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One of Australia’s premiere performance poets, David Hallett has been writing and performing his poetry since the mid-70’s. During the past 30 years David has developed an innovative, accessible, highly entertaining and original form of spoken word performance. Twice winner of the Poetry Olympics at the Festival of Sydney, David won the inaugural event at the Opera House in 1995, and again in ’97 at the Lyric Theatre. |
He has performed and toured extensively in festivals, universities, schools, colleges and Writers’ Centres; from cafes to cabarets to conferences, radio, television and film.
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During the past 15 years David Hallett has developed and managed two major spoken word venues on the North Coast of NSW: Byron Bay’s Writers at the Rails and Lismore’s The Live Poets! He also established and features regularly with the Stand Up Poets! – Australia’s only professional troupe of performance writers. Together with fellow members S Sorrensen and Christine Strelan, David has organised a series of popular performance tours. In recent years the troupe has presented masterclasses and performance writing workshops at festivals, and for tertiary students of creative writing, communication, drama and media. |
David Hallett’s poetry is broadcast regularly on ABC-Radio 2NR, and he has featured in a variety of performances on ABC-Radio National and also Triple J. David has also performed on ABC-TV’s Sunday show and on Bookchat and Quantum. In ’98 David featured in the ABC-TV special Voices which celebrated National Poetry Day. He also featured prominently in the high-rating three-part documentary Nearly Normal Nimbin.
As one reviewer wrote of his performance: “This is not poetry to be savoured in wistful repose. This is stand up knock down stuff to split your sides in laughter or rage. Sexual politics, social politics, political politics; this is entertainment that jumps from the page to the stage, from the comedic to the satiric to the deadly serious”.
In 1991 he self-published “War and Peaces: Nimbin Performance Poems 1990-1991”.
In 2002 David self-published “Dante’s Café (Performance Poems 1992-2001)”.
In 2000 the National Australia Day Council presented David with an achievement award for his cultural/arts contribution.
In 2003 he was commissioned by the ABC to compose the poem celebrating it’s 70th anniversary, “ABC to XYZee”.
One of Australia’s most experienced performing writers, David Hallett is a most popular and accessible poet and communicator.
A consummate performer, David Hallett remains on the cutting edge of contemporary poetry.
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