A BRIEF HISTORY OF PATP
by Jan Dean and Glenn Stuart Beattie

Poetry at the Pub was founded in the winter of 1988 and the first readings were in the Grand Hotel in Bolton Street Newcastle. PATP originated as an offshoot of Make Do Theatre, an amateur theatre group formed by playwright Bill Iden. A small group comprising Bill Iden, Liane Chalmers, Sande Hughes, Meg Dunn and Bruce Copping began to meet at Bill's house to read and critique each other's poetry. The group soon realised that there was a potential to offer "open mic" readings in a pub atmosphere.

The format has changed little since its inception and it is the emphasis on open readings which has made PATP such an enduring part of the Newcastle literature scene. PATP has never placed any restrictions on poets wishing to read in the open sections, apart from time.

Within the first year PATP decided to try theme nights in the middle bracket and these were a great success with nights such as "erotic night", "humorous poems" and "limerick nights". It was also decided that there should occasionally be a special guest poet and some of Australia's leading poets have been guests of PATP. In the early days these included Bruce Dawe, Gwen Harwood, Roland Robinson, Billy Marshall Stoneking, Allan Wearne and Les Murray.

PATP took a big step in 1989 with the decision to feature "homegrown" poets in the guest spot - the first being Glenn Stuart Beattie and Meg Dunn, appearing together on a double bill.

It was around this time that our early anthologies appeared, starting with a photocopied A4 sheet. PATP anthologies have developed a more professional quality. An open anthology has been produced every year since 1989 (as well as four select anthologies, presenting six poets each). All members who read at our venue are guaranteed space in our annual anthologies. Norman Talbot comments that this is philosophically significant and unusual.

Bruce Copping ran Maitland Poetry at the Pub (later Poetry from the Valley) for about a decade. Some of Australia’s finest poets, including Bruce Dawe, performed at Maitland through Arts Council funding. Bruce provided many poets with a performance venue as well as access to PATP anthologies.

PATP moved from the Grand Hotel to the Masonic Bowling Club in the early nineties. Twelve months later we moved to the Northern Star Hotel in Hamilton; its central location has strong appeal.

Regional Poetry Festivals, under the auspices of the Poets Cooperative, were held in Armidale, Newcastle Canberra, Wollongong and the Gold Coast during the nineteen nineties. The biggest was held at the Newcastle University Staff House. Long-term members remember these events with great affection.

Intoxicating Tales, an associate group reserved for short stories eventually stopped owing to lack of support.

Around the Year 2000, two years of special meetings or Critique Nights, held in the back room at Cooks Hill Books and Records, proved beneficial for those PATP members who wished to develop their poetry. This was an idea of Bill’s implemented by Sue Romani and Jan Dean. Group leaders included the wonderful local poets Jean Kent, Norman Talbot, Paul Kavanagh, Jean Talbot and Rob Riel.

In 1998, Poetry at the Pub was fortunate in receiving sponsorship from wine groups for a series of readings on those months with a fifth Monday. The Northern Star Hotel Management now generously sponsors the ‘out of town poets’. This has enabled PATP to feature such notable poets as Anthony Lawrence, Judith Beveridge, Robert Adamson, John Bennett and Joanne Burns. From time to time we work in conjunction with the Hunter Writers’ Centre or Newcastle University so the visiting poets are able to give workshops, lectures and seminars as well as the readings.

PATP became incorporated in 2001.

We are indebted to Matthew Ward of Mockfrog Design and Graphics who, as sponsor in 1999 and 2000, guided Poetry at the Pub into the cyber-world. Matt’s patience (with my constantly changing text) and his talents brought us into the Twenty First Century with this splendid new website, which I trust will be enjoyed by many.

—Jan Dean, June 2003