Coffee, Tea and Poetry

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Once upon a time, instead of going to the movies, watching television or downloading movies online, people would gather to listen to someone tell a story or recite a poem. This custom celebrated the beauty of the spoken word and engaged the community.

The City of Unley brought the oral storytelling tradition back to life by presenting live poetry performances in local cafés.

In 2014, in the lead-up to Double Shot Unley Coffee Fiesta, five local cafes hosted performance poets in their spaces for around two hours. Writing, reading, performing and chatting - residents were invited to meet, listen to and drink with professional poets.

Participating cafes were:

  • By Blackbird Coffee and Dessert Cafe, 100 King William Road, Hyde Park
  • Hyde Park Bakery, 1 Mitchell Street, Hyde Park
  • Pellegrini Café, 169 Unley Road, Unley
  • Lunch Club, Unley Shopping Centre, Unley Road
  • Carnevale Coffee, 114 East Avenue, Clarence Park

This project was an initiative of The City of Unley’s Where Business Meets Art project in conjunction with Friendly Street Poets and the SA Writers' Centre.