#14: On Leaving
Those who follow The Braddyton literary community might have noticed a distinct lack of events this month. We’re taking a bit of a break from the literary madness following a thoroughly mad November, but we’ll be back in January with a very special poetry event at Can You Keep A Secret.
Why is this event so special?
Well. We’re leaving.
I set up The Braddyton with my housemates Bronwyn and Rhys to serve Magandjin’s literary freaks after some of our key events shut down. SpeakEasy. Gather Round. Lonely’s. Volta. The seeming mass dismantling of this city’s literary community became such a sticking point in conversation that we became annoying at parties. Our friends were exhausted with our complaining. ‘Why don’t you just set one up then?’ So we did.
It has been such a magical experience, from making tea and sharing poetry in our backyard to booking a venue for Halloween. An abundance of cheesecakes. Chocolate-chip cookies. Rooibos chai. Fairy lights. Too many cushions. Shouting poetry over road noise. And last month, a near-daily writing challenge on Discord.
But Bronwyn has been accepted into a postgraduate program interstate, and we’ve decided it’s time for a life change. Bronwyn and I are heading for the NSW South Coast, and we’re bringing this project with us – whatever it becomes.
January’s event is a collaboration with Blue Bottle Journal, involving Sean West, Shastra Deo and other fantastic writers. Because we’re also seeing Shastra off before she moves to the US. It’s just one big farewell party, y’all. Look out for more info coming soon.
As we prepare to say our goodbyes, I’d like to invite you to become the annoying person at parties. We set this up because we care about our literary community here. What are you willing to do for it?
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