 2025 Prime Minister's Award for Poetry. He was also the 2025 recipient of the Patrick White Award. His most recent publications are a memoir of his friendship with AD Hope, and an essay on rights for non-human animals.
Deborah Dawkings is a Canberra-based poet whose work examines family, the female gaze, and the uncanny. Her poems have been published in The Canberra Times and Cordite. She was shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Catholic University Prize and the 2025 Calanthe Prize. Her first full-length collection has recently been submitted to a publisher.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Smith's Alternative, 78 Alinga St, City ACT 2601, Australia, Canberra
Tickets
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