Category Archives: Vainglory

For some years now, Toby Davidson has been organising an annual reading from the works of Australian poet Francis Webb.

This year it’s on again:

Saturday 31 August
2.00–4.00pm
Chatswood Library
409 Victoria Ave
Chatswood
It’s a free event, but you can go to eventbrite to reserve a place.

Here’s what the Willoughby Council website has to say::

Come along to hear how this ‘poet’s poet’ astonished his own generation and many more since.
You’re invited to join MC Dr Toby Davidson, editor of Webb’s Collected Poems, for an afternoon celebrating the works of North Sydney poet Francis Webb (1925-1973) who spent some of his early years in Willoughby.

This annual gathering sees poets, scholars, community members and representatives from Webb’s former schools St Pius X College and CBHS Lewisham read and discuss their favourite poems by this local prodigy who combined his visionary talent with an eye for social justice. Gwen Harwood once wrote ‘I think Webb is unmatched … wonderful Webb!’

Come along to hear how this ‘poet’s poet’ astonished his own generation and many more since

I am one of the poets, scholars and community members. I’d love to see some of my regular – or even one-off – readers there!

For some years now, Toby Davidson has been organising an annual reading from the works of Australian poet Francis Webb.

This year it’s on again:

Saturday August 26
2pm-4.30pm
Chatswood Library
409 Victoria Ave
Chatswood
It’s a free event, but you can go to eventbrite to reserve a seat

To quote from the blurb for the event:

Francis Webb was among the first Australian poets to be deeply influenced by post-war American poets like Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath. He was also the first canonical Australian poet to write at length about the experience of mental illness and institutionalisation after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his 30s. A quintessential ‘poet’s poet’, Webb has deeply affected generations of poets and poetry-lovers while rarely being known to the wider public. Since 2012, this annual free event has celebrated Webb’s prodigious talent and keen sense of social justice. Webb’s personal book and art collection, held at the library, will also be on display.

The blurb goes on to say that student representatives from St Pius X College and CBC Lewisham will be reading and discussing Webb’s poems. What it doesn’t say is that there will be other guest speakers and readers – of whom I am one.

In my mid 20s I was completely enamoured of Webb’s poetry, and whenever I open Toby Davidson’s edition of his Collected Poems I fall in love all over again. I’ve mentioned him a number of times on this blog. I’m thrilled to be invited to read, and I’d love to see any of my readers there.

Added later: The reading was fun. About 20 people gathered in the ‘Creators’ room of Chatswood Library, and about seven of us read. Toby Davidson chaired the event with infectious enthusiasm. He paid special tribute to Bob Adamson, who died recently, and read one of Adamson’s eight poems that refer to Francis Webb. I met a man who was a psych nurse in Parramatta when Webb was a patient there, and who painted a portrait of him that was on display in the room where we met.