The poetry recital hosted by writer and poet Harry Owen, author of the controversial ‘Non-Dog and Worthy poems for my father’, was nothing short of spectacular. It took place at the Reddet’s Café in Grahamstown on the last Friday of October (28th), 2011. The cafe was a perfect venue to host the laid back poetry recital which took place from 18:00 to 21:00.

The scent of ground coffee hangs in the air, oven fresh baked goods and the well coordinated colour scheme draw you in as you make your way through the four semi-detached sections of the cafe. There are plush couches in the inviting small lounge, which gives one a spectacular view of the poets as they stand on the doorway of the lounge and main entrance.

The majority of the poets and writers showcased a poem by their favourite writer or recited their own work. The mood of many of the poems was gloomy and drifted between war and death, probably owing to the entire town being consumed by the Halloween spirit. Things started looking up during the second set of the session as the accomplished and aspiring writers alike changed the mood from gloomy to blithe. Brandon Waard’s performance stood out as he recited a hilarious poem by Michael Collier titled ‘All Souls’. He was followed by Natalie Ellis who recited lyrics of the song ‘Ambivalent Over’ by The Tuesday Weld, a British lead singer and founder of Stephen Coates, who is famous for producing jazzy cabaret style music with subtle eletronica influences which he has dubbed the Coates. Last to grace the stage was Megan Van Der Nest, who recited a beautiful poem written for her father, titled Dad and the Pigeons. Her poem brought the relaxed evening to a close, leaving me with a slightly different experience of a poetry recital.