Clive Palmer Is Actually Headlining a Poetry Festival

Queensland mining magnate, Clive Palmer, apparently has sides even softer than his cheeks. In 1981, at the age of 26, he published a thin book of poetry titled Dreams, Hopes and Reflections under the name F. Clive Palmer. Today the book is so rare that it appears on the National Library of Australia acquisitions wish list, which suggests it didn't receive a second printing.

Despite his lack of sales, the Queensland Poetry Festival has secured Clive Palmer as their main attraction for this month's event at the Judith Wright Centre in Brisbane. As the headline act, he'll perform for 30 minutes, with festival organisers suggesting he'll do a public reading of his work. Clive has not yet released a statement.

Clive's poetry skills first became known to the not-so-broader public in December, after he recited a short verse on the ABC's Kitchen Cabinet. But Queensland Poetry Festival co-director David Stavanger became aware of Clive's work through an essay titled Poets in Power. Since then he's hoped to recruit Clive to the festival, if for no other purpose than sheer curiosity.

As David told VICE, "Having a controversial and public figure like Clive will be very intriguing. A lot of men express themselves in their early years through self-published poetry and then steer away later in life. I'm looking forward to hearing his thoughts on what he thinks of his early works. I'm always interested in the origins of poetry."

Clive's poetry, in case you were wondering, is intriguingly sentimental.

In an article published by The Guardian, poetry critic Martin Duwell didn't rip it to shreds as you might expect. Instead, he praised its humility. "The vanity publications of the wealthy are often done in good type on expensive paper and are carefully proofed by a secretary. This book, full of typos and awkwardnesses, is not like this at all and its main virtue is probably that it is a rather humble, essentially good-hearted and well-meaning production,"

A composition called "Leaving Home," according to Duwell, captures Clive's young earnestness at its best.

Guy Rundle, who published a Clive Palmer bio in the Quarterly Essay, wasn't so gentle. "Inspired by the writings of Bob Dylan, John and Paul, Dreams, Hopes, and Reflections is so redolent of its era that it may as well be wearing a Nehru jacket and listening to 'Evergreen'".

When you read a little piece like this, you know what he means.

The Queensland Poetry Festival will also feature actual-poet Les Murray, Regurgitator front man, Quan Yeomans, and Damian Cowell from cult 80s band, TISM. Included in Clive's show will be an interview with festival co-director David Stavanger, as well as a Q&A with the audience. As for what Clive will recite is anyone's guess.

Now, let's finish with a poem.

Follow Dan on Twitter.