Keith also had organising skills, Bill says, and soon acquired a group of enthusiasts who formed the core of HBLPS.
"Several of them are still active members, who attend and perform at nearly every meeting, although the one who in my opinion contributed most was our secretary/treasurer in the early years, Jenny Dobson, who subsequently moved on to other roles."
The poem Bill read at his first meeting, performed at the former Cat & Fiddle tavern, was well received, and he was captivated by Keith's vision of a live poetry group.
"The group provided an affordable venue for poets from throughout the Hawke's Bay region, and also aimed at attracting well-known poets from throughout Aotearoa-New Zealand, as our paid guests, to help raise the local standards. This vision was realised, and continues, with further developments, to today."
Active membership of HBLPS has remained at around 20-30, with a larger number attending meetings occasionally.
"The poetry venue has changed several times, but most of our 11 meetings a year are currently held in the Hastings Community Arts Centre. We choose a different venue for our annual Christmas parties, and have also held picnic meetings at a range of locations."
Bill says an important recent development is the formation of a new group, the Napier Live Poets, which meets monthly at Community Arts Napier (CAN).
"Despite some initial concerns, both poetry groups have remained viable and interesting. Many of our local poets regularly attend meetings of both groups."
There has been a steady turnover of participants in the HBLPS, but they've always managed to attract enough new faces to keep the group financially viable and poetically interesting, Bill says. And those attending meetings are not always performers.
"While most of those who attend meetings enjoy reading their own poems, some who attend prefer just to listen. Over time, many of these spectators decide they may as well step up and read some poems of their own."
He says the loud applause given to all participants, both when they step up to the microphone, then again after they've performed, provides an encouraging environment.
"So do the suppers contributed to by our members."
There have been other interesting innovations over the years, including regular poetry readings broadcast by Radio Kidnappers.
"These provide an additional performance opportunity for our invited guest poets, both local and from further afield. Successful joint meetings have been arranged in both Gisborne and Taupo to allow Hawke's Bay poets to meet with poets from those two regions."
Other major events initiated by HBLPS have included the Hawke's Bay Poetry Conference, staged in 2013 as a national event, which attracted more than 100 registered participants and two regional meetings, the East-West Poetry Fests in 2016 and 2018, which were organised by HBLPS but staged in Palmerston North to encourage poets from throughout the lower central North Island – Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua, and the Kapiti Coast.
Both fests were well attended and paid their own way from registration fees.
Bill says he has greatly enjoyed being a contributor to HBLPS.
"It not only gave me new friends, but helped me develop the writing skills that resulted in two published poetry books. I also enjoyed my several years as secretary/treasurer."
He says more recently, as he entered his 70s, it became clear an infusion of younger people was needed to take over these roles.
"This has happened, and it has given me huge satisfaction to see how well the new recruits are performing. Both of the two Hawke's Bay Poetry groups look set to continue meeting for years to come."
• Hawke's Bay Live Poets Society, 29th birthday meeting, Monday March 8, 7pm, Hastings Art Centre, Russell Rd. Napier Live Poets, open mic night, first Monday of each month from 6pm, Creative Arts Napier. Entry free.
