Spoken Word: Recent Episodes
Santo Cazzati, Di Cousens, George O'Hara, Brendan Bonsack and Carmen Main.
A program dedicated to the eclectic world of poetry and performance. Guests are contemporary poets who read and discuss their works.
Barry Dickins (6 November 1949 – 13 July 2026) was an Australian author, artist, actor, educator and journalist, probably best known for his historical dramas and his reminiscences about growing up and living in working class Melbourne.In this interview with Di Cousens, recorded in 2016, he talks about the rewrite of his play Remember Ronald Ryan for a production at La Mama, and reads from the script. Ronald Ryan was the last man hanged in Australia.Vale Barry Dickins.
Robert Di Napoli talks to Di Cousens about his new translation of the Old English riddles found in the tenth century Book of Exeter. Published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.This is the second part of a two part conversation.See: https://robertdinapoli.com/the-dark-glass-a-book-by-robert-dinapoli/
Robert Di Napoli talks to Di Cousens about his new translation of the Old English riddles found in the tenth century Book of Exeter. Published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.This is the first part of a two part conversation.See: https://robertdinapoli.com/the-dark-glass-a-book-by-robert-dinapoli/
Born in Melbourne, Petr has been writing for over 20 years. She has had work published in the anthologies Mother Lode (Poetica Christi Press, 2003) and Set Free (Poetica Christi Press, 2004), and in the journal Etchings (vol. 4, 2008). Petr’s work also appears in the coffee table book, Reflecting on Melbourne – a vision of Melbourne through the eyes of some of its poets and artists (Poetica Christi Press, 2009), in the anthology Southern Sun, Aegean Light (Arcadia 2011) and in issue 10 of the journal Page Seventeen (Busybird Publishing 2012). In 2012 Petr qualified for the finals of the Sydney Rd Poetry Cup and made the transition from the page to the stage officially that year. She has appeared regularly at the Dan and featured at House of Bricks, Passionate Tongues, Muses, Musos and the Barleycorn and at Steps Gallery. Her work appeared in the anthology A Lightness of Being in 2013 (Poetica Christi Press) and as part of MSFW ARTZ in 2014. After some dirty dancing with breast cancer and a two-year hiatus from writing, Petr finally articulated the experience in an intense feature at West Word. Her choabook, Unspeakable (2019), is her first solo offering from that period Her work focuses on themes of identity and belonging, motherhood and gender. Petr writes to process. Unspeakable is available here: http://owlpublishing.com.au/chapbook-series.html Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 16th July 2026, you will a recording of a live broadcast featuring Es Foong talking about the Sonic Poetry Festival. You’ll also hear Es and host, Indrani Perera, swapping poems in a poetic conversation or a poetry exchange of words and ideas.Sonic Poetry Collective, a coalition of poets concerned with building community sustainably, will host Sonic Poetry Festival on 24 October 2026. This all-day festival wil lbe hosted at Balam Balam Place and festival attendees can anticipate poetry wortshops, third place interactions, play, communal curiousity, and opportunities to serve as artist, audience, and both at once. EVENT DETAILSSonic Poetry FestivalSaturday 24th August 2026Ballam Ballam Place, Brunswick, Victoriawww.sonicpoetryfestival.com Poems read in this episode:Dear Letter P by Miriam HechtmanAt the Council Meeting by Kevin BrophyThe Change Room by Andy JacksonBless Grace Jones by Warsan ShireKaleidoscope by Ali Cobby EckermannAt the Lip of the Well by Lakshmi R KanchiTo Be Kissed by Quinn EadesListen by Jazz Money A Map of Mothers by Nadia NiazThe Other Side of History by Jeanine LeaneI wonder about that time in history by Linh Tran CreditsProduced by Brendan Bonsack.Thank you to Es Foong for joining us and to you for listening! NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.
A. Frances Johnson is an award-winning writer, artist and recovering academic. Her most recent poetry collection is Controlled Burn (Puncher and Wattmann, 2025). She has published four collections of poetry, a novel and a monograph, Australian Fiction as Archival Salvage (Brill, 2015). In 2020, she won the International ABR Peter Porter Poetry Prize. Other awards include the Griffith University–Josephine Ulrick Prize (2016) and the Michel Wesley Wright Prize (2012). In 2018, her collection Rendition for Harp and Kalashnikov was shortlisted for the Melbourne Prize for Literature Best New Writing Award. She is Honorary Principal Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne. Controlled Burn is available here: https://puncherandwattmann.com/authors/a-frances-johnson Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
Bosnian-Australian poet, Dzenana Vucic, talks about her new collection of poetry, After War. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Caroline Williamson has been living in Melbourne, Australia, since 1990. She was born in London and spent school holidays with her grandparents in Merthyr Tydfil as a child. Her debut collection, Time Machines (Vagabond Press, 2023), was Highly Commended in the 2023 5Islands Poetry Prize for a First Book of Poetry. Carboniferous (Rabbit, 2025) is her second collection. Carboniferous is available here: https://rabbitpoetry.com/shop/carboniferous-caroline-williamson Picture: Brendan BonsackProduced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 21st May 2026, you will hear poet Sasha de Motte talk about identity, authenticity and intuition. Sasha de Motte (they/she) is a writer and poet. As a queer person of colour and a spiritually inclined soul, they pride themselves on all parts of their identity. Yet, her work primarily shines a light on deep raw emotions beyond the labels. In 2025 they published their debut poetry collection, Autumn. Poems written and performed by Sasha de Motte in this episode:MineInterstellarWithering Away CreditsProduced, engineered and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Sasha de Motte for sharing their poetry and to you for listening! NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.
poet and she reflects on the legacy of colonisation and racism and the aftermath of intergenerational harm. At the same time, she shines a light on the importance of family and culture, celebrating the Indigenous women filled with resilience and strength.
poet and she reflects on the legacy of colonisation and racism and the aftermath of intergenerational harm. At the same time, she shines a light on the importance of family and culture, celebrating the Indigenous women filled with resilience and strength.
Madeleine Dale is a poet and researcher from Brisbane/Meanjin. She holds first-class honours and a Masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Queensland, where she is currently completing her PhD. Her work has been published in Westerly, Cordite, Meanjin, and Best of Australian Poetry, among others. Her first full-length collection, Portraits of Drowning, won the 2023 Thomas Shapcott Prize, the Five Islands Poetry Prize, and was commended for the Wesley Michel Wright Prize. She was a 2024 MacDowell Fellow.Portraits of Drowning is availabe for purchase here: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/portraits-of-drowning Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 16th April 2026, you will hear UK poet, Deb Alma talk about The Poetry Pharmacy.The Poetry Pharmacy is a UK-based bookseller, with three physical bookshops, an online presence and a lively programme of events. It reimagines poetry as a form of medicine, offering carefully chosen poems and “prescriptions” to help people navigate the emotional terrain of everyday life. Poems read by Deb Alma in this episode:On the First Day of Autumn by Jason Alain PainBut You Thought You Knew What a Sign Looked Like by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer CreditsProduced, engineered and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Deb Alma for sharing her poetry prescriptions and to you for listening! NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.
Connor talk about the new book, Millennium Poets Two. This is a new anthology which revisits the poets writing at the turn of the millennium and presents their contemporary work.
s novels include Lines of Flight (1985), Not Being Miriam (1989), Prowler (1999), Shadow Thief (2006), and konkretion (2013).She has also published the cross-genre collection Fragments from a Paper Witch (Salt, 2008), an experimental memoir The Man on the Mantelpiece (UWA Publishing, 2018), the poetry collections third body (Whitmore Press 2018) and languish (Upswell 2022).Her novels Lines of Flight (1985) and Not Being Miriam (1989) were shortlisted andcommended for major Australian awards and twice for the Canada-Australia Literary Prize;Not being Miriam won WA Week Literary Awards for Prose Fiction (1989), the libretto DrMemory in the Dream Home shared the Patricia Hackett Prize (1992) and Fragments from aPaper Witch was a finalist for the Innovation Category of the South Australian Festival Literary Awards (2010).She has been recipient of nine writer’s and residency grants and won the Senses of Cinema Prize for the best essay in 2021 and the joanne burns micro-fiction prize for 2022. Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 19th March 2026, you will hear poet Alex Creece talk about collage, reclamation and the profane. This episode has a warning for strong language and mature themes. Alex Creece is a writer, editor, collage artist and average kook living on Wadawurrung land. Alex is the Managing Editor of Cordite Poetry Review and an Online Editor at Archer Magazine, and her writing has been widely published. Alex is the author of Potty Mouth, Potty Mouth (Cordite Books, 2024), which was highly commended in the Five Islands Poetry Prize. Poems written and performed by Alex Creece in this episode:God Wants You To ComeOn SpecialJames Joyce’s Fart Fetish CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Alex Creece for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
breaking news3. Bill Marshall as Captain Fish - I don’t get it4. Helchild erforming as Senator Pauline Shitson / President Donald Dump in a single shitshow called One Ablution5. DW Phoenix - Swipe Left6. Steve Smart - Bear Remembers7. Pauline Sherlock as Paulie-ann Marie - sex therapist - Falling in Love
Rodney Williams is a tanka poet from Gippsland. Tanka is a five line form of Japanese poetry that predates the haiku. Rodney talks about what makes a tanka and looks at old and new poems, including some of his own. He is a contributing editor of the poetry journal Catchment, Poetry of Place, which is published within the website of the Baw Baw Arts Alliance. https://www.bawbawartsalliance.org.au/bcms/catchment-editions/
s novels include Lines of Flight (1985), Not Being Miriam (1989), Prowler (1999), Shadow Thief (2006), and konkretion (2013).She has also published the cross-genre collection Fragments from a Paper Witch (Salt, 2008), an experimental memoir The Man on the Mantelpiece (UWA Publishing, 2018), the poetry collections third body (Whitmore Press 2018) and languish (Upswell 2022).Her novels Lines of Flight (1985) and Not Being Miriam (1989) were shortlisted andcommended for major Australian awards and twice for the Canada-Australia Literary Prize;Not being Miriam won WA Week Literary Awards for Prose Fiction (1989), the libretto DrMemory in the Dream Home shared the Patricia Hackett Prize (1992) and Fragments from aPaper Witch was a finalist for the Innovation Category of the South Australian Festival Literary Awards (2010).She has been recipient of nine writer’s and residency grants and won the Senses of Cinema Prize for the best essay in 2021 and the joanne burns micro-fiction prize for 2022.Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 19th February 2026, you will hear poet Amanda Collins talk about art, music, life and death.Amanda Collins is a poet, death doula, author and songwriter who currently lives in the hills of Taungurung Country. She is a fierce advocate for humanity and human creativity, and can often be found teaching poetry or music. Amanda is the 2026 poetry judge of the Mulga Bill writing prize, and is part of the creative impetus behind the Heartcote Ukulele Festival. Her favourite words continue to be Whimsy, Steadfast and Hopeful. Poems written and performed by Amanda Collins in this episode:The RulesOne Last ThingThe MeetingLiberty / Untitled CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Amanda Collins for sharing her poetry and to you for listening! NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.
Di Cousens talks to Peter Friedlander about his new book, Pearls of Light. This is a translation of the Sufi-Sant songs of the seventeenth century Indian mystic, Yari Sahib. Translated with Harry Eveling and published by Manohar publications.
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 29th January 2026, you will hear poet Lane talk about poetry, process and performance.Lane is an artist and writer living and making on Wurrundjeri Country. He is the winner of 2023 Slamalamadingdong season, and was an Australian Poetry Slam National Finalist in 2024. Lane’s poetry lives off the page, embodied literally through gestural performance. His work, as both writer and artist, traverses personhood and place. Lane believes in curiosity, honesty, and growth, through creativity. Poems written and performed by Lane in this episode:YesterdaySuitsAlphabet SoupUntitled CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Lane for sharing his poetry and to you for listening! NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.
2x Melbourne slam Champion, IQ is a haiku lover and typewriter devotee. In 2009 He was one of twelve guest artists at Womadelaide, where his poetry was translated into Indigenous language in collaboration with visual artists from the APY lands. IQ is the author of 11 chapbooks, 3 albums, 2 audio anthologies, and has been anthologised in various academic and commercial publications for the past 30+ years. Normally referred to as Memphis Poet Laureate, IQ loves music, coffee, scrabble, teaching about poetry of all kinds, tennis, Memphis and Geelong. Presently the Poet Laureate of the Centre for Southern Folklore, IQ is a hypen-aided American, as well as Poet Laureate of legendary Memphis Jam band Freeworld. When his feet are not walking in M’town, IQ lives on Wadawurrung /Wathaurong country. Find IQ at www.poetiq.com Poems written and performed by Benjamin Theolonius Sanders (IQ) in this episode:Small latte and jamMaturityConversation PeacePlease my dear neighbour (haiku train)For What It’s Worth CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Benjamin Theolonius Sanders for sharing his poetry and to you for listening!
On a lovely Tuesday evening on the 2nd of December, upstairs of the Alderman pub in Brunswick, Melbourne poets Dominique Hecq, Eugen Bacon, and visiting from York, Oz Hardwick collaborated on a special performance of their poetry. Today you will be listening to a partial recording from that evening.
This is part 2 of a conversation with Grant Caldwell about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound, and about haiku in general.
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 20th November 2025, you will hear poet Sarah St James talk about performance, transitioning and representation.Content Warning: This episdoe contains references to mental health, drug use and suicide. Sarah St James- or ‘Sadie’- is a trans woman and spoken word poet. Originally born and raised in Meanjin, she has been based in Naarm since 2018. Her writing explores themes of identity, accountability and survival through the lenses of gender, sexuality and familial dysfunction. With a background in theatre, Sarah’s work lends itself best to live performance. She has been speaking her poems aloud since participating in ‘Ruckus’ poetry slams and ‘Roving Conspiracies’ open mic events in 2014. Sarah’s writing has been published in the anthology In-Flux, trans and gender diverse reflections and imaginings. As well as Chaotic Musings Volume 3. Her first solo publishing venture was the hand bound anthology “The Brown Paper Diaries” soon to be available in print.Poems written and performed by Sarah St James in this episode:Cluster B, to AuADHDSitting With It Kalliope X FundraiserSunday 30th November 2025 in Thornbury.Featuring MANISHA ANJALI, ELENA GOMEZ and TONY BIRCH.Plus music from the THE BLACK SEA ENSEMBLE.Tickets available at https://events.humanitix.com/kalliopex-speaks. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Sarah St James for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Today (13 Nov 2025), we are presenting are sumptous smorgasbard of poems read by poets featured at the event - Big Verse: The Readings Poetry Gala. This is happening 14th November at 8pm at the All Nations Church in Carlton. Get your tickets from the Readings website.The blurb says Big Verse will transport you through the rambunctious and politically charged world of contemporary Australian poetry.
This is part 2 of a conversation with Grant Caldwell about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound, and about haiku in general.
s Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 16 October 2025, you will hear poet Lynette Natasha talk about politics, performance and playwriting. During the podcast, Lynette Natasha talks about Cartograpgy of the Void by Chris Abani.Lynette Natasha is a poet and writer whose work explores relationships with family, others, ourselves and the world. Born in Malaysia to a bicultural family and currently living in Naarm/Melbourne, her poems are shaped by the act of living between worlds — how do we become who we are while holding on to traditions, how do we live with so much beauty and brutality, and how do we balance grief with the gloriousness of living. Poems written and performed by Lynette Natasha in this episode:FatherSilenceNew LeafPhotograph NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Lynette Natasha for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Grant Caldwell talks to Di Cousens about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound. This is Part 1 of 2 interviews.
George Vassilacopoulos was born in Greece and migrated to Australia in 1974. He taught philosophy at La Trobe University, and has published books and articles on (European) philosophy, Indigenous sovereignty, and (Greek Australian) history. Ashpoems (re.press, 2025) is his fifteenth poetry collection, the first in English. Ashpoems is available here: https://re-press.org/title/ashpoems/?srsltid=AfmBOoobU2Q4UL6HNTKlwSCdsG3issjeRIik2huau3lyynmTfVl_MfqE Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
‘I am her beloved carrion.’- from Vulture my love by Maree Gladwin. In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 18 September 2025, you will hear poet Maree Gladwin talk about writing poems in a second language, teaching poetry, women in science, ecology and lesbian feminist poets.Maree Gladwin is a queer poet, musician and artist who lives in Naarm (Melbourne) on Boonwurrung Country. Her poems in English and French have appeared in several anthologies but mostly she enjoys reading them to friends and family, and to gatherings of the Moat Poets group of which she is a member.Poems written and performed by Maree Gladwin in this episode:The London busLove letter to the universeTree loveVulture my love NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Maree Gladwin for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Robbie Coburn is a poet and author of the young adult verse novel The Foal in the Wire (Lothian/Hachette Australia, 2025). His poetry collections are Ghost Poetry (Upswell, 2024), And I Could Not Have Hurt You (Kiddiepunk, 2023), The Other Flesh (UWAP, 2019) and Rain Season (Picaro Press, 2013). He has also published several chapbooks and zines.His poems have been published in Australian and overseas journals including Meanjin, Island, Westerly, and Poetry (Chicago), and anthologised in Oystercatcher One (5 Islands Press, 2024), To End All Wars (Puncher and Wattmann, 2018) and Writing to the Wire (UWAP, 2016).He has been featured at The Wheeler Centre and La Mama Poetica, appeared as a guest at literary festivals including the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Canberra Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival and Perth Poetry Festival, and run poetry workshops for youth mental health organisation Headspace.He grew up on a farm in Regional Victoria and now lives in Melbourne. Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
‘A ceasefire breaks like a paper chainthey killed a forest to make.’- from Crisis Talks by Hayley Ricketson. In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 21 August 2025, you will hear poet Hayley Ricketson talk about politics, performance and playwriting.Hayley Ricketson is a poet, playwright and probably writes most from the impetus that the personal is political – and the political is personal. She discovered spoken word poetry when living in London and has been a Slam finalist in London and Melbourne, and is currently lucky enough to be part of the Melbourne Slamalamadingdong Poetry Team. Playwriting is her love language but overall she loves creative writing and expression in all its forms, particularly when it’s communicating something honest, human and maybe a bit funny. Poems written and performed by Hayley Ricketson in this episode:Crisis TalksSweet NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Hayley Ricektson for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Di Cousens talks to Anne-Marie Te Whiu about her new book Mettle, published by the University of Queensland Press.
For much of the last four decades, Mark Roberts has been involved in writing, criticism and publishing. In 1982, he established P76 magazine with Adam Aitken and has been involved in small press publishing ever since. In 2011 he set up the on-line journal Rochford Street Review, one of the leading and most long-lasting independent cultural journals in the world.Mark was the winner of the 2016 Byron Bay Poetry Prize and runner up in the 2013 Joanne Burns Award. He was longlisted in the Joanne Burns Award in 2014 and 2019, and the Liquid Amber Poetry Prize in 2023.The Office of Literary Endeavours (Five Islands Press, 2025) is Mark’s third book, after Stepping out of Line (Rochford Street Press, 1986) and Concrete Flamingos (Island Press, 2016). Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
Omar Sakr is a poet and writer born in Western Sydney to Lebanese and Turkish Muslim migrants. His previous book of poetry, The Lost Arabs, won the 2020 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry. In this interview he speaks to Di Cousens about his new book, The Nightmare Sequence, which reflects on the war in Gaza.Photo by Tyler Aves.
Angela Costi is a poet and writer with a background in social justice, law and communityarts. Since 1994, her creative gatherings, including plays, short fiction and essays, have been published, produced, broadcast and translated. She has a number of poetry collection including Honey & Salt (5Islands Press, shortlisted Mary Gilmore Prize 2008), and most recently, The Heart of the Advocate (Liquid Amber Press, 2025). Her chapbook Adversarial Practice (Cordite Poetry Review, 2024) was commended in the Wesley Michel Wright Prize.She won the University of Canberra’s Health Poetry Prize 2024. In 1995, she received atravel award from the Australia National Languages Board to study Ancient Greek drama inGreece. She was writer-in-residence at the former Kensington Public Housing Estate on the Relocated project.She is known as Αγγελική Κωστή among the Cypriot Greek diaspora, her ancestry. She lives on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation.The Heart of the Advocate is available here: https://liquidamberpress.com.au/product/the-heart-of-the-advocate/Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
In this recording of the live broadcast of 3CR's Spoken Word show, you will hear Indrani Perera and WaffleIrongirl presenting poems sent in by our listeners. This June we’re asking you for your donations so that we remain free of government and corporate influence, and a true voice for the community. If you’ve ever enjoyed just a single program, then that’s a great reason to support us with a tax-deductible donation and make sure we're here for you tomorrow.Huge thanks to everyone who has already donated! To add your donation, go to: https://bit.ly/3crGIVENOWEvery little bit helps! Poems played in this episode:Lines and Bridles by Anke MacLeanCanyon Lee by Richard AtkinsThe Night by Sasha CuhaBlue Horse by Marion May CampbellArtemis by Marion May CampbellOff the Face of the Earth by Caz MaselAvoidance by Amanda Anastasi NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsProduced by Brendan Bonsack.
3CR Spoken Word presents a LIVE show to celebrate the 3CR 2025 RADIOTHON! Hosted by Brendan Bonsack & WaffleIrongirl, this show was broadcasted on 3CR 855AM on 12th June 2025.Thank you so much for your donations, don't forget you can keep giving throughout June at: https://bit.ly/3crGIVENOWWe play listener contributions from:Antonio Montaine (Instagram: @antoniomontaine)Andrew Rogerson (Instagram: @ithinkthereforeislampodcast)Steven Atkinson (https://www.youtube.com/@stevenatkinson2360/videos)Josh Cake (Instagram: @joshcakemusic)Bernard Peasley (Instagram: @rhoufifoto)Dave Munro (https://www.facebook.com/dave.munro.528)Saara Lamberg (Instagram: @saaralambergofficial / https://events.humanitix.com/winter-warmers-film-festival)Stephen Smithyman (https://www.facebook.com/stephen.smithyman)
Sandy Jeffs' memoir, Flying With Paper Wings, Reflections on Living With Madness, has been recently reissued in a revised edition. Sandy talks about her experience of schizophrenia and the healing power of poetry. Part 2 of 2.Photo by Di Cousens.
Sandy Jeffs' memoir, Flying With Paper Wings, Reflections on Living With Madness, has been recently reissued in a revised edition. Sandy talks about her experience of schizophrenia and the healing power of poetry. Part 1 of 2.Photo by Di Cousens.
Jarad Bruinstroop’s debut poetry collection, Reliefs (UQP, 2023) won the Wesley MichelWright Prize, the Five Islands Poetry Prize, the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, and wasshortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award.He is the recipient of the Val Vallis Award, the Queensland Writers Fellowship, and the Fryer Library Creative Writing Fellowship.His work has appeared in The Best of Australian Poems, Meanjin, Overland, HEAT, Island,Westerly and elsewhere including at the Queensland Art Gallery, QUT Art Museum, andGeorge Paton Gallery.He holds a PhD in Creative Writing from QUT where he now teaches.He is currently at work on a short story collection. Photo: Torrey AtkinProduction & Interview: Tina Giannoukos
‘to write of skin is to discredit the self’- from Home’s Duplex by Lesh Karan In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 17 April 2025, you will hear poet Lesh Karan talk about studying poetry, assemblage, movement and lineages.Lesh Karan is an emerging poet of Indo-Fijian descent based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her work has been published in Meanjin, Overland, Griffith Review, Cordite, Island, Rabbit, Strange Horizons (USA), and Best of Australian Poems (2022, 2023). She won the 2023 Liquid Amber Poetry Prize, was shortlisted for the Judith Wright and South Coast Writers Centre poetry prizes, and received an honourable mention in the 2024 Red Room Emerging Poets in Residence program. Lesh holds a Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing from the University of Melbourne.Poems written and performed by Lesh Karan in this episode:Twenty-one+ answers to your questionHome’s DuplexRed Writing Hood NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Lesh Karan for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Marion May Campbell's novels include Lines of Flight (1985), Not Being Miriam (1989), Prowler (1999), Shadow Thief (2006), and konkretion (2013).She has also published the cross-genre collection Fragments from a Paper Witch (Salt, 2008), an experimental memoir The Man on the Mantelpiece (UWA Publishing, 2018), the poetry collections third body (Whitmore Press 2018) and languish (Upswell 2022).Her novels Lines of Flight (1985) and Not Being Miriam (1989) were shortlisted andcommended for major Australian awards and twice for the Canada-Australia Literary Prize;Not being Miriam won WA Week Literary Awards for Prose Fiction (1989), the libretto DrMemory in the Dream Home shared the Patricia Hackett Prize (1992) and Fragments from aPaper Witch was a finalist for the Innovation Category of the South Australian Festival Literary Awards (2010).She has been recipient of nine writer’s and residency grants and won the Senses of Cinema Prize for the best essay in 2021 and the joanne burns micro-fiction prize for 2022. Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
‘sink beneath the surface into myriad voices speaking in stone’- from On Danggu by Nandi Chinna In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 20 March 2025, you will hear poet Nandi Chinna talk about the eco-poetics of wild rivers, listening and reciprocal relationships. Nandi Chinna works as a research consultant, educator, and poet. She is based on unceded Aboriginal land in Boorloo (Perth) and Bunuba lands in Fitzroy Crossing, WA. Her poetry has its genesis in a strong determination to craft creative works and poetry as a response to the ecologies and layers of history attached to particular places.Nandi is the author of four poetry collections. The Future Keepers (Fremantle Press) was shortlisted for the Prime Ministers Literary Award in 2020 and was highly commended in the Victorian Premiers Prize 2019. Nandi was awarded the 2021 Western Australian Premiers Writing Fellowship. Her most recent collection, a collaboration with Niykina Elder Professor Anne Poelina, Tossed up by the beak of a Cormorant, poems of the Martuwarra River, was published by Fremantle Press in 2024. Poems written and performed by Nandi Chinna in this episode:On DangguReciprocal GiftsAt Yirramalay Spring NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded and produced by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Nandi Chinna for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
This episode was broadcast 10th of April 2025. We feature LIVE readings of poems from the members of the Western Union Writers, on the occasion of their 40th year celebrations. Western Union Writers (Werribee) have been meeting as a writing group for 40 years in May this year; one of the longest running groups with continuous members in Victoria, if not Australia. They support local writers and writing in the western suburbs, facilitate creative writing events and stimulate creative written and literary expression. If you are interested in joining this group of buying their anthologies, please contact coordinator helencerne@bigpond.com. Readers are:Margaret Campbell reading a poem “Writer Phobia”Neil reading a poem “A Violet and a Bloke”Jason reading a poem “A Saw a Man”Tony reading a poem “My Best Jacket”Jonathan Griffin reading a poem “At Home with Dad”Chris Ringrose reading a poem “Conventry”Joanna Saunders reading a poem “My Lips are Sealed”Claire Moore reading a poem “About Port Arthur”Janet Howie reading a series of Haiku, and talking about the Society of Women WritersBronwyn Hickman reading a poem “Disillusionment”Kip Chauli reading a short story “The Calling Card”Richard Dove reading a poem “Enticement”Helen Cerne reading a poem “Off His Face” (or “The Six O’Clock Swill”)
Sandy Jeffs on Out of the Madhouse is an encore broadcast. Sandy talks about the book she co-wrote with Margaret Legatt, Out of the Madhouse, From Asylum to Caring Community. The book contains both history and poetry and is written from an insider perspective. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Gad Ben-Meir was born in Baghdad in 1931. He has published two collections of poetry in classical Arabic, Nightingales of Intimacy (2004) and Dialogue of the Hearts (2008), and one collection in the Egyptian dialect, Ya Manal Ya Manali (2004). After more than fifty years of living in England and Australia, his first collection of poetry in English, Siren of the Heart (2020), celebrates his appreciation and insight into love and friendship and their repercussions.Siren of the Heart (Westphalia Press, 2020) is available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Siren-Heart-Gad-Ben-Meir-ebook/dp/B0856WWRML/r...(link is external) Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos
‘If my childhood were a thread it would connect all the vibrant colours into a phulkari and remind me to be proud of my parivaar, my family.’- from Pardes by Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 20 March 2025, you will hear multiform artist Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa talk about racism, representation in the arts and her debut novel. Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa OAM is a writer, performer, producer and cultural leader based in Boorloo. Her work as a multi-form artist for the last decade has been recognised at the Performing Arts WA Awards, Mona Brand Writing Awards, WA Multicultural Awards and Australian Sikh Awards. Her passion for storytelling began as a finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam in 2014, semi-finalist on Australia’s Got Talent in 2016 and winner of The Moth GrandSLAM in 2019.Sukhjit has supported Missy Higgins and L-FRESH the Lion on their national tours in 2016 and 201717 and and her debut hip-hop single ‘Collectables’ is now streaming on global music platforms. Sukhjit was selected to participate in a Broadway producing program with Theatre Producers of Colour in New York (2023). She is currently producing ‘A Hairy Tale’, a documentary exploring female body hair.Her debut novel Fully Sikh: hot chips and turmeric stains (Upswell Publishing) is available now. Poems written and performed by Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa in this episode:To Advance Australia FairPardesCollectibles (song) NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded and produced by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Eileen Chong has just released a new book of poetry, 'We Speak of Flowers', published by the University of Queensland Press. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Travis De Vries.
Gad Ben-Meir was born in Baghdad in 1931. He has published two collections of poetry in classical Arabic, Nightingales of Intimacy (2004) and Dialogue of the Hearts (2008), and one collection in the Egyptian dialect, Ya Manal Ya Manali (2004). After more than fifty years of living in England and Australia, his first collection of poetry in English, Siren of the Heart (2020), celebrates his appreciation and insight into love and friendship and their repercussions.Siren of the Heart (Westphalia Press, 2020) is available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Siren-Heart-Gad-Ben-Meir-ebook/dp/B0856WWRML/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G82NLKOKFED4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XTit7GyiBonakd9IP-0qzg.hncETW4Zp-Auhk_gmcOWLIYrRmgtNRoSMDQpf_dJEt8&dib_tag=se&keywords=gad+ben-meir&qid=1740543655&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C2212&sr=1-1 Production & Interview : Dr Tina Giannoukos
‘Peace is the true flavour.’- from Shaah for Healing by Mohamed Sudi In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 20 February 2025, you will hear poet Mohamed Sudi talk about shaah (tea), healing and hope as well as some of the secret projects he has been working on. Mohamed Sudi is a Somali refugee, poet, and calligrapher. He is a member of the Calligraphy Society Victoria, and a 2024 Australian Poetry Slam State Finalist. His multilingual storytelling brings words to life both vocally and visually, blending spoken word poetry with Arabic calligraphy. Through vivid and immersive storytelling, Mohamed takes audiences on a deeply personal journey—from the joyful games of his Mogadishu childhood and his love for Arabic calligraphy to the harsh realities of war under Siad Barre’s military regime, which uprooted his family from Somalia. Set against a backdrop of displacement and renewal, Mohamed’s deeply moving storytelling bridges memories and dreams, offering audiences a profound exploration of survival, identity, and the unbreakable human spirit. Poems written and performed by Mohamed Sudi in this episode:Somalia AustraliaShaah for Healing (mono stitch)Hooyo (Mother) NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded and produced by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Mohamed Sudi for sharing his poetry and to you for listening!
Michael Reynolds ran the spoken word gig, Passionate Tongues for 25 years. He reflects back on the history of the gig, poetry in Brunswick and the many poets who were a part of the scene. Interviewed and photographed by Di Cousens. Part 2 of two parts.
Michael Reynolds ran the spoken word gig, Passionate Tongues for 25 years. He reflects back on the history of the gig, poetry in Brunswick and the many poets who were a part of the scene. Interviewed and photographed by Di Cousens. Part 1 of two parts.
Michael Reynolds has run the Passionate Tongues spoken word poetry gig for 25 years. Now, as he winds up the gig, he reflects on the highlights of this very long run. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Part 1.
Alicia Sometimes is a poet and broadcaster passionate about art and science. She has performed her poetry at many venues, festivals and events around the world. Her poems have been in Best Australian Science Writing, Best Australian Poems, Meanjin, Westerly and many more. Alicia is director/co-writer of the art/science planetarium shows, Elemental and Particle/Wave. In 2023 she received ANAT’s Synapse Artist Residency and co-created an art installation for Science Gallery Melbourne’s exhibition, Dark Matters. Her new poetry book, Stellar Atmospheres, is out via Cordite Books. She is passionate about art-science projects.www.aliciasometimes.com(link is external) Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
‘Let me burrow through the earth and come back with a diamond’- from a prayer to the teachings by AJ D’Costa In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 19th December 2024, you will hear poet AJ D’Costa talk about separateness, belonging, the sacred ordinary and the diaspora. AJ D'Costa is a poet, artist & mental health practitioner of Goan-Indian heritage. She works at the intersection of creativity and contemplative practice, performing spoken word, leading community poetry bushwalks and running a private counselling practice. AJ has been part of the Brown Women Poetry showcase in Melbourne, Sonic Poetry Festival and Red Room Poetry’s Poetry Month 2024 calendar. Her work has been published by the Australian Poetry Journal, Tree Paper Gallery, We Are Explorers & New Internationalist, and she talks about creative process on the Spotify podcast Beneath The Words. She currently works from the unceeded lands of the Kulin nation. Find her @ajdcosta.creative. Poems written and performed by AJ D'Costa in this episode:subterranean riversthese are the storms that we knowa prayer to the teachingserasure NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded and produced by Indrani Perera.Thank you to AJ D’Costa for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Stuart Barnes is the author of Like to the Lark (Upswell Publishing, 2023), awarded the 2023 Wesley Michel Wright Prize in Poetry, shortlisted for the 2024 ALS Gold Medal and highly commended in the 2024 Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, and of Glasshouses (UQP, 2016), awarded the 2015 Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, commended in the 2016 Anne Elder Award and shortlisted for the 2017 Mary Gilmore Award. Stuart, Nigel Featherstone, Melinda Smith and CJ Bowerbird are Hell Herons, a spokenword+music collective whose debut album, The Wreck Event, is out now at Bandcamp and on all major streaming platforms. www.stuartabarnes.com www.hellherons.com Like to the Lark is available here: https://upswellpublishing.com/product/like-to-the-larkGlasshouses is available here: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/glasshouses Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
‘My inner child is playing with matches and I’ve brought marshmallows’- from An Ode to my Little Firebrand by Anke In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show aired on Thursday 21 November 2024, you will hear Anke talk about righteous anger, injustice and the need for a new kind of superhero. If you are unsure how to pronounce Anke's name, it rhymes with the German word for thank you – ‘Danke’. Born in Germany and raised in Adelaide Australia, anke illustrates stories, poems, and events using sand and an ‘old-school’ overhead projector. She also writes poetry and song lyrics for her garage folk band Awkward Strangers. She has worked throughout Australia as a performer, facilitator and artist, including with the award-winning multi-arts company Crossroad Arts, in Mackay, Queensland. Her sand work has illustrated spoken word poetry events in Melbourne, a 24-hour Speak Out event in Federation Square, and she runs Perc.U.lations, a monthly poetry event in Dandenong. This year two of her pieces featured in the Emerging Writers Festival 2024 Wall of Echo. Poems written and performed by Anke in this episode:Captain KindnessAn Ode to my Little FirebrandLines and Bridles NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded and produced by Indrani Perera.Picture: Brendan Bonsack.Thank you to Anke for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Madeleine Dale talks to Di Cousens about her new book of poetry, Portraits of Drowning, published by the University of Queensland Press.
Kent MacCarter is a poet and editor. His publishing career began at University of Chicago Press in 2000; since then, he has worked with educational publishers. He is the managing editor of Cordite Poetry Review and publisher of Cordite Books. His writing has been published widely and includes four poetry collections: In the Hungry Middle of Here (Transit Lounge, 2009), Sputnik’s Cousin (Transit Lounge, 2014), California Sweet (Five Islands Press, 2018) and Fat Chance: Journalism Poems (Upswell, 2024).Sputnik's Cousin can be purchased here: https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/sputniks-cousin/Fat Chance: Journalism Poems can be purchased here: https://upswellpublishing.com/product/fat-chance Picture: Tim GreyProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
In this episode from 3CR's Spoken Word show, you will hear an interview by Indrani Perera with poet Vasilka Pateras recorded on Thursday 10th October 2024.Vasilka Pateras lives in Naarm/Melbourne, and is an Australian-Macedonian writer whose poetry, reviews and articles have been published both nationally and internationally including Cordite, Mascara Literary Review, and Hecate. She has co-authored Thread - a chapbook of poems (self-published 2021).~Poems written and performed by Vasilka Pateras in this episode:PrazninaOn the shoulders of grandmothersGoot Tranink~Spoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it.~Recorded and prodcued by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Vasilka Pateras for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
This is the second interview with Jeanine Leane about her book of poetry, Gawimarra Gathering.
Sandy Jeffs was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1976 when it was considered something from which you could not recover. In the 1980s, she was among the first wave of people who started speaking publicly about living with a mental illness. Much of her writing has been about her struggle with schizophrenia. Sandy has published eight volumes of poetry. Sandy co-authored with Margaret Leggatt, Out of the Madhouse: From Asylums to Caring Community?, published in 2020. In 2021, her musings on the pandemic were published in The Poetics of a Plague: A Haiku Diary. Sandy’s memoir Flying with Paper Wings: Reflections on Living with Madness was republished in March 2024 by Spinifex Press. Her memoir, Flying With Paper Wings: Reflections on Living with Madness, is available here: https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925950946 Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
This is a podcast episode of the 3CR Spoken Word show with host Indrani Perera. In this episode you will hear an interview with poet and spoken word artist, Jude Chrisan recorded on Sunday 15 September 2024.Jude Chrisan is a boy learning how to be alive. He’s a passionate connecter, poet, and professional cry baby. Most importantly of all, Jude is a searcher for the beauty in the pain, in the mundane; he’s searching for the green in the grey. He’s also a huge fan of hugs!Poems written and performed by Jude Chrisan in this episode:The TradesmanReflectionsJust Being NiceSequoiaThank you to Jude for sharing his poetry and to you for listening!
This episode of 3CR Spoken Word is an interview with Laura Fisher and Eddy Burger. They talk about absurdist poetry, collaboration, and Laura's play "Why Not Believe In Everything".Laura Fisher is an energetic poet, and performer who is well known on the Melbourne Spoken word scene for convening Radio Laria Poetry and MCing Girls on Key. Through both these poetry nights, Laura has been a keen advocate and promoter for women poets. She has been the feature poet for various Melbourne spoken word gigs and at Dramatis Personae she was even known to channel the ghost of Emily Bronte. Eddy Burger is a writer of funny and experimental poetry, fiction, and plays. His work has been published in numerous journals and anthologies as well chapbooks by the MPU and Small Change Press and in his own self-published zines. Eddy is an anti-realist, literary radical and champion of the imagination, often concerned with challenging norms and promoting difference.
This is the first interview with Jeanine Leane about her book of poetry, Gawimarra Gathering.
A live recording of selected performances from Rochford Street Review's launch of their print magazine P76 Issue.9 (Sonic Edition). Performed at the Bergy Bandroom in Brunswick as part of the Sonic Poetry Festival 2024.Includes readings by:Jeanine Leane (After the Silence the Echo)Alex Skovron (Trigger Logic)Nadia Niaz (Motia, Djinn Hunter)Alison J. Barton (One Hand, Buried Light)Peter Bakowski (On Suvarov Atoll)Amanda Anastasi (The Missing)Ali Alizadeh (Murrumbeena)To learn more about the issue and purchase a copy:https://rochford-pressbookshop.square.site/product/p76-no-9-poetries-of-place-displacement-diaspora-odyssey
Alicia Sometimes is a poet and broadcaster passionate about art and science. She has performed her poetry at many venues, festivals and events around the world. Her poems have been in Best Australian Science Writing, Best Australian Poems, Meanjin, Westerly and many more. Alicia is director/co-writer of the art/science planetarium shows, Elemental and Particle/Wave. In 2023 she received ANAT’s Synapse Artist Residency and co-created an art installation for Science Gallery Melbourne’s exhibition, Dark Matters. Her new poetry book, Stellar Atmospheres, is out via Cordite Books. She is passionate about art-science projects.www.aliciasometimes.com Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
Waffle Irongirl interviews Nadia Rhook. Nadia is a non-Indigenous historian, poet, and educator, and the author of two history-themed poetry collections: boots (UWA Publishing) and Second Fleet Baby (Fremantle Press).
This is a podcast episode of the 3CR Spoken Word show with host Indrani Perera, recorded on 21 July 2024.In this episode Alison J Barton, talks about her forthcoming debut poetry collection, Not Telling, colonisation, German missionaries and psychoanalytic theory. This recording has a trigger warning for colonisation, death and grief.Alison J Barton is a Wiradjuri poet whose work appears in Australian and international journals and anthologies such as Meanjin, Cordite, Westerly, Mascara Literary Review, Australian Poetry Journal, Blackbox Manifold and many more. In 2023, she was the inaugural winner of the University of Cambridge First Nations Writer-in-Residence Fellowships. She has been the recipient of several fellowships with Varuna House and the winner of a number of international writing residencies. Alison’s poetry appeared in the Best of Australian Poems 2022 and 2023, and has been recognised in numerous prizes. She appeared in podcasts for The Guilty Feminist and Poetry Says. Her first full-length collection of poetry, Not Telling, will be out with Puncher & Wattmann next month. Poems written and performed by Alison J Barton in this episode:Buried LightBirth DressDreams for the MillSeasonsTinctureFeather DressThank you to Alison J Barton for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Judith Bishop talks to Di Cousens about her new book, Circadia. Published by the University of Queensland Press.
Tom Petsinis is a novelist, playwright, and poet. He was born in Macedonia, Greece, and immigrated to Australia as a child. He lives in Melbourne and works as a mathematics co-ordinator at Deakin University. He has published several collections of poetry, including Sonnets: Offerings from Mount Athos, My Father’s Tools, Steles, Isolation, and Four Quarters, which won the Wesley Michel Wright Poetry Prize. His play The Drought was short-listed for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and won the Wal Cherry Award. His novels include The Twelfth Dialogue and The French Mathematician, nominated for both the New South Wales and South Australian Premier’s Award. His recent novels are Fitzroy Raw and Fog. The Australia Council for the Arts has awarded him a Writers’ Fellowship and a Residency at the B.R. Whiting Library in Rome. He also been a Creative Fellow at the State Library of Victoria and a writer-in-residence in Lavigny, Switzerland. Tom’s work has been translated into several languages. His latest collection of poetry is Zero's Whisper and his latest play is Zorba's Last Dance.Dimitrios Koutsoukos is an actor with a diverse range of credits. Television and film credits include Kick, Neighbours, Noah's Ark, and Crackerjack. He has appeared in numerous short films, including Bulk Bill (VCA), Apply Yourself (Art of the State) and Short Change (48 Hour Film Fest Award Winner). Beyond film and television, Dimitrios has performed in theatre productions such as The Greeks (La Mama Collaborations) and Heart Thy Neighbour (Melbourne International Comedy Festival). His training includes The Film Space, St. Kilda Acting Company, and Tony Nikolakopoulos’ Kali Techni Theatre Company. He has served as the Co-Artistic Director of the Greek Australian Short Film Festival (GASFF). Here, he reads extracts from Tom Petsinis's new play, Zorba's Last Dance, and also joins Tom Petsinis in reading poems from Zero's Whisper.Tom Petsinis's work is available here: https://scholarly.info/?s=Tom+Petsinis&post_type=productProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
This is a podcast episode of the 3CR Spoken Word show with host Indrani Perera. In this episode you will hear an interview with poet and spoken word artist, Aloma Davis, recorded on 23rd June 2024.Aloma Davis’s poetry is concerned with social justice, beauty and kindness. Despite her best efforts, birds frequently fly into her poems. In 2022, she was a national finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam; in 2023, one of her poems was selected to be part of the International Human Rights Art Festival in New York; and in 2024, she received a Red Room Poetry Fellowship. She divides her time between living in Melbourne, Australia, and living in her head, where she has a library with one of those sliding ladders, Haast's eagle as a pet, and work-life balance.This recording has a trigger warning around death and grief. Please practice self care and if you need to speak to someone, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.Poems written and performed by Aloma Davis in this episode:TideLittle KiteWorth ItLast FlightThank you to Aloma Davis for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!
Australian poet, Kevin Brophy, talks to Di Cousens about writing poetry in Melbourne and overseas and his upcoming book, An Inventory of Longing, to be published by Whitmore Press.
Jennifer Mackenzie is a poet and critic. She has published two books which focus on Indonesia, Borobudur and Navigable Ink (both with Transit Lounge), and is working on a third. She is a member of the management committee of Australian Pacific Writers and Translators (APWT), and is co-editor of the Australian edition of the international, Nepalese-based, Pratik, a magazine of contemporary writing. Jennifer’s appearance at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, where the Australian edition of Pratik was launched, was courtesy of Creative Australia and APWT.Here she talks about curating along with her fellow editors Australian poetry for Pratik in conjunction with APWT. The Australian edition of the magazine, Fire and Rain, was launched in Ubud in 2023 and in Melbourne in 2024. The edition includes a collaboration with Red Room Poetry to highlight the work of First Nations authors.The Australian edition of Pratik is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Pratik-Fire-Special-Australian-Issue/dp/B0CK8MSDBN/ref=sr_1_106?crid=S1ZPIKBXO46L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ITPjoAiRveNdwx52uUDQbdyCFAa1A4TYwfySydUQbIVeHH6e7KEh6bZt-aybCMQQcmhsnbj4rE4D80ZY9pEWTw8ZtGPF9JAIUa7T8iIzjv99pj9yYaZkBwIKGKm49lpQ6eXSIuwtZcB_3F78crdBAj3Z3tN5poitSoOSxT29GBs.QxE7mlnbVjsaDwTP7Z0RyAWZiZGHsHYERYTbf9UvceY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Nirala%20Publications&qid=1719129788&s=books&sprefix=nirala%20publications%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C596&sr=1-106&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR21iPnG0255IPM07kSGn-4_U1f--VTQBCs3UfcynFd9DkwN8YQfccmkgJk_aem_KkwHEbCZOZW6x2S8sOr1tg Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos Photo: Gay LynchProduction and Interview: Tian Giannoukos
This is a podcast episode of the 3CR Spoken Word show with host Indrani Perera. In this episode you will hear poets performing their poetry on the open mic at Littlefoot & Company with hosts Eden and Josh Carell.Poems for this show were recorded live at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren on Thursday 16th May 2024. Please note there is a trigger warning for this show for stalking and domestic violence. Poems included in the show:Don’t forget to be grateful by CathyWe Contain Multitudes by ChloeSoulmates by SteveMaybe She Was Only a Lover by LionelLost in Time IndianaI didn’t think we’d see how it ended ConnorWolves by Jen (trigger warning: stalking & domestic violence)Georgia by CaiSMT by JudeAn Ode to My Car by JordanThese Sleepless Nights by PoenSongbird by Aloma If you need to speak to someone about stalking or domestic violence after hearing Jen’s poem, Wolves, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732. Calls are free and confidential. During June, 3CR is raising funds to stay on the air. YOUR support during our Radiothon keeps the station radical and enables us to give voice to hundreds of people and issues for another year. And remember, it’s tax deductible.To contribute in the month of June go to:https://givenow.com.au/cr/3crspokenword Thank you to Eden and Josh Carell of Littlefoot & Co for their fabulous event, Erica Sandison and Luke Dismay at Bunjil Place for assistance with the recording, all the poets for their poems and the audience for supporting spoken word. Show LinksLittlefoot & Co https://www.facebook.com/liitlefootandcompany/Bunjil Place, Narre Warren https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/eventsSonic Poetry Festival https://sonicpoetryfestival.com/eoiRed Room Poetry Month https://redroompoetry.org/projects/poetry-month/
Podcast episode of the 3CR 2024 RADIOTHON LIVE show. In this episode, Waffle Irongirl and 3CR Spoken Word’s new host Indrani Perera play listener contributions. YOUR support during Radiothon keeps the station radical and enables us to give voice to hundreds of people and issues for another year. And remember, it’s tax deductible.To contribute in the month of June go to:https://givenow.com.au/cr/3crspokenwordThe poems included were:“Notes from the Diaspora” by Indrani Perera“The Profoundness of the Ordinary” by Farah Beaini“If There is a Butterfly that Drinks Tears” by Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon“Game Girl” by Caz Masel“Dress Me Up” by Beth Spencer“Boy” by Tim Loveday“Text Full of Flowers” by Lily Thomson“Bentbranch” by Ian Gostelow“Balance” by Wendy Beach“Do I” by Christine Lining BulandusThank you all contributors and Brendan Bonsack for tech assistance.
Finding My Feet is a new anthology from the Melbourne Poets Union. Poetry read by actor and poet, Ezra Bix, and Spoken Word producer, Di Cousens.
Philip Salom began publishing in 1980 and since then has written fifteen books of poetry and six novels. His book Sky Poems won the British Airways Commonwealth Poetry Prize in London for the overall Best Book of Poetry in the British Commonwealth and his first book The Silent Piano won the earlier Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Best First Book. He has published two collections of poetry written through heteronyms. The Keeper of Fish and Keeping Carter feature strongly lyric author-characters Alan Fish and M A Carter respectively and these two books complete the poetry trilogy begun with Keepers (2010). Keepers is a hybrid verse-novel set in a Creative Arts School. Salom’s poetry collection The Well Mouth features poems, voices, portraits and an underlying narrative in prose. The Well Mouth was named a Sydney Morning Herald Book of the Year and an Adelaide Review Book of the Year.In 2015, Salom's poetry collection Alterworld completed the trllogy made up of Sky Poems, The Well Mouth and new work – Alterworld. His collection Hologrammatical was published in 2023. His highly acclaimed novels Waiting, The Returns and The Fifth Season have been listed for awards including the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017, 2020 and 2021. His earlier novel Toccata and Rain was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction, and Playback won the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction. In 2003, he was recognised with the Christopher Brennan Prize which is Australia’s most prestigious lifetime award for poets – for "poetry of sustained quality and distinction".His poetry collection Hologrammatical can be purchased here: https://puncherandwattmann.com/product/hologrammatical-poems-2012-2022/(link is external)His novel Sweeney and the Bicycles can be purchased here: https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/sweeney-and-the-bicycles/(link is external)Production and Interview: Dr Tina GiannoukosPicture: Meredith Kidby
Philip Salom began publishing in 1980 and since then has written fifteen books of poetry and six novels. His book Sky Poems won the British Airways Commonwealth Poetry Prize in London for the overall Best Book of Poetry in the British Commonwealth and his first book The Silent Piano won the earlier Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Best First Book. He has published two collections of poetry written through heteronyms. The Keeper of Fish and Keeping Carter feature strongly lyric author-characters Alan Fish and M A Carter respectively and these two books complete the poetry trilogy begun with Keepers (2010). Keepers is a hybrid verse-novel set in a Creative Arts School. Salom’s poetyry collection The Well Mouth feature poems, voices, portraits and an underlying narrative in prose. The Well Mouth was named a Sydney Morning Herald Book of the Year and an Adelaide Review Book of the Year.In 2015, Salom's poetry collection Alterworld completed the trllogy made up of Sky Poems, The Well Mouth and new work – Alterworld. His collection Hologrammatical was published in 2023. His highly acclaimed novels Waiting, The Returns and The Fifth Season have been listed for awards including the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017, 2020 and 2021. His earlier novel Toccata and Rain was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction, and Playback won the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction. In 2003, he was recognised with the Christopher Brennan Prize which is Australia’s most prestigious lifetime award for poets – for "poetry of sustained quality and distinction".His poetry collection Hologrammatical can be purchased here: https://puncherandwattmann.com/product/hologrammatical-poems-2012-2022/His novel Sweeney and the Bicycles can be purchased here: https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/sweeney-and-the-bicycles/ Production and Interview: Dr Tina Giannoukos Picture: Meredith Kidby
Finding My Feet is a new anthology from Melbourne Poets Union. Poetry read by Ezra Bix and Di Cousens. Produced by Di Cousens.
Dan Hogan (they/them) is a working-class writer originally from San Remo, NSW, Australia (Awabakal and Darkinjung Country) and is currently based on Gadigal Country (Sydney).Dan’s debut full-length poetry collection Secret Third Thing won the 2022-2023 Five Islands Prize for a first book of poetry and was released by Cordite Books in 2023, and can be purchased here. In their spare time, Dan runs small DIY publisher Subbed In.Dan's poetry has also been recognised by the Peter Porter Poetry Prize, Judith Wright Poetry prize and Val Vallis Award, among others.Spanning poetry, non-fiction and fiction, Dan’s writing has appeared in Meanjin, Overland, Going Down Swinging, Jacobin, Southerly, Cordite, The Suburban Review, The Guardian, Crikey, Scum Mag, Rabbit, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, The Lifted Brow and Voiceworks, among others. Their work has been anthologised in books such as Nothing to Hide: Voices of Trans and Gender Diverse Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2022) and Groundswell (Overland, 2022). More of their work can be found at https://www.2dan2hogan.com/ Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
In this episode, Palestinian-Australian activist, musician and intellectual Yousef Alreemawi and Lebanese-Australian writer and poet Farah Beaini have a beautiful dialogue about the poetry and life of famed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.To learn more about the Averroes Project:https://www.facebook.com/averroesarabcentre
On this episode, you’ll be listening to an interview with Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon. (D-Napoleon) is a poet, songwriter and educator from Walyalup/Fremantle, Western Australia. She is the winner of both the Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize and Katharine Susannah Prichard Poetry Prize, shortlistee for the Peter Porter Poetry Prize and a two-time finalist for the Penelope Niven Prize in Creative Nonfiction. Her debut book of poetry, First Blood, was published by Ginninderra Press in 2019. Today we are speaking to her about her second book of poetry, “ If There is a Butterfly That Drinks Tears”, which is out now via Gazebo Book’s poetry imprint, Life Before Man Books.https://www.nataliedamjanovichnapoleon.net/https://gazebobooks.com.au/product/if-there-is-a-butterfly-that-drinks-tears
David Brooks talks to Di Cousens about his 50 years in poetry and his new book, The Other Side of Daylight. Published by University of Queensland Press.
Ray Liversidge’s latest book is …of a sudden published in 2023 by Ginninderra Press. His other books are: Oradour-sur-Glane published in 2017 by Littlefox Press. A French/English version of the book was published in 2019. no suspicious circumstances: portraits of poets (dead); The Barrier Range; The Divorce Papers; and Obeying the Call. He also appeared with two other poets in the first issue of Triptych Poets. His verse novel The Barrier Range was adapted for stage and performed as Seeking Fabled Waters at the 2010 Melbourne Writers Festival. In that year he also won the Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize and was recommended in the Rosemary Dobson Prize. His poetry has appeared in over 100 journals and anthologies in Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, Scotland, Ireland and Spain. See www.poetray.wordpress.com His latest collection, of a sudden, can be purchased here: https://www.ginninderrapress.com.au/store.php?product/page/2829/Ray+Liversidge+%2F+...of+a+sudden Production and Interview: Dr Tina Giannoukos
In today's show, we play a recording of Castlemaine poet, Rachael Wenona Guy reading live at Chamber Poets on 9 March . At the very end, there may be a special treat by the resident band Black Forest Smoke.To purchase Rachael's collection "The Hungry Air" go to: https://walleahpress.com.au/bookshop/product/guy-rachael-poetry-the-hungry-air/To find out more about Chamber Poets, find their facebook group here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/160882430777282
Di Cousens talks to Wiradjuri poet, Jeanine Leane, about her new book, Gawimarra Gathering. This is the second part in a two part series.
Di Cousens talks to Wiradjuri poet, Jeanine Leane, about her new book, Gawimarra Gathering. This is part one in a two part series.
Amanda Anastasi is a Melbourne poet whose work has been published as locally as the Artist's Lane walls in Windsor to The Massachusetts Review in the US. Her latest collection is The Inheritors (Black Pepper, 2021). Amanda's work is published in Best Australian Science Writing 2021 and 2022, Australian Poetry Journal, Griffith Review, Cordite Poetry Review, FourW, Short and Twisted, and Right Now. She is a two-time winner of the Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize and was Poet in Residence at the Monash Climate Change Communications Research Hub, where she wrote poetry to raise awareness about ecological issues and the climate crisis. She is also the convenor of La Mama Poetica.Her poetry can be found on her website: https://www.amandaanastasipoetry.com/Her poetry collection The Inheritors can be purchased here: https://blackpepperpublishing.com/anastasiTI.htmlHer YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4CXosMpl_5a_rcs-d--e Picture: Nicholas Walton-HealeyProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
berni m janssen, a text artist, performer, Creative Director, and facilitator, works solo and with artists (musicians, performers, writers, composers, visual artists) from diverse communities to make art for over 40 years. She has been an artsworker, artist in residence, workshop facilitator, mentor. Her work appears in books, anthologies, magazines and online. She lives in Dja Dja Wurrung Country in the Central Highlands of Victoria. Her book, ENA (Hullick Studios, 2022), is a text art book that draws on the traditions of poetry and ‘spoken word’ art forms. The text is narrated by the character, ENA, who is a feminist looking back on her life as a young activist and then contemplating her position in the world as an older creative thinker. The book is available for purchase here: https://hullickstudios.com/product/ena-berni-m-janssen-book/Her book, between wind and water (Spinifex Press, 2018), is a series of poems that tell the stories of people who, after a windfarm is built in their neighbourhood, find that they begin to experience problems, including sleep disruption, headaches, nausea, anxiety. These poems tell of their experience and of their trying to make sense of what is happening. The book is available for purchase here: https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925581591 Photo: Vicki JonesProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
Today’s show is a recording of a live reading by beloved poet, legendary convenor and photographer Michael Reynolds. In this recording, he is performing at the Cherry Poets in Cremorne on the 13th of January 2024. This recording includes a reading of "Snake" by DH Lawrence
This is the second interview with Australian poet of Palestinian, Lebanese and Egyptian heritage, Sara M. Saleh, about her new book, The Flirtation of Girls. She reflects on her experience in the Palestinian diaspora and on current events and 'brings the politics of the occupied homelands into sharp, unapologetic focus'.
The Flirtation of Girls is the first full length poetry collection by Australian poet, Sara M. Saleh. She brings to her poetry the experience of her Palestinian, Egyption and Lebanese heritage, with much that, to quote the back cover, "brings the politics of occupied homelands into sharp, unapologetic focus".
Amelia Walker is a poet who lives and works on Kaurna Yerta, also known as Adelaide, South Australia. She has published four poetry collections and three books of poetry writing activities for educational and community settings, based on her extensive work as a poet in schools and with arts-health projects. Alogopoiesis (Gazebo Books, 2023) is her fifth poetry collection. She lectures in courses on writing and literary studies at the University of South Australia. Amelia Walker's poetry collection, Alogopoiesis, can be purchased here: https://gazebobooks.com.au/product/alogopoiesis/ Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
Carolyn (Caz) Masel's new book is entitled, Singing In Each Cell. Caz talks to Di about writing the poems and reads from the book. Photo: Di Cousens
In this episode of Spoken Word, Nikki Viveca performs her poem, "Welcome to Womanhood" (aka the "Thou shalt..." poem!) and chats about her art and memories in Melbourne, before heading up to Sydney to perform at the famous Griffin Theatre. We also hear her collaborative work with musicians Meta Cohen, Coady Green, and the Divisi Chamber Singers.
Christos N. Fifis was born in Greece in 1940. He migrated to Australia in 1965. He studied Economics and History at La Trobe University in Melbourne and Modern Greek Literature at the universities of New England (Armidale) and Melbourne. He was a member of the founding staff of the Interpreter and Translator Program at RMIT and VICTORIA COLLEGE, Melbourne between 1975 and 1986. In 1987, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Young Greek and the first Director of the Greek Studies Program at La Trobe University. He retired from teaching in 2007. He remains an Honorary Research Associate of La Trobe University. Alongside his research work, he has published in Greek collections of poetry, short stories and a play.His short story collection, Greek-Australian Stories (Ελληνοαυστραλιανά διηγήματα), can be purchased from his Greek publisher here: https://www.sizacharopoulos.gr/product/500/ellinoaystraliana-diigimata.htmlHis play, Vasilo's House (Το σπίτι της Βασίλως), can be purchased from his Greek publisher here:https://www.sizacharopoulos.gr/product/142/to-spiti-tis-basilws.html Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
Hal Simons is our guest in this episode of 3CR Spoken Word, sharing works from his new collection, "The Hapless Mortal". Plus readings from previous works, and wide-ranging discussion. Love, grief, chronic pain, and the joy that community brings!
This episode features Dominique Hecq, who shares with us a snippet of a new work due to be published in early 2024. Now living in Melbourne, Dominique grew up in the French-speaking part of Belgium. She is a novelist, short story writer and poet in multiple languages.In addition to new works, Dominique reads from Endgame with No Ending, winner of the James Tate Prize for Poetry (2022).
Di Cousens talks to haiku poet and editor, Rob Scott, about the new Australian anthology of haiku, Under the Same Moon.
Linda Weste is the author of three books. Her verse novel, Nothing Sacred (2015), won the Wesley Michel Wright Prize. As editor, she has published two non-fiction collections: The Verse Novel: Australian & New Zealand (2021) and Inside the Verse Novel: Writers on Writing (2020); these feature interviews with writers of the genre discussing verse novel poetics. For five years, she held the positions of Editor of Book Reviews and Acting Editor of Articles for TEXT Journal of Writing and Writing Programs. Other professional writing roles include Panel Chair, Poetry Judge, and Book Reviewer. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and has taught poetry and poetics to creative writing students. Nothing Sacred is available here:https://scholarly.info/book/nothing-sacred/The Verse Novel: Australia & New Zealand is available here: https://scholarly.info/book/the-verse-novel-australia-new-zealand/Inside the Verse Novel: Writers on Writing is available here:https://scholarly.info/book/inside-the-verse-novel-writers-on-writing/ Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
This week's show features spoken word performances by:Biasino PezzimentiMusetrap And The LairdWill CrawfordAyse BalkosSteven AtkinsonDylan Owen-BuoyPeter Siahna Wadham
This week's show features spoken word performances by:Bend The WestMusetrap And The LairdSangita KansalAyse BalkosSteven AtkinsonDylan Owen-BuoyAlbert Lin
The anthology, Poetry of Encounter, brings together poems from all over Australia on the theme of encounter and it was edited by Anne M. Carson and Rose Lucas. In this program Di Cousens talks to Rose Lucas and the poems are read by Ezra Bix.
In this episode, Waffle Irongirl chats with Farah Beaini, Fleassy Malay, Amanda Santuccione and Katie Lohner about their upcoming Fringe Festival shows. This episode contains some course language and references to suicide, death and grieving To find out more about each of the performers' Fringe shows, check out the links below:Fierce-GentleThe Hungry PoetAza: stories of grief in diasporaTwenty Minutes to Nine
Mark Roberts was born on the unceded lands of the Wallumedegal people of the Eroa nation (Ryde, NSW) and currently lives and works on the land of the Darug and Gundungurra people (Blue Mountains, NSW). In 1982, he published the first issue of P76 magazine along with Adam Atiken and set up Rochford Street Press (named after the street in Erskineville he lived in at the time). Early publications were published on a second hand gestetner machine. While not prolific, P76 has published 8 issues in just over 40 years, it has become somewhat iconic. In 2011, along with his wife, Linda Adair, Mark set up the on-line cultural journal Rochford Street Review (https://rochfordstreetreview.com/). The review publishes reviews, launch speeches and creative work, with an emphasis on small presses. It also publishes longer essays and articles from time to time. Mark has also published two books of his own work, the most recent being Concrete Flamingos (Island Press, 2016). His work has also appeared in numerous Australian and international magazines and anthologies. His critical articles have also appeared in numerous journals and newspapers.To purchase Concrete Flamingos (Island Press, 2016):https://rochford-pressbookshop.square.site/product/concrete-flamingos-by-mark-roberts/5?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=falseTo purchase P76 Issue 8:https://rochford-pressbookshop.square.site/product/p76-issue-8-sonic-poetry-festival-special-issue/164?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=falseProduction and Interview: Tina GiannoukosPicture: Brendan Bonsack
A live recording of poet Nadia Rhook and Jag performing at local poetry event, Radio Laria, as part of the Sonic Poetry Festival 2023. Radio Laria is a community collective for poets, writers, and storytellers to gather, be heard and inspire one another.Nadia Rhook is the author of the outstanding poetry collections, Boots and Second Fleet Baby. She has recently returned from Perth to live in Melbourne.Jag is a genre bending spoken word artist, musician, and theatre maker who both channels a variety of characters or, simply performs as herself.
Kabir was a 16th century Indian mystical poet and a weaver. Peter Friedlander talks to Di Cousens about his new book of translations of Kabir's poems, 'Kabir In Transformation'. Peter is an Associate Professor of South Asian Studies and a Reader in Hindi at the Australian National University in Canberra.
In this episode of Spoken Word, Carmen Main talks with Charaf Tartoussi and Parminder Kaur about the upcoming Melbourne Fringe Show, Aza: stories of grief in diaspora.
Caroline Williamson is a poet and editor. She was born in London, and worked there and in Beijing as a teacher, before turning her hand to editing academic books, museum publications, and a campaigning anti-nuclear magazine. She moved to Melbourne with her Australian partner, where she has worked at Lonely Planet, Museum Victoria and Melbourne University Publishing. Her poems have been published in journals, including Overland, Meanjin, Heat, Rabbit and Cordite, in several Newcastle Prize anthologies, and in Contemporary Australian Feminist Poetry (ed. Bonnie Cassidy and Jessica Wilkinson). Her essay, 'Working Methods: Painting, Poetry and the difficulty of Barbara Guest', based on her masters minor thesis, was published in Jacket magazine #36. Her PhD in creative writing (Monash 2016) examined some of the ways that poets have attempted to deal with climate change in their work, and included a verse narrative dealing with the lives of her coal-mining ancestors in Wales, in the context of what we now know about the damage done by burning fossil fuels. She won the 2014 A. D. Hope prize for the best postgraduate essay presented at the conference of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature, for 'Beyond Generation Green: Jill Jones and the Ecopoetic Process'. Her debut collection of poetry, Time Machines, is published by Vagabond Press. Picture: Di CousensProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
Waffle Irongirl speaks with Izzy Roberts-Orr about Red Room Poetry and Poetry Month, with poetry readings from Lulu Houdini, Stuart Barnes, Andrea Goldsmith and Barrina South.
Waffle Irongirl is on location at the National Museum in Canberra, speaking with poet, Sarah St Vincent Welch. Sarah is a Canberra based writer and image maker who’s known for chalking her poetry on footpaths at arts festivals, which you can see on social media under the handle “litchalk”. Her poetry can be read in Chalk Borders by Flying Islands Pocket Poetry, and Open, published by Rochford press, as well as various anthologies and magazines.She’s the founder of Kindred Trees, a project that asks Canberra poets to respond to a local tree, and aims to encourage a love of trees through poetry. This episode of Spoken Word has a trigger warning on the topic of suicide. If you do find yourself needing support we urge you to reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 or The Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467.
Haibun is a Japanese form of poetry which combines prose and poetry. In this program Di Cousens talks to Alice Wanderer about writing and understanding haibun.
In honour of the much-loved and respected poet, editor, publisher and teacher, Ron Pretty AM (1940-2023), 3CR Spoken Word runs a program from its archive from 2022 in which friends of Ron Pretty and fellow poets Kevin Brophy AM and Alex Skovron discuss the poetry of and read poems from Ron Pretty's last collection of poetry, 101 POEMS. The collection contains poems from Ron Pretty's earlier collections and chapbooks, plus a selection of new poems, and is published by Pitt Street Poetry. Friend and poet Peter Frankis, who launched 101 POEMS in 2022, reads Ron Pretty's reflections on his life in poetry provided by Ron especially for Spoken Word.A biography of Ron Pretty is available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_PrettyVale Ron Pretty from Rochford Street Review is available here: https://rochfordstreetreview.com/2023/07/05/vale-ron-pretty/Peter Frankis's launch speech of Ron Pretty's 101 POEMS can be found here: https://peterfrankiswrites.blog/2023/07/22/vale-ron-pretty-am/The podcast of the original show can be found here: https://www.3cr.org.au/spoken-word/episode/friends-read-ron-pretty-podcast-air-showAn extended podcast of the original show can be found here: https://www.3cr.org.au/spoken-word/episode/friends-read-ron-pretty-extended-podcast-air-show-0Ron Pretty's 101 POEMS is available online from Pitt Street poetry: https://pittstreetpoetry.com/poet_category/101-poems/ Production and Interviews: Tina Giannoukos
In this episode, we present a live recording of Simone Spittle performing at Cherry Poets on 1st July 2023.Having recently moved back to Naarm/Melbourne, Simone is returning to the spotlight after an extended hiatus to record her album, fall in love, adopt a few fur babies and heal intergenerational trauma. Simone has toured nationally several times, most recently with her one-woman cabaret show Beauty In The Beast for a residency at the Butterfly Club theatre in Melbourne.We also hear from performer, playwright and poet, Lily Thomson. Lily's poems have been published with Poet’s Choice, Bus Stop Zine, Gems Zine and will soon appear in Pure Slush and Truth Serum. Regular contributor, Steven Atkinson, also reads a poem called Hero Rats.
A live recording of John McKelvie at Cherry Poets, 24th June 2023.John was born in Scotland, moved to Melbourne in the 1980s, and has been writing poems, songs and stories for over 50 years. He is a very familiar and friendly face at poetry gigs, and a generous supporter of poets and writers. His work has been published in a number of anthologies including Best Australian Poems. He has also produced a poetry volume, Hopscotch, edited by Tom Kent.** This podcast is an extended version of the program that was broadcast on 3CR on 13 July 2023. It contains some mild course language.
Justin Clemens and Thomas Ford talk to Di Cousens about their new book, Barron Field in New South Wales, the Poetics of Terra Nullius.
A poet, publisher of Rochford Press and co-editor of Rochford Street Review, as well as an emerging artist, Linda Adair grew up on Dharug country without knowing whose land she stood on. She now lives and works on Dharug and Gundungarra lands in the Blue Mountains, Australia, and pays her respect to the Traditional Custodians of the unceded Country which always was, and always will, be Aboriginal land. Her debut poetry collection, The Unintended Consequences of the Shattering, was published in 2020 by Melbourne Poets Union. Her poems have been anthologised in To End All Wars, Messages from The Embers, Poetry for the Planet, Pure Slush Volume 25, Work! Lifespan Vol 5 and have been published in Bluepepper, The Blue Nib, FemAsia, Meusse, Ozburp, and most recently in Live Encounters Poetry & Writing. As a resident poet at BigCi in 2022, Adair researched the failed shale-oil mining town Newnes and wrote poems and painted canvases to consider the childhood point of view of her favourite aunt in that dour town during the 1920s and ’30s. That work was exhibited as Finding Jesse of Newnes at DIP (Darlington Installation Project) in September 2022. Adair was consequently invited to read her poetry to conservationists, historians, rock climbers and adventurers, not the usual poetry audience at The Back to Newnes Weekend in November 2022. During a Varuna Residency in April 2023, she began work on a verse memoir of her family’s complex relationship to unceded land. Some of the poems she worked on were published in the May issue of Live Encounters Poetry and Writing. Three short poems and three canvases referencing these concerns were part of Together or Otherwise A(part) the MAPBM (Modern Art Projects Blue Mountains) members group show at Articulate Project Space in Leichhardt, NSW. She is keen to take poetry out to a wider audience through connections with her visual art. She was a featured poet at ‘The Poetry of Rethinking’ event in May at Poetica at La Mama Courthouse.To Purchase The Unintended Consequences of the Shattering: https://rochford-pressbookshop.square.site/product/the-unintended-consequences-of-the-shattering-by-linda-adair/13 Picture: Mark RobertsProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
The 2023 Radiothon edition of 3CR Spoken Word, presented by Waffle Irongirl and Brendan Bonsack.Featuring poetry readings from:Chae PatersonLinh TranSteven AtkinsonJazz MoneyJosh CakeFrances HorneJennifer MackenzieThank you to everyone who pledged their support for the show this year!
Fotoula Reynolds launched her fourth book of poetry, Kairós, at Cherry poets on Saturday 3 June 2023.This episode of the Spoken Word show replays a recording of the event.Fotoula's book is available from Litoria Press below:www.litoriapress.com/kairos-fotoula-reynolds
Poet Peter Bakowski talks to Di Cousens about his recent work, including spending time on retreat in Gippsland and at a virtual residency with the City of Manchester.
In Part 2 of this two-part interview, Patricia Sykes, Angela Costi and Marion May Campbell talk with Tina Giannoukos about their works in the Spinifex Press anthology, "It's All Connected. Feminist Fiction and Poetry" along with editor Pauline Hopkins.Pauline Hopkins is an editor at Spinifex Press and a bookseller. She majored in psychology at university and completed further studies in English and Professional Writing and Editing. She has worked in local government, as a speechwriter and media adviser in state government. She is an avid swimmer, has been a swim teacher, swim coach and lifeguard. She volunteers in the health sectoPatricia Sykes is a poet and librettist. Her collaborations with composer Liza lim have been performed nationally and internationally. A podcast, The Abbotsford Mysteries Song Cycle by Andrew Aronowicz, based on her collection, The Abbotsford Mysteries, is now available in podcast.Angela Costi is the author of five collections of poetry, including Honey & Salt (Five Islands Press, shortlisted for Mary Gilmore Prize 2008) and An Embroidery of Old Maps and New (Spinifex Press, awarded The Book Prize for Poetry in English 2022 by the Greek Australian Cultural League); together with nine produced plays/performance-text. She was writer-in-residence at the former Kensington Public Housing Estate on the 'Relocated' arts project, which received the LGA national award for community innovation, 2002. She received the High Commendation for Contribution to Arts and Culture, Merri-bek Award 2021. She is known as Αγγελικη Κωστη among the Cypriot-Greek diaspora, her heritage.Marion May Campbell’s recent works include the poetry collections languish (Upswell 2022) and third body (Whitmore Press 2018), and the memoir of her father The Man on the Mantelpiece (UWAP 2018). Part 1 of this two-part interview featuring Pauline Hopkins and Sandy Jeffs is available here: https://www.3cr.org.au/spoken-word/episode/its-all-connected-part-1-pauline-hopkins-and-sandy-jeffs The anthology, It's All Connected. Feminist Fiction and Poetry, is available from Spinifex Press: www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925950564(link is external) Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
In Part 1 of this interview, Editor Pauline Hopkins and poet Sandy Jeffs talk about the Spinifex Press anthology, "It's All Connected. Feminist Fiction and Poetry".In Part 2 of this interview, poets Patricia Sykes, Angela Costi and Marion May Campbell talk about their works in the anthology along with editor Pauline Hopkins.Pauline Hopkins is an editor at Spinifex Press and a bookseller. She majored in psychology at university and completed further studies in English and Professional Writing and Editing. She has worked in local government, as a speechwriter and media adviser in state government. She is an avid swimmer, has been a swim teacher, swim coach and lifeguard. She volunteers in the health sector.Sandy Jeffs was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1976 when it was considered something from which you could not recover. In the 1980s, she was among the first wave of people who started speaking publicly about living with a mental illness. Much of her writing has been about her struggle with schizophrenia. Sandy has published eight volumes of poetry and a memoir, Flying with Paper Wings: Reflections on Living with Madness. Sandy co-authored with Margaret Leggatt, Out of the Madhouse: From Asylums to Caring Community? which won the oral history prize at the 2020 Victorian Community History Awards. Her most recent book is The Poetics of a Plague: A Haiku Diary, about the 2020-21 pandemic.The anthology, It's All Connected. Feminist Fiction and Poetry, is available from Spinifex Press: www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925950564 Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
In this episode, Pauline Sherlock is in conversation with Waffle Irongirl.Pauline Sherlock is a performer of Stand-up comedy, musical comedy, Butoh, Singing, Acting. In this interview, Pauline shares her expansive world of performance, bringing multiple of her characters to the radio.
Antonia Poet practices poetry, philosophy and yoga. She is also Associate Professor Writing, Literature & Culture Group, at Deakin University. Her debut poetry collection, You Will Not Know In Advance What You'll Feel (2019), is published by Rabbit Journal in its Rabbit Poets Series. She is also the author of A Philosophy of Practising with Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition (2021) through Edinburgh University Press. In 2009, she founded Vijnana Yoga Australia.Her debut poetry collection, You Will Not Know In Advance What You'll Feel, is available online through Rabbit Journal: https://rabbitpoetry.com/.../pont-you-will-not-know-in...You can also purchase or order her poetry collection from Brunswick Bound bookshop, 361 Sydney Road, Brunswick: http://www.brunswickbound.com.au/ Picture: Yaro Bril Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos
In this episode of Spoken Word, we play poetry by:Ibtisam ShahbazRichard MudfordLea RunasSteven AtkinsonRebecca Louise ClarkePanda Wong
3CR Spoken Word presents a recording of Lish Škec's feature performance at Passionate Tongues, recorded at The Brunswick Green on the 4 April 2023.For more information on Lish's fortnightly gig, PoetrySpective, please visit www.poetryspective.net.
The Detective's Chair is a new book of prose poetry by Anne M. Carson. It takes its inspiration from the place where the detectives do their thinking, where they put the clues together and solve the mystery. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Carmen and Brendan present a collection of poems from around Melbourne, including recent listener contributions.This episode contains pieces by:Luke You and the Zine MistakesStephanie PowellSteven AtkinsonCorinne PhillipsBrad EvansIf you would like to contribute a poem or story to the show, please click here.
Mick Mezza is well-known in the Melbourne Spoken Word arena. He talks about coming to Australia as a child, learning a new language, coming into poetry, and taking part in two international festivals in 2022, one in his hometown of Molochio in Reggio in Calabria, Italy, and the other in Naousa in Imathia in Macedonia, Greece. Festivals: Premio Letterario Internazionale ASPROMONTE Città di Molochio 2022First International Poetry Festival of Naousa 2022 (1ο Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Ποίησης Νάουσας) — Aristotle and the World (Ο Αριστοτέλης και ο Κόσμος) Production and Interview: Tina Giannoukos.Picture Credit: Michael Reynolds
Waffle IronGirl speaks with Fleassy Malay about her collection of poetry, Virago - A Poetic Manifesto, her new music project, and many things in between!
Waffle Irongirl interviews Alex Mortensen on his writing on his lived experience of epilepsy. Alex has produced the Neurotransmission anthology featuring poetry, writing and art exploring this topic.
Mammad Aidani talks about his poetry and living and writing in exile from his Iranian homeland.Mammad Aidani is a human rights advocate, poet, playwright, theatre director, and psychosocial researcher. In his research, he investigates the violence, torture, trauma and suffering experienced by Iranian and Middle Eastern immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers who have resettled in Australia and the West. He is currently the vice president of PEN International Melbourne. His writings have been banned in Iran. He has been interested in philosophy, literature and poetry, and human rights since his teens in his country of birth, Iran, and he committed against censorship and advocacy for freedom of expression of thought.Production and interview by Tina Giannoukos.
In this week's show, we replay excerpts from a live recording of Radio Laria at Open Studio, February 2023.The recording features performances by Farah Beaini and Phoebe Perera, as part of the launch of the Girls on Key Press poetry anthology, Shoot the Breeze.
Gayelene Carbis reads from and talks about her new book of poetry, I Have Decided to Remain Vertical. Produced and interviewed by Di Cousens.
Emilie Collyer's debut poetry collection, Do You Have Anything Less Domestic?, won the inaugural $2500 Five Islands Poetry Prize for a first book in 2022.Kevin Brophy is the administrator of the Five Islands Poetry Prize which also includes a $1000 prize for the publisher of the winning book, Vagabond Press.Emilie Collyer and Kevin Brophy discuss the prize and Emilie's book with Tina Giannoukos, and Emilie gives readings from her award-winning collection.Emilie Collyer's, Do You Have Anything Less Domestic?, is available from Vaganond Press: https://vagabondpress.net/.../emilie-collyer-do-you-have...Kevin Brophy's latest poetry collection, In This Part of The World, is available from Melbourne Poets Union. Produced and Presented by Tina Giannoukos
In this episode, we hear poet and performer, Katie Lohner, sharing new work from her upcoming live show, The Hungry Poet. Expect food, sensuality and laughs!
Kevin Brophy and Alex Skovron talk about and read the poetry of Ron Pretty from 101 Poems published by Pitt Street Poetry. Peter Frankis reads Ron Pretty's reflections on his life in poetry. This extended podcast of the on-air show provides extra readings of Ron Pretty's poems from 101 Poems. Produced and presented by Tina Giannoukos.
Kevin Brophy and Alex Skovron discuss the poetry of and read poems from Ron Pretty's 101 Poems published by Pitt Street Poetry. Peter Frankis reads Ron Pretty's reflections on his life in poetry. Produced and presented by Tina Giannoukos.
In this episode of Spoken Word, we present a live recording of Gemma White's launch of the book Oh My Rapture, captured on 26 November 2022.For more info on Gemma's work, visit www.gemmawhite.com.au. ** Note: this program contains moderate course language
Thuy On talks to Di Cousens about her new book, Decadence. Published by UWA Publishing.
Arnold Zable is an acclaimed writer, novelist, human rights activist, and the recipient of the 2021 Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. His books include Jewels and Ashes, Wanderers and Dreamers, Café Scheherazade, Scraps of Heaven, Sea of Many Returns, The Fig Tree, Violin Lessons, The Fighter and most recently, The Watermill. Zable has written numerous stories, features, essays, columns, and works for theatre and radio. He has lectured widely on writing, human rights issues, the art of story, and performed as a storyteller, throughout Australia and internationally; and has a doctorate from the School of Creative Arts, Melbourne University.
In this week's show, we present a continuous stream of performances from poets, Charlotte Sareño, Eleanor Jackson, Allara, Saint Jorge, Ivana Dash, Alice Night, Trixi Rosa and Carmen Main, set to the music of Helen Mountfort, Bonnie Mercer, and Jill Farrar.
A live recording of Misbah Wolf and Ria Kealey, performing live at Radio Laria Poetry on 2 November 2022. Misbah Wolf has had two prose books published by Vagabond press – Rooftops in Karachi and this year Carapace. Their work has been highly commended in poetry awards including the Wesley Michel Wright Prize and the Shapcott. She has been published through Mascara, Peril, Cordite, APJ, Red Room poetry, and most recently through Overland 245. Ria Kealey is a trans poet, artist, and editor whose work has been published in Pure Nowhere and Soul Sighs. They are the Sydney Road Writer’s Cup winner for 2022.
Ezra Bix reads selections from Best of Australian Poems 2021, published by Australian Poetry. Presented and produced by Di Cousens.
3CR Spoken Word presenter Tina Giannoukos talks with Myron Lysenko about the possibilities of haiku as a poetry of resistance. Myron has been writing haiku against the war in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. He shares his haiku on 3CR Spoken Word. Visit Poets Against Putin to read poetry against the war in Ukraine.
In this show, Waffle IronGirl shoots the breeze about poetry and podcasting with Alice Allan, author of The Empty Show and producer of the long-running poetry podcast series, Poetry Says.
This show features a poem contributed and read by Bhikshuni Weisbrot, entitled A Personal History of Guns in 7 Acts, written in response to the proliferation of shootings in the USA. Bhikshuni resides in Queens, New York, and is a co-editor of Happiness, the Delight-Tree, An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry, honoring the International Day of Happiness, which brings together poets from 67 countries, with poems in 35 world languages. Bhikshuni’s work has also recently appeared in On Human Flourishing, A Poetry Anthology.We then meet Rose Lumbaca Crane, a multidisciplinary artist, poet and natural therapist, who reads some of her poetry and chats about the poetic process and its connection with meditation and healing.
In this episode of Spoken Word, Waffle Irongirl interviews David Stavanger on the anthology Admissions: Voices within Mental Health. We also hear poems by Scott-Patrick Mitchell, Tim Heffernan, Holly Isemonger and Helena Fox, read by the authors themselves.
Janaka Malwatta talks to Di Cousens about his new book, blackbirds don't mate with starlings, published by the University of Queensland Press.
In this episode, Tina Giannoukos speaks with poet and reviewer, Jennifer Mackenzie, about her long-term engagement with Asia and its inspiration for her work.Jennifer Mackenzie has published two collections of poetry, Borobudur (Transit Lounge, 2009), re-published as Borobudur and Other Poems (Lontar, Jakarta, 2012), and Navigable Ink (Transit Lounge, 2020).
In this episode of 3CR Spoken Word, Waffle IronGirl speaks with writer, educator and zine maker, Rae White, about zine making, poetry, transgender joy, potted plants, and much more!Rae's newest collection of poetry, Exactly As I Am, was published this year by UQP.
In this week's show, we feature two widely travelled and experienced poets, beginning with a poem contributed by Stephen Oliver, with original music by Matt Ottley. Stephen is author of fourteen poetry collections, seven chapbooks, and one memoir, and has been translated into several languages. Please click here for a more comprehensive literary bio of Stephen.We then join acclaimed poet, Amit Dahiyabadshah, in a live performance at The Cherry Tree Hotel on August 27, 2022. Amit is a full-time poet and author of over twenty books of poetry. Amit's performance is not only poetry, but a fascinating glimpse into the culture and history of his homeland.
Bob DiNapoli's new book, The Gnostic Hotel, looks at contemporary life with a philosophical perspective informed by gnosticism and anthroposophy. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
In this show, we play a selection of performances by poets from around the country for Red Room Poetry Month. Presented in collaboration with the Community Radio Network and Red Room Poetry. The poets presenting their work are: Maria TumarkinJazz MoneyEloise GrillsElfie ShiosakiDaniel BrowningSandra RenewGavin Yan GaoSisonke MsimangHuda the GoddessMunira Tabassum AhmedEsther OttowayDan HoganSteven Herrick
In this week's show, Waffle IronGirl chats with poet and educator, Claire Gaskin, about her recent books, Eurydice Speaks and Ismene's Survivable Resistance.
This week on 3CR Spoken Word, we play a selection of live performances from the Red Room Poetry Month Gala event at The Wheeler Centre last week.Featuring Laniyuk, Bebe Backhouse, Joelistics, and a special spoken word tribute to the recently passed Archie Roach.
Max Richter's album Voices sets a spoken word rendition of parts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to music. In this program extracts from this album are presented by Di Cousens.
In this episode, Spoken Word's newest member, Waffle IronGirl, speaks with poet Anders Villani about his new collection, Totality, published by Recent Work Press. The book is an exploration of childhood trauma, violence and masculinity, compassion and mythology.
In this episode, we present a snippet from the archives with a live performance by Emilie Collyer at Girls on Key, recorded in March 2020.We then chat to the founder of Girls on Key, Anna Forsyth, about the upcoming Girls on Key Poetry Anthology and other projects.We also present a spoken word performance by poet Matcho Cassidy.The Girls on Key poetry anthology, Shoot the Breeze, is seeking submissions until the end of July. Submission Details:Closing Date 31st July 2022Poets must have read their work at a Girls on Key eventPoets should be women or non-binaryUp to 3 poems in a word document. Poems must be less than 50 lines.Theme: FriendshipClick here to submit your work to the anthology.
In this week's Spoken Word show, Di Cousens speaks with poet Kevin Brophy about his ninth book of poetry, In This Part of the World.
In this show, we present an excerpt of an archived recording of the very first 3CR Spoken Word show, recorded in May 2009, with the original team of presenters, Rhonda Jankovic, Santo Cazzati, Peter Goodyear and Gerard Watkins. Also in the programme, we hear some blended music and spoken word pieces from Andrew Harris, Jeltje Fanoy and Changeling and the Ruins.You can listen to the full recording of the very first Spoken Word Show here.
The live Radiothon show for 2022, with presenters, Brendan Bonsack and Es Foong.Featuring poetry Dominique Hecq, Tim Loveday, Kathryn Ross, and Phu-Linh Tran.
In this week's show we chat to poet Nicholas Powell about his new collection, Trap Landscape, soon to be launched in Melbourne. Powell is winner of the 2011 Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize. His latest work is described as "Word play and vernacular colliding to re-imagine language in a dreamscape".Also in the show we hear a poem by Andy Jackson, and part one of a live recording of Jennifer Compton at The Cherry Tree Hotel.
A live recording of Jennifer Compton, feature poet at Cherry Poets, The Cherry Tree Hotel, Cremorne. The event was held on 7th May 2022. Jennifer's eleventh book of poetry, the moment, taken, is available from Recent Works Press.
A few weeks ago we put a call out online for artists to contribute a poem or story on the theme of motherhood. Thank you to everyone who sent in their work!There were too many contributions to fit into one Spoken Word show, so it was split into two episodes. This second episode features readings by Amy Bodossian, Ela Fornalska, Simone King, Vasilka Pateras, Chae Paterson, Scott-Patrick Mitchell, PoetPre, Fotoula Reynolds and Lish Škec.Click here to listen to Episode 1.
Alex Skovron reads from and discusses his new book of poetry, Letters from the Periphery, with Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.
Last week we put a call out online for artists to contribute a poem or story on the theme of motherhood. Thank you to everyone who sent in their work! There were too many contributions to fit into one Spoken Word show, so it's been split into two episodes.This first episode features readings by Astrid/Brownsugababe, Caddy Callaghan, Rebecca Louise Clarke, Jeltje Fanoy, Ela Fornalska, Allana Kelsall, Simone King, Caz Masal, Viki Mealings, Tim Train, and Jo Whitelaw.
This show plays extracts from the CD, Voices, where German born, British composer Max Richter combines a spoken word rendition of parts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with his own musical composition. Produced by Di Cousens.
This episode features performances by Claire Gaskin, Kim Jeffs, Blayke, Eleanor Jackson, Viki Mealings, Saint Jorge, Thabani Tshuma and Fleassy Malay. With music by Claire Cross, Juliet Vrakas, Rachel Dease and Monique DiMattina.
Poet and publisher Susan Hawthorne reflects on her life in poetry and Spinifex Publishing. This is part two of two programs.
A live recording of the inaugural Radio Laria gig at Open Studio on 6 April 2022. Featuring Laura Brinson, Mary Chydiriotis and Vasilka Pateras, reading from their book, Thread, as well as new works.Radio Laria is a community collective that runs monthly events where poets, writers and storytellers can gather together to share their expressions. Originally part of Girls on Key, Radio Laria prioritises featuring women and gender diverse poets, so as to create much needed opportunities.
Susan Hawthorne talks to Di Cousens about her new work of poetry, The Sacking of the Muses. Photo by Susan Kelly.
Poet Judith Rodriguez talks about the poetry of the Aboriginal community which was originally an oral tradition but which was written down in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
In this episode, we play segments of the live premiere of Reconstruction, a poetic monologue by Sean O'Callaghan, described as "Irish storytelling the ancient epic way, in its own idiom." The audio was recorded live at Pride of Our Footscray Bar on 17 March 2022.Also in the program, a piece by Jeltje and Friends, from their new album of spoken word, In the Foreground.
Sandy Jeffs talks about her new book, The Poetics of a Plague, A Haiku Diary, which reflects on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
This week's show features performances by Jessie Giles, James Worse Public Address Method, Indigo Sparke, Sean M Whelan, and Jakson.
'Since Ali Died' was a stage show by Omar Musa performed at the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2019. This show presents some of the spoken word pieces from the CD of the same name. Presented by Di Cousens. Omar Musa, a Malaysian-Australian rapper, poet and author from Queanbeyan and author of 'Here Comes The Dogs'.
This week's programme features performances by:Josh CakeJeltje FanoyViki MealingsFleassy MalayThe Magpie SwoopPlease click on the links above for more info on each performer. Thanks for listening!
In today's show, we play some pieces from Closed Beginnings, the debut collaborative release of Tariro Mavondo, Reuben Lewis and Peter Knight. For more information about the album, please visit Australian Art Orchestra.
Lizz Murphy talks to Di Cousens about her new book of poetry, The Wear of My Face. She is an Irish-Australian poet who lives outside Canberra in New South Wales. The matters that have concerned Murphy poetically in the past persist in this collection - especially social justice and the lives of women: girls, vulnerable to predation, but also older women, or poorer women, or women displaced. Murphy's interest in finding poetic inspiration in found texts and visual art is again apparent, and the collection includes an arresting ekphrastic series responding to photographs of refugee children by photojournalist Magnus Wennman. There are also a number of reflective poems in the collection that touch, tangentially, upon the health system, poems set in waiting rooms, or on the road to and from appointments, or in carparks - the liminal spaces where individuality is strangely set aside, but where poetry may be found.
Grace de las Nieves reads poetry from her debut collection, La Gracia de las Nieves. The book is published in Spanish, with English translations. Presenter, Brendan Bonsack, reads the English versions. Grace chats about coming to Melbourne from Chile, women's power and poetry as a language of revolution, the translation process, and the untranslatable concept of saudade.
Our guest this week is multi-disciplinary artist, Sasha Čuha, talking about his new projects, a podcast exploring the visibility of mental health within the arts scene, and a spoken word album of gothic horror stories.To listen to episodes of The Candle Melbourne podcast, go to www.thecandlemelbourne.com. Please note that this episode contains course language and discussion of mental health and family violence. Photo by Michael Reynolds
This is the second part of a two part series on Old English wisdom poetry. Translator and commentator Bob DiNapoli discusses his new book, Reading Old English Wisdom, the Fetters in the Frost. This poetry is the work of ancient English pagan poets which was fortuitously preserved by monasteries more than a thousand years ago.Interviewed by Di Cousens, photo by Di Cousens.
This week's guest is Nikki Vivicca, poet, actor, comedian, burlesque and improv performer, among many other talents!Nikki's work was recently performed in an online theatre show, Body Uncertain, she was a performer in the green room award nominated show, Gender Euphoria, and winner of both the Midsumma Poetry Slam and Trans Poetry Slam, as well as being a runner up for the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize.Nikki will be a co-feature with Lish Skec, at Girls on Key on 6 October.
This is part two of a two part series. Robert DiNapoli is a translator of Old English poetry. His new book, Reading Old English Wisdom: The Fetters in the Frost, translates and interprets wisdom poetry from the ninth century. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.
Poet, podcaster, and all round maker of beautiful things, Indrani Perera, is our guest this week on Spoken Word.Indrani is the author of eight books including two collections of poetry published by Ginninderra Press (Defenestration and Pas De Deux). Her poems have been published in Cordite, More Than Melanin, Not Very Quiet, Rochford Street Review, and many more.She is editor of The Pocketry Almanac, a nod to the printed pamphlets of the 1700s and the sci-fi zines of the 1950s. Each issue features poetry from up to six different poets plus original artwork. It is handmade from a single sheet of paper of A4 and fits easily into a pocket.
This is part one of a two part series. Robert DiNapoli is a translator of Old English poetry. His new book, Reading Old English Wisdom: The Fetters in the Frost, translates and interprets wisdom poetry from the ninth century. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.
On this episode, our guests are Chae Paterson and Geoffrey Prince, talking about their new book, Lines in the Sand. Hear tales of the 1970s and the Whitlam dismissal, and the similarities in the social anxiety of those times and now, of mental health, and "going bush", and finding healing in the natural world and writing. Lines in the Sand is published by Papyrus Publishing. You can also obtain a copy directly from the authors by emailing princegeoffrey52@gmail.com.
About 1,000 years ago a collection of formerly oral wisdom poetry was preserved in the Old English language by monk scholars. In this program Bob Dinapol discusses his translation and explication of these works in his new book, 'Reading Old English Wisdom - The Fetters in the Frost'. This is Part 1 of two programs. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
On this program we play excerpts from a live performance by poet and teacher, Helen Bradwell, from this month’s Girls on Key, which was held at Open studio on the 7th July 2021. Helen’s writing has won the Ada Cambridge prizes for poetry and biographical fiction, and the Nillumbik Poetry Ekphrasis award. In 2020 her poetry was shortlisted for competitions including the MPU and the ACU prizes. She has had poems published in ‘Rabbit’ journal, some Red Room publications and in a number of award anthologies.Follow Girls on Key on social media, or go to girlsonkey.com to find out more about this great grassroots effort creating opportunities for women and gender diverse poets to create and connect.We also hear a piece by Wahibe Moussa, one of the feature poets at the Feminist Climate Justice Poetry Night, details of which are below.Feminist Climate Justice Poetry NightLeinster Grove Community Hall99 Leinster Grove Thornbury29 July 20217:30 pm – 10:30 pm AESTTickets and further info: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/feminist-climate-justice-poetry-night-tickets-151907777251
Poet Tony Birch talks about and reads from his new book, Whisper Songs. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Savanna Kruger.See: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/whisper-songs
Angela Costi talks about her new book of poetry, An Embroidery of Old Maps and New, with Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.
On this week's show, Palestinian writer and editor, Lujayn Hourani, shares some of their new work, reflecting on the resistance and resilience of the Palestinian people through generations of colonial violence and oppression.Lujayn is a recipient of The Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter Scheme, and has been published in Meanjin, Overland, Australian Poetry, Going Down Swinging and The Lifted Brow, to name a few.Lujayn is Associate Producer at Next Wave and Online Editor at Voiceworks.This episode features music from Jowan Safadi, Nour Harkati, and Muqata'a.
Today's show features a recording from a live performance by Kathryn Ross at Girls On Key, in March 2021.Girls on Key hosts a monthly spoken word event at Open Studio in Northcote, which aims to foster opportunities for women and gender diverse poets to connect and share their work.Kathryn Ross is a word tinkerer, beach drifter, chronic over-thinker, shapeshifter (mild mannered nurse manager by day, florid microphone-hogging, rhyme-reciting poet by night).Her first love has always been the positioning of letters into words, into iambs, into lines, into poesy. She’s had the occasional word dabble preserved for posterity, but really her interest lies in just quietly writing stuff down, and reading it for others, out loud.Kathryn Ross lives in a small coastal town in Victoria, where she divides her time between writing poetry, and working in aged care. Her poetry has been included in anthologies and online journals, and she has been commissioned to write and read poetry as part of local festivals. She has co-authored a collection of long-distance collaborative poetry, At the Edge of Forget, written with fellow poets from Melbourne, Michigan and California.You can find out more about Girls on Key on their Facebook page, or www.girlsonkey.com.
Eileen Chong discusses her new poetry collection, One Thousand Crimson Blooms, with Di Cousens. Photo by Charlene Winfred.
In this week's show, we present a continuous stream of performances from poets, Charlotte Sareño Raymond, Eleanor Jackson, Allara, Saint Jorge, Ivana Dash, Alice Night, Trixi Rosa and Marita Dyson, set to the music of Helen Mountfort, Bonnie Mercer, and The Letter String Quartet.
Dropbear is Evelyn Araluen's first full length collection of poetry. She talks here to Di Cousens about poetry, family and country.
Dave Munro talks about his recently released first book of poetry, Wearing My Father's Hat, published by the Melbourne Poets Union. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Somali-Australian poet, Hani Abdile, is interviewed about her first collection of poetry, I Will Rise, by Di Cousens.
Trixi Rosa reads from her new collection of poetry, Double-knotted Shoelace, published by Girls on Key Press.Trixi Rosa is a poet and artist from Punakaiki, Aotearoa (New Zealand). She currently lives between Tāmaki Makaurau and the unceded Kulin Nation lands known as Melbourne. Trixi works for local non-profit organisations, collaborating with other artists to co-design community arts and cultural development projects with youth. Visit her at www.trixirosa.com.
A live recording of local poet, Ren Alessandra, performing at the monthly spoken word gig, Girls on Key, at Open Studio in Northcote. Ren was winner of the Australian Poetry Slam in 2020, and was recently published by The Weekly Service, in The Bard Book. Her work explores her relationship with her femininity and her journey into self-discovery. She is currently working on her first collection.This performance was recorded on 3rd February 2021.
Thuy On is a freelance arts journalist, critic and editor who's written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Australian, The Saturday Paper, The Age/SMH, ArtsHub, Sydney Review of Books, and Australian Book Review. She is the books editor of The Big Issue and her first collection of poetry, Turbulence, was published in 2020 by UWAP. Interviewed by Di Cousens.Photo by Brett Rawlings Photography.
Noisy chants for the imprisoned refugees in Carlton; nasty racists Marine Le Pen, Xi Jin Ping and Pauline Hanson put on trial; revolutionary poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Pablo Neruda and Maya Angelou - in this revolutionary half hour with Santo Cazzati.
Santo Cazzati invites poet/singer/songwriter of Brittle Sun, Viki Mealings back to 3CR Spoken Word for a programme with a social justice slant. Viki is a gritty, honest artist who will not cover over difficult issues with saccharine and fake optimism. And yet, her poetry is indeed cause for optimism precisely because it is real and can thus show the way forward. Viki covers a wide range of subjects. A highlight of the programme is her singing her tribute to Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger striker.
Sandy Jeffs' new history of Larundel, a Melbourne psychiatric institution, is written from an insider perspective. As a past inmate she has an unparalleled understanding of the experience of living there and how it managed mental illness. In this book Sandy has collaborated with former staff member and social worker, Margaret Leggatt, to create a qualitative history of Larundel. It includes interviews with former staff and inmates as well as Sandy's poetry.
A bit of nostalgia for the times that were, and some reflections on the strange times that we find ourselves in! Director of Melbourne Spoken Word, Annie Solah, joins us to talk about the role technology has played in keeping gigs going during the pandemic, and chats about the MSW Spoken Word Gala, coming up on the 4th December 2020 at Twitch.TV/MelbSpokenWord With performances by Peter BakowskiAnna FernViki MealingsEbony StewartMiss Yankey
On this week's show, we talk to Daz Chandler, producer of the multi-disciplinary arts congregation, Vigil for the Smooth Handfish. The global event aims to provide a space to contemplate loss, grief, the parameters of care, radical hope, and “collaborative survival”. We hear samples of the extensive line-up of performances from individuals and communities all over the world, including Chris Bonney, Ivana Dash, Dorion Sagan, Jane Hirshfield, The Letter String Quartet featuring Marita Dyson, and Zoe Keating.To register for the free event, Vigil for the Smooth Handfish, go to: https://www.paralleleffect.com/vigil and click the "Register" button. The vigil occurs on 22nd November 2020.
Anne M Carson talks about her poetic biography of Dr Felix Kersten who was Heinrich Himmler's personal masseur during World War 2. As a result of his access to HImmler and his exceptional ability to alleviate pain, Kersten was able to organise the release of many prisoners.
Seeing Red, half an hour of anti-capitalist agitation, mere propaganda, eminently unmarketable content, vulgar insults - and even some bewdyfull poetry - prepared and presented by Santo Cazzati.
On 3CR Spoken Word this week, we present a small selection of the vast body of work by Ania Walwicz, who sadly passed away last week. Ania was a truly original voice in the poetry community, and a much loved teacher. Ania's work and history can be viewed at her website, aniawalwicz.wixsite.com/poet.A Facebook group for sharing memories of Ania has been set up by Koraly Dimitriadis, The Ania Walwicz Fanclub.
Kerry reads from her book, The Million Star Hotel. This hotel is the sky at night, seen by those who sleep under the stars.
Maxine Beneba Clarke shares a long poem that tells a multi-generational story across countries, cultures and centuries.
On this week's show, we are joined by Lebanese-Australian poet and speaker, Farah Beaini. Farah shares her reflections, and a new poem, in the aftermath of the horrific explosion that occurred in the Port of Beirut on the 4th August. She also talks about the struggle and strength of the Lebanese people, and what the wider community can do to help. We hear a new track by hip hop artist, JUST.G.HAD, and about Moving Conversations, Farah's ongoing project with The Centre for Building Better Community, and discuss the impacts of the COVID pandemic on mental health, and some ways of coping with ongoing restrictions.Photograph of Farah by John Englezos. Ways to financially support the people of BeirutThe Lebanese Red Cross:https://www.supportlrc.app/donate/donate.htmlImpact Lebanon:https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lebanon-reliefMuslim Aid Australia:https://www.maainternational.org.au/donate-now?campaign=977Support the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) that has been badly damaged by the blast: https://www.gofundme.com/f/beirut-needs-your-suppportChildren's Emergency Fund:https://www.savethechildren.org.au/donate/more-ways-to-give/current-appeals/childrens-emergency-fund
'A Kinder Sea' is a book of poetry by Felicity Plunkett and reviewed here by Alice Wanderer. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Santo Cazzati presents another half hour of isolated wordplay madness. Special virtual guest : Mary Chydiriotis.
Judith Rodriguez shares some of her final poems six months before her passing in 2018. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Bar Oussou favourite regular, Jamali Bowden, is our guest this week, with poetry and commentary on freedom and sovereignty, police abolition, the democratisation of education, ways of viewing history, and the toppling of statues as a form of protest. We also play an archival performance by US poet, Sonia Sanchez.
This program contains various speeches from the protest organised in Naarm/Melbourne on the 6th June 2020, in memory of George Floyd's death at the hands of police in the USA, and the over 432 deaths of Aboriginal people in police custody in Australia since 1991. It also features spoken word and music performances by various local artists. In order of appearance:LaniyukMeriki OnusJustin Grant / JungaraiArij Maxine Beneba ClarkeDbloodDr Ron Baird AllaraTed WilkesSupport Aboriginal People in Victoria through the grassroots Pay the Rent initiative.
Peter Bakowski talks about his new books, Elsewhere Variations with Ken Bolton and Wardrobe of Selves. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
In this episode, we talk with sibling duo, Eden and Josh Carell, who run Littlefoot and Company, an art therapy and spoken word project in the City of Casey.The Open Mic nights attract a broad range of ages and demographics featuring a blend of professional spoken artists as well as local newcomers to the art form. These events have also allowed the siblings to run a weekly art space led by Eden who is a qualified art therapist as well as running free community events for the city.We chat to Eden and Josh about how their vision for Littlefoot has grown, the bonds forged through sharing stories, and the impact that COVID-19 has had on the arts and the lives of young people.
Poet and teacher Emily Zoe Baker reveals the long poem. Interviewed by Di Cousens.(Note - due to an administrative error a different program has previously been uploaded to this podcast date.)
In this time of lockdown and "social isolation", we play excerpts from a nostalgic gig to a packed room, the Final Eltham Courthouse Readings, from 2019. Readers include:Helen LucasSteve SmartPaul SouthSandy JeffsEmily PolitesMeghan Bell
Poet Omar Sakr talks about his poetry collection, The Lost Arabs, and growing up Arab and queer in Australia.
The Spoken Word show plays excerpts from Girls on Key Poetry Portal, recorded live on 4th March 2020 at Open Studio. Featuring Emilie Collyer and Kylie Supski, with ReVerse Butcher.
Tina Giannoukos talks about her life in poetry and the Melbourne poetry world. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
In this week's show, we replay some performances recorded live at PoetrySpective #49, at Pride of Our Footscray bar on 11 February 2020.Performers include, Michael Reynolds, IQ, Lish Škec, and Waffle Irongirl.
Saint Jorge is our guest this week, a writer and performer whose work centres on the occult, feminism, and sustainability. Dystopian fiction and love poetry, tarot, collaborative writing, and the intentions of the universe are just some of the topics in the programme.Visit Saint Jorge at www.saintjorge.com.
3CR Spoken Word presenter Di Cousens introduces long time published poet and engaging conversationalist Peter Bakowski, presenting his new book, Wardrobe of Selves.
Santo Cazzati reads the poetry of and explores the life and politics of early 20th century Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Tune in the Spoken Word on 3CR to hear Josh Cake in conversation with Carmen Main. -----------------------------Josh Cake is a writer and performer from Melbourne, Australia. He has worked in Australia, France, and Italy.His poetry was first published at the age of 10 in Random House’s collection 'Poems by Young Australians, Volume 3'. He wrote the comedy blog 'Penguin on Porpoise', a repeat finalist at the International Weblog Awards. A former member of the Paris Spoken Word community, he was a lead performer at the 2015 'Poetry Brothel' in Paris.He has written, directed, and performed in hundreds of comedy, music, cabaret, theatre, and short film productions. His debut solo stand-up and musical comedy show, 'A Death By Chocolate', won the 2014 Degraves Award for Best Comedy. His cabaret work in Paris won him The Weekly Beckett's award for Best Cabaret in 2015, and Humour Nouveau's awards for Best Musical Comedian and Best Solo Performer in 2016. He currently hosts a weekly inclusive space for experimental comedy at Sloth Bar in Footscray.He has worked as a radio and television host for SYN 90.7FM, 88.3 Southern FM, and Channel 31, as well as appearances on Radio Fodder, SBS Radio, and ABC RN.His recent credits include composing and performing a 2018 concert series for the National Gallery of Victoria, a 2018 storytelling feature on ABC Radio National, directing and composing the 2018 cabaret 'Foreign Woman' for the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Sydney audiences, producing 'Three Guards on Manus Island' at the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, delivering a TEDx talk in September 2019, and receiving an Honourable Mention at the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize.Josh loves teaching music and comedy. As well as his piano, guitar, and composition students, he regularly runs comedy workshops at the University of Melbourne, and is also passionate about languages - you can hear him on the Spanish course CDs of the Victorian School of Languages.Josh is currently active in the Melbourne Spoken Word community. His poetry is informed by his background in music and comedy, aiming to entertain and provide laughter while drawing out the rhythms and melody of the spoken word, as well as urging audiences to reflect on the world in which they live. His recent poetry has centred around themes of climate change, emotions in digital spaces, and anecdotal encounters between the personal and the political.Josh is grateful to the Melbourne and broader Australian poetry community for their welcome, friendship, advice, and inspiration. He would like to particularly thank all the people who work hard, often unseen, to create opportunities for poets.---Reviews:★★★★★"a stunningly intelligent performer ... extraordinary awareness of his audience" - Red Kangaroo, 2019★★★★★"Josh Cake weaves simple, universally recognisable objects into extraordinarily beautiful metaphors for the human condition." - The Recruiting Officer, 2018★★★★★"he moves from a masterful display of meticulously timed hilarity to metaphors that bypass the brain and land straight in your tear glands ... intensely funny and heartbreakingly poignant, with a core of sincere hope" - The Bullock, 2018★★★★★"virtuosic in his comedic intelligence, his musical dexterity, and his control of an audience" - The Weekly Beckett, 2015"That was so good that I'm a little bit angry. Fuck you, Josh." - Tim Evans, 2019
On this week's show, we hear work by Neil Morris' DRMNGNOW, poetry and an excerpt from an interview with Kim Jeffs, as well as our continuing replay of the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize.Neil Morris has set up a Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities. The address for online donations is below:https://au.gofundme.com/f/fire-relief-fund-for-first-nations-communities
Anne M. Carson's new book of poetry, Massaging Himmler, takes us into the life of Dr Felix Kersten. He worked as a masseur to the notorious Nazi Heinrich Himmler during World War II. Through this exclusive access he was able to obtain the freedom of thousands of inmates of Germany's concentration camps.Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Tune in to hear a replay of Carmen Main's first show way back when in 2017 with the generous and exceptionally talented Waffle Irongirl. This show contains ramen, Barnsey, feminism and words on brick walls.
Today's show featured audio from the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize, recorded at The Collingwood Town Hall on December 6, 2019.
Melbourne poet, Caz Masel, talks about and reads poetry from her new book, Moorings. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
George O'Hara plays a tribute to the much-loved poet, James Jackson, who sadly passed in November 2019. This archival recording is from a performance at The Dan O'Connell Hotel.
Tune in to Spoken Word on 3CR 9am Thursday 21st November to hear Antony Riddelll in conversation with Carmen Main.Antony shares excerpts of his novel 'Animalcule' ahead of his book launch Saturday 23rd November 2pm at the Dan O' Connell Poetry Readings in Carlton (225 Canning St, Carlton). We hope to see you there!---------Join Write-ability and The Dan Poets to celebrate the launch of Animalcule by Anthony Riddelll. Anthony, a 2018 Write-ability Fellow, is a well known poet at the Dan, and performs around Melbourne with Weave Theatre. Anthony' s exhilarating, jarring and surrealist stories and his weird and irresistable characters,combined with his unique line illustrations have created their own genre - Speculative Non-Fiction. Dedicated fans will be delighted by this new addition to his work. Published by In Case of Emergency Press www.icoe.com.au/2019003.html, Animalcule follows the adventures of Bladderland, Strawberrie, Dr Bing-Bang and Ichabod Schnell, across an extraordinary landscape of small pink domes, spherical rocks, herds of roaming furry televisions, laminated cardboard animals and the dreaded Grinhorn. ---------Anthony Riddell - ResumeI am a writer and performance poet of twenty-seven years standing, regularly appearing with the Dan Poets at the Dan O’Connell Hotel. My artistic output spans four decades and includes my involvement in the punk and fringe music industry in Sydney and Melbourne, including with the bands Nada and Volvox, and my years performing with and writing for Weave Movement Theatre.In 2018 I was awarded a Writeability Fellowship through Writers Victoria to develop my manuscript “The Sun is not Fun”.In 2019 I was highly commended for Writers Victoria’s Publishability fellowshipsMy most recent publications include ‘Love and Eftpos,’ published on the Writers Victoria Website in December 2018. https://writersvictoria.org.au/node/3457 and ‘Egg’ published in in Westerly’s Special Edition ‘DisAbility’ in May 2019. https://westerlymag.com.au/issues/westerly-disability/My Chapbook, ‘Animalcule, will be published by In Case Of Emerency Press later this year.I have self-published sixteen earlier written works and artist books. My writing has been described as “uncanny and irrational stories marked by surrealist wordplay.” In 2013, Australian poet Andy Jackson wrote in US journal Wordgathering of the “wildness and excess” of my work. He says: “Riddell’s aim is to disorient, to call into question our common assumptions about meaning and literature, and to entertain...(his) surreal and humorous prose (is) always exhilarating and jarring…he writes what he has always been interested in – absurd and provocative alternate realities.”In 2015, my art exhibition “Fingerprints on the Surface of the Brain” ran at Blindside Gallery, and that same year I was interviewed by Matthew O’Shannessy in The Fanzine. He described my earlier works as “strange drawings of microscopic organisms, animals and brains with chunks of type-writer text…absurd, meandering adventures where characters and situations operate on an obscure internal logic, like a DIY Raymond Roussel”
Thabani Tshuma shares some of his award-winning writing and performance skills this week on Spoken Word!A shortlist nominee for The 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize, Thabani's work explores mental health, addiction, generational trauma and time travel, captivating audiences with its raw honesty and humour.Winner of the 2019 Slamalamadingdong! Poetry Slam, Thabani has recently returned from the Individual World Poetry Slam in the USA, where he represented Melbourne. * Note: this show contains some course language, and discusses themes of drug addiction.
Anne M. Carson's new book of poetry, 'Massaging Himmler', takes us into the life of Dr Felix Kersten. He worked as a masseur to the notorious Nazi Heinrich Himmler during World War 2. Through this exclusive access he was able to obtain the freedom of thousands of inmates of Germany's concentration camps. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Phu Linh Tran's new chapbook, Adventures in P-Minor, is featured in this programme, presented by Santo Cazzati. Linh addresses a range of issues - belief in a higher being, body fascism, ethnicity, jazz, and the mechanics of writing and performing poetry - in a striking, direct and witty style.
George O'Hara speaks with Lady Longdrop about her Melbourne Fringe Show, Yay for Cane Toads!
In this week's show we explore the intersections of hip hop and spoken word, through artists, Class A and EmKew. Inspired by a similar event in the UK, Class A has started "Speak on It", an event in Melbourne that offers a supportive and safe space for artists to come together to discuss mental health through A Capella hip hop and Spoken Word Poetry. The next event is on 17th October at 7pm in Coburg.The two rap MCs talk about the special vulnerability of performing lyrics without music, and to a hushed, still and attentive audience. EmKew and Class A emphasise the importance of artistic communities sharing truth and providing care for one another. "Speak On It" is a rare spoken word gig that has a clinical psychologist on hand.We also hear an A Capella performance of EmKew's work, "Third Culture".
Our special guests this week are US touring poet, Desireé V. Dallagiacomo, and Surf Coast poet and artist, Camille Barr.00:00 - 22:30Desireé will be in Melbourne as part of her Australian book tour, doing two shows, and a workshop. She chats with Brendan Bonsack on the phone from NSW, about marriage equality, the importance of poetry communities for mental wellbeing, the role of connective technologies in making poetry accessible, the role of capitalism, racism and the patriarchy in violence, and how simply being is political.Details of the events can be found at http://www.melbournespokenword.com, and book, https://www.desireedallagiacomo.com.22:30 - 49:00Camille has just released her second book of poetry, RISE (Democratise), which explores the possibilities of happiness in a capitalist society. Her book and art is available from http://www.sparrowpoetry.com.au. Camille shares some the work from her book, and talks about the power of language, climate change and justice, the erosion of community in Western culture, and finding a sense of optimism. She describes her research approach to writing poetry, intersecting economic and social theories with the personal, and "knowing the night". This show also contains music by Alice Night and Kelsey Berrington.
Tune in to 3CR 855AM or stream on 3cr.org.au to catch Scott Wings sharing a slice of his award winning upcoming Melbourne Fringe Festival show, 'Whiplash'.In conversation with Carmen Main, Scott delves deep into all things heart, dating, identity, mental health and masculinity with a freshness and honesty that is hard to ignore.The program will be available as a podcast shortly after airing.Get your tickets for this outstanding show via https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/whiplash/-----------Winner of the Best Theatre Weekly Award at Adelaide Fringe 2019, Whiplash is the newest masterpiece from award winning physical-poet and theatre artist Scott Wings. A meditation on toxic masculinity, the human form, mental health and subversive storytelling.
Our guest this week is Charlotte Sareño Raymond, sharing some poetry, and talking about the experience of putting together her Melbourne Fringe show, The Melanin Monologues - The Untold Stories of the South Asian Community.The show is on for one night only on Friday 13 September at Trades Hall - ETU Ballroom.More details at https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-melanin-monologues.
Eddy Burger and Koraly Dimitriadis talk about the new book of spoken word poetry, Solid Air. Photo at 3CR by Di Cousens.
Santo Cazzati introduces his guest, fellow Italian Australian, Edward Caruso. Eddie has recently released a beautifully presented book of poetry and photography pertaining to his experiences in Argentina and Chile. He has a left political perspective on events there, reflected for certain in his poetry. There is, however, also very beautiful artistic and humanistic expression in his writing. A highlight of the programme is his tribute to Pablo Neruda, which follows Santo's reading of an actual poem by the great Chilean poet.
A live recording of feature poet, Di Cousens, at the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival edition of Be Mused, on the 27th July 2019. The recording also includes poetry by the convener of the event, Cheung-Ling Wong.
In this episode of Spoken Word, tune in to hear Carmen Main in conversation with guest Libby Charlton. Libby shares some of her own original poems, as well as discusses the upcoming Dan Anthology Launch and Art Show, which will be held at The Dan O' Connell Hotel in Carlton on Saturday August 31st, 2pm-5pm. ---------------Libby's BioMy name is Libby Charlton and I’m a Poet, MC, Convenor, Jazz Fan, singer songwriter, and currently I’m heavily involved in the creation and launch of The Dan Anthology. Now I’m here in a podcast, talking with Carmen Main at 3CR. Poetry, how I love you, look what you’ve given to me now Radio and a Podcast.
Eleanor Jackson is our guest this week, talking about the nuance and politics of gender, emotional nostalgia, the power of quiet, and the grief of new motherhood. She shares poems about her father, "the second man [she] wanted to be", and discusses stoicism and silence, and the notion of poetry as a secular prayer. She also talks about "racial reconciliation" in Australia, national truth-telling, and her work on Peril Magazine. www.eleanorjjackson.com
Claire Gaskin is our guest on Spoken Word this week. Fresh from featuring at the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival Closing Night, Claire talks about her first forays into live poetry in 1980s Melbourne, and how much the "scene" has changed. She reads some new and old works, and shares some insights into teaching (and marking!) poetry students, her writing process, and favourite poetic devices. We get a preview of her new work-in-progress, drawing on Ancient Greek mythology to examine patriarchy and different forms of women's resistance.Claire Gaskin’s first book was a chapbook entitled, A snail in the Ear of the Buddha, published by Soup Publications. Her collection, a bud, completed in the receipt of a Literature Board grant, was published by John Leonard Press in 2006 and shortlisted in the SA Literature Awards. Her collection, Paperweight, was published by John Hunter Publishers in 2013. Eurydice Speaks is forthcoming with John Hunter Publishers in 2019. She is working on her fourth collection with the working title of Ismene’s Survivable Resistance.
A live recording from the vault, of a Brunswick Hotel Passionate Tongues feature performance by Steve Smart.
Rania Ahmed, winner of the MSW Prize People's Choice Award 2018, and feature performer at the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word and Poetry Festival, is our guest this week.
On this week's Spoken Word show, we air the brand new 7" vinyl single from Drmngnow, Australia Does Not Exist, which was released at Northside Records ahead of NAIDOC Week 2019.We speak with poet, Laniyuk, about truth-telling, treaty, funding and accessibility in the arts, and the great value of spoken word for people often marginalised from traditional publishing media. The page/stage dichotomy.Also featuring is musician, spoken word performer and film-maker, Allara, who talks about connection to country, the responsibilities of artists, climate justice activism, and the process of documenting her re-connection with family through the film, Beautiful Sunshine.
Sydney poet, Omar Sakr, reads from his new book, The Lost Arabs and reflects on life and identity in contemporary Australia. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
George presents the final episode of Spoken Word's live Radiothon show at Bar 303 this year, with performers Michael Reynolds and Sigrun Mikula.
In this week's show, we talk with two of the poets featuring in the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival, Arielle Cottingham and Tariro Mavondo.00:00 - Arielle Cottingham21:20 - Tariro MavondoTexas-born Afro-Latina artist, Arielle Cottingham, is now living in Tasmania and joins us on the phone to talk about the body and performance, microphone and stagecraft, differences in the US and Australian "slam scene", and the confluence of dance and poetry. She also talks about performer self-care, and the lasting friendships she has made in the Melbourne poetry community.Tariro Mavondo is an awarding winning spoken word performer, actor, dancer, voice over artist, theatre director and educator. She is a Co-Founder of Still Waters African Women’s Storytelling Collective and Centre of Poetic Justice. Tariro talks about "embracing the shadow", her workshops with young writers, the anxieties that young people face and the role that the arts can play in affecting social change. She also discusses decolonisation as a poetic and practical life practice.Tariro has been admitted to an International Summer School Seminar on the subject of decolonisation in Barcelona for a week starting on July 8th, and is raising money to help meet the costs.The Melbourne Spoken Word and Poetry Festival begins on 12th July and runs until the 28th.
The 2019 Radiothon Show, featuring poetry by various artists, and thank yous to all the listeners who phoned in or donated online!
George O'Hara presents the second of a series of recordings from the 2019 Radiothon Fundraiser live gig in May this year. This episode features Alan Pentland and Michael Reynolds.
George O'Hara presents the first of a series of recordings from the 2019 Radiothon Fundraiser live gig in May this year. This episode features Claire Gaskin and Alan Pentland.
George O'Hara presents a live recording of Michael Reynolds, featuring at The Dan O'Connell Hotel.
Awale Ahmed is our guest this week, fresh from his stint as resident poet and storyteller in Queenscliff!Awale shares some brand new poems, and some old favourites, and speaks about his childhood journey from Somalia to Saudi Arabia, and eventually to Australia, where he discovered and fell in love with the vibrant spoken word scene. He talks about casual and systemic racism, his favourite poetry gigs, and his great love of the shared humanity of telling and hearing stories.
A special Mother's Day edition of Spoken Word, featuring poetry on the theme of motherhood, from:Rania AhmedArielle CottinghamZaynab FarahGabriela GeorgesRhiann IsaacsTariro MavondoKrish Prasad This program contains themes of family violence, self-harm, racial abuse and miscarriage. It also contains course language. Listener discretion is advised.
This is a reading of poetry at a protest in Castlemaine. The poetry is by refugee poets in Australia's offshore detention centres working with Writing Through Fences and Janet Galbraith.Recorded in December 2017.
George O'Hara presents a live recording of Jocelyn Deane at The Night Heron, Footscray.Jocelyn was born in London and now lives in Melbourne. They have been published in Voiceworks, Australian Poetry, Seizure, and were shortlisted for the 2015 Marsden and Hachette prize for poetry.
Tim Evans in conversation with Carmen MainTim Evans is recovering from being English and, since 2015, has been working through this by performing his poems at strangers. His hobbies include anxiety, depression, jokes, and trying to do all of them at the same time. He’s been published in the audio journal Audacious Vol. 4, in Australian Poetry Journal and in the upcoming anthology Solid Air from University of Queensland Press. Tim has featured at numerous poetry events across Melbourne and Victoria, and was awarded an honourable mention at the 2017 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize. In 2018 he reached the final round of the Slamalamadingdong! Grand Slam and became a member of the only Australian team to compete at the National Poetry Slam in Chicago. The NPS festival organisers invited him to share his work on the finals stage at the UIC Forum. He also performed in New York at the Bowery Poetry Club and the Newyorican Poets Cafe.Several people have said nice things about his poetry but have refused to go on the record. He likes using self-depreciation but he isn’t very good at it.
A cup of tea and chat with acclaimed artist, Amy Bodossian.Love, sex and meditation.What it means to be vulnerable in the eyes of a crowd.And the importance of water.If ever wonder about these and many other things, don't worry, Amy has it covered.www.AmyBodossian.com This program contains some course language
Chris Wallace-Crabbe talks about his life in poetry and reads from his new book, Rondo.
John Englezos is a freelance photographer, a spoken word poet and Melbourne’s 2015 Poetry Slam Champion. He was part of the first Australian team representing at the National Poetry Slam Finals in Denver Colorado, 2017.His first book "If The World Were Upside Down" centres around notions of Hope, Identity and Wonder.He has mentored and run workshops for creative people in the fields of live performance and visual arts; is a speaker coach for Tedx St Kilda; is an uncle to four and a brother to many.Find John's work @johnepoetryInstagram / Facebook / WordpressZaynab is a Melbourne-based Spoken word artist. Driven to support and give back to her community; her pieces explore intricate personal experiences and topics that she’s very passionate about. Zaynab has performed on various platforms, which include both community and local events.
Rhiann Isaacs is an Afro-Guyanese poet whose pieces centre around identity, Pan-African issues and mental health. Rhiann joined us in the studio ahead of her appearance at the Feminist Climate Justice Poetry Night at Open Studio on 14th March, an event held in solidarity with the March 15th Golbal Climate Action strike and to celebrate feminism and climate justice. Rhiann shares some of her powerful and vulnerable work, and perspectives on violence and mental health, her love of words and performing, mother-daughter love, and young people's fight against climate injustice. Also in the show, we present a recording of Zaynab G Farah performing her new poem, Black Woman, at GriffinSpeak in March 2019. * Note: This program contains some course language and themes of self-harm.
Anne M Carson reads from her new book, Two Green Parrots. To be launched in April. Interview by Di Cousens.
Live recordings of Paul Škec at The Night Heron (Part II), and Tariro Mavondo at The Sloth Bar. Recorded and presented by George O'Hara. Photograph of Paul by Michael Reynolds.
Tune in to 3CR 855AM Thursday morning 9am to hear Koraly Dimitriadis in conversation with Carmen Main.Koraly will be reading from and discussing her latest book of poetry, "Just give me the pills", and delving into topics such as feminism, family and self belief.It was a joy to have her in the studio- a real treat awaits- her poetry and words simply need to be heard.To find out more about Koraly and her upcoming events, as well as where to find her other publications, check out www.koralydimitriadis.comPhoto credit: Kaliopi Alvarez
It's Valentine's Day, so what better excuse to listen to some love poetry and shoot the breeze about romance?This week's guest is Blayke Percival, winner of the 2018 Sydney Road Writer's Cup. Blayke shares some fiery love poetry and ruminations about that ultimate human mystery!
Amanda Anastasi reviews two new books of poetry - The Open Book by David Malouf and Milk Teeth by Rae White.Interviewed by Di Cousens.
This programme features the poetry of long time 3CR stalwart, the late Lisa Bellear. Jen Jewel Brown has recently edited a beautiful anthology of Lisa's poetry for University of Western Australia Publishing. For twenty years, Lisa presented Not Another Koori Show on 3CR before her untimely death. She was not only a poet and broadcaster, but also an academic, social worker, photographer, theatre practitioner, Collingwood City councillor and, of course, passionate political fighter for Indigenous peoples.
Hear Eric Beach, recorded live at the Dan O’Connell! Eric Beach was born in New Zealand in 1947, and moved to Australia in 1972. He is widely respected in the Australian poetry community, publishing several collections throughout the 70s, and in 1977 was co-founder of the Melbourne Poets Union. His 1996, Weeping for Lost Babylon, received critical acclaim, and won the Dinny O'Hearn Poetry Prize and was joint winner of the Kenneth Slessor Prize.This recording of Eric Beach was made at The Dan O'Connell Hotel on Saturday 22 December, 2018.Photo credit: Michael Reynolds
On this week's show, we chat to Nour Abouzeid about the special exhibition currently running at the Immigration Museum, Kahlil Gibran: The Garden of The Prophet. Nour performs some of his own and Gibran's work, and discusses the various influences Gibran has had on himself and his writing.In the second half of the show, poet and songwriter, Alice Night, performs some pieces from her debut book of poetry, Molten, launched in Melbourne at Hares & Hyenas on January 10th. Alice talks about the powerful role that artistic expression plays in her life, and the joy and surprise she finds in sharing with audiences.Running order:00:00 - Nour Abouzeid19:53 - Alice Night* This program contains some strong language
Gender Euphoria is a new show which will be performed as part of Midsumma for one night only on 24 January at the Arts Centre. Mama Alto and Fury talk to Di Cousens about the creation of the show and Fury shares some spoken word pieces. The show celebrates the trans experience.
Excerpts from a tribute gig to the great American poet Allen Ginsberg, presented at Hares and Hyenas Bookshop, Fitzroy, in 2017.
Poet, spoken word performer, and author of Ramblings of a Unique Mind, Astrid Mbani, is our guest this week, sharing some of her work, and chatting about men and women, the legacy of slavery, relationships and emotional language, masculinity and raising boys.Growing up granddaughter of a pastor, and daughter of an activist in the era of Apartheid in South Africa, Astrid discusses her own spirituality and influence of the fight for fairness and justice on her life.
Emily recites her apology to all the women in the world - a 10 minute poetical tour de force - and other materials written for the Women Of Letters series.
On this week's show, we chat with street poet, Angelina Stanton, a very familiar face on the streets of Melbourne's CBD, stationed with her trusty typewriter and tapping out poetry "while you wait". Angelina shares some of her own work, reflects on her unique job, and why the typewriter is "an honest machine".Also in the program, multi-disciplinary artist, ReVerse Butcher, talks about her new work, "On The Rod", four years in the making, blending poetry and visual art in a limited edition altered book. The work satirizes, critiques, and obliterates a past work by Jack Kerouac that bears a similar name. The book will be launched on 18 November at Hares Hyenas. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135845473342020Running order:00:00 Angelina Stanton15:00 ReVerse Butcher
In this last interview, recorded in September 2018, Judith Rodriguez discusses her most recent anthology, The Feather Boy and Other Poems (Puncher and Wattnam). Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Daniel Hutley is from Essex in the UK, and has been a regular on Melbourne’s open mics for the last two years. His poetry explores distance and fragmenting relationships. He came second place in the June Shenfield poetry award and in the John Shaw Nielson poetry award. This year he’s had short stories published in Gargouille magazine and the Visible Ink Anthology. Tune in to hear him in conversation with Carmen Main on 3CR's Spoken Word program.
Melbourne poet, playwright and tram driver, Michael Gray Griffith, is our guest on Spoken Word this week.Michael reads work inspired by his travels behind the levers on the city tram network, and reflects on a life of writing for the page and stage, and a society under great and rapid social change.This program contains some strong language.
In this last interview, recorded in September 2018, Australian poet Judith Rodriguez talks about and reads from her most recent anthology, The Feather Boy and Other Poems. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Loran Steinberg is featured in a regrettably rare extended set of her poetry. In it, she reveals herself to be a sensitive and quirky poet of highly diverse means. There are long stream of consciousness episodes, short biting word quips, and other stuff in between. Ela and Santo put her under scrutiny in their interview. Loran comes out of it all gliding confidently, talking not only about her writing and performing, but also the developing and exciting new poetry scene in Footscray.
On this week's show, Amit Dahiyabadshah is our special guest, visiting from India to share his resonant poetry and discuss some of the things he has learned from being a working poet for 25 years. Amit has traveled the world and been awarded on several continents for his poetic works. He is founder of Delhi Poetree, dedicated to the elevation of poetry as an art form.Also on the programme, Chalise van Wyngaardt talks about her upcoming Melbourne Fringe show, Objectophilia, which opens on the 14th September.Programme schedule:00:00 Chalise van Wyngaardt10:45 Amit Dahiyabadshah
Ashleigh Russell takes a sharp and uncompromising look at issues of mental illness and how one lives with it for decades. Her poetry is often dark, certainly insightful, and may trigger discomfort in some listeners. There are, however, significant moments of positivity, joy and relief, which are beautifully articulated by Ashleigh, not only in her actual poetry but also in her chat with Ela.
This programme features the poetry of long time 3CR stalwart, the late Lisa Bellear. Jen Jewel Brown has recently edited a beautiful anthology of Lisa's poetry for University of Western Australia Publishing. For twenty years, Lisa presented Not Another Koori Show on 3CR before her untimely death. She was not only a poet and broadcaster, but also an academic, social worker, photographer, theatre practitioner, Collingwood City councillor and, of course, passionate political fighter for Indigenous peoples.
This week's guest poet is Morgaine van Wingerden, who will be flying to the USA very soon, as a member of the team representing Australia at the National Poetry Slam in Chicago.Morgaine's work pulls no punches, and, amongst other things, she shares with us some of her dark and raw insights into child and motherhood, family violence, modern dating horrors, and the importance of writing in dealing with past trauma.
The remarkable Hunch (aka Daymon Greulich) performs a spectacular set of spoken utterance. He analyses himself, his inner psyche, the world around him, and anything else that might get in the way, at a rate of knots. Just when you thought it couldn't get any faster, he ups the beats per minute to a breathtaking tempo. Norman Gunston on speed. Between pieces, he catches his breath to answer questions from 3CR Spoken Word presenters Ela Fornalska and Santo Cazzati.
Our guest poet this week is Laniyuk.Laniyuk is a Larrakia, Kungarrakan and Gurindji poet, living in Melbourne/Naarm. She was recently awarded with the First Nations Writer’s Residency in the 2017 Noted Festival, and Overlands' Writers’ Residency in 2018. She is a contributor to the book, Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives. In the spirit of the theme of NAIDOC Week, "Because of her, We can", she talks about the strong and important women in her life, and the power of the arts in healing and imagining better futures.
Girls On Key Director and poet, Anna Forsyth, reads from her second poetry book, Beatific Toast. Interviewed by Di Cousens.
Santo Cazzati presents Jay J Larkin, convenor of the gig Ms Millies, held monthly at Afro Hub in North Carlton. She talks about what motivated her to start this gig and about her interest in poetry in general. We hear substantial pieces by her covering issues of gender, sexuality and race, written and delivered in a pointed and incisive style.
The 2018 Melbourne Spoken Word and Poetry Festival is a wide ranging event over three weeks, featuring both performance poets, more literary page poets, and lots more besides. Santo Cazzati speaks with Melbourne Spoken Word founder Benjamin Solah about this new festival. We hear recordings of three out of the many featured artists.
Save these dates! Tuesday 15th May is the 3CR On-air Spoken Word fundraiser for 3CR Community Radio, and 17th May - 3rd June is the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival.In this program, we talk about these events and hear from some of the performers, Jennifer Compton, Kylie Supski, Tariro Mavondo, Tenda McFly, Tim Evans and Alan Pentland.
Poet and past President of the Melbourne Poets Union, Wendy Fleming reads new poems.Wendy is the author of 'Backyard Lemon'.
Renowned Melbourne sound poets, Sjaak de Jong and Shane Van Den Akker, join us in the studio to talk about the Fluxus art movement and its influence in Australia. With live recordings from their recent Fluxus Lives! event at the Melbourne City Library, as well as performances from Ania Walwicz, Eddy Burger, Anna Fern, Razor Hope, Jeltje Fanoy, Sjaak de Jong, Shane Van Den Akker and Peter Murphy.Do not adjust your set!!
Australian Poetry Slam Victorian winner, Sharifa A Tartoussi, shares her epic love poem, talks about her recent publication, "ColourBlind", the experience of performing poetry at the Sydney Opera House, convening GriffinSpeak, her childhood and parents, the poets that inspire her, and much more!
Three of the team of presenters of the Spoken Word programme, Carmen Main, Ela Fornalska and Santo Cazzati, present a freestyle programme in which they read and talk about some of their favourite poems by poets other than themselves.
Grace de las Nieves reads poetry from he debut collection, "La Gracia de las Nieves". The book is published in Spanish, with English translations. Presenter, Brendan Bonsack, reads the English versions. Grace chats about coming to Melbourne from Chile, women's power and poetry as a language of revolution, the translation process, and the untranslatable concept of "saudade". She also discusses the monthly Spanish poetry gig run by Avoz Limpia in Melbourne.Music by Los Jaivas and Elena Papandreou
This was an outdoor recording in Castlemaine of poets reading the working of refugee poets, most of whom are in detention offshore, on Manus Island and Nauru. The readers of the poems were Andy Jackson, Klare Lanson, Adam Ford, Margot Feast, Ann de Hugard, Catherine Ryan, Paola Bilbrough, Kent McCarter and Janet Galbraith. The reading was an activity of the Free Poetry Project, affiliated to Writing Through Fences.
Jocelyn Deane and Carmen Main, in coversation regarding all things poetic.BIO Jocelyn Deane was born in London, 1993, before moving to Australia in 2001. They were awarded the 2013 457 visa prize for poetry, as well as being shortlisted for the 2015 Marsden and Hachette prize. They’ve been published in Voiceworks, Australian Poetry and Seizure magazine, among other places. They currently work as a freelance web-designer, tutor and translator and are studying at the University of Melbourne.
Bushfires, gardening, masculinity and family violence, dementia and loneliness, being a mother, being a doctor, celestial bodies, love, religion, football, and more!Kim Jeffs is our guest this week, sharing her work and discussing how poetry has helped change her outlook on life.
Tune in to 3CR to hear Mary Stone share her poetry in discussion with Carmen Main.Mary Stone is a poet, singer, song-writer, artist & librarian. She has featured as a spoken word performer in & around Melbourne, including: West Word, House of Bricks, Chamber Poets, Red Lobster & several cafes, galleries & bars. Some of her poetry has also been included as part of broader art installations & exhibitions.Mary's work is inclusive of several poetic styles from: free form to haiku / senryu & has been published in anthologies. She is currently working on a manuscript for her first chapbook to be published soon [early 2018].Mary has also been a writer and editor for: "PASH Capsule: an online magazine about love & provocations".Mary has received several awards for her work - the latest being Highly Commended for the "Words in Winter Contemporary Poetry Competition - 2017". She is also the lead singer for: "Ill Gotten Booty" - a ratbag of roister-doisters whose songs are often a mix of Celtic, American Gothic & Folky flavours.You can find Mary performing & making a general nuisance of herself mostly within the inner Melbs poetry & dive-bar communities.
The many-talented Nadia Rhook is our guest poet this week, sharing some of her poems, local history and world travel tales.
This is a recording of a reading of the poetry of poets in detention offshore. It was held outside the office of Chris Crewther, Liberal MP for Dunkley, in Frankston, and afterwards the poems and a letter were handed to his office. Includes music by Kavisha Mazzella from her CD, Riturnella. Readers were Anne Elvey, Jennifer Compton, Linda Stevenson, Avril Bradley and producer, Di Cousens.
Winner of 2017 youth slam competition, Grounded, Adelin Zipman, is guest poet on the program. Adelin shares some of her work, and reflects on her time in the Melbourne spoken word community.
Michael Reynolds in conversation with Carmen Main- discussing all things poetry, photography and live music.Michael reads poetry from his collection "Upon finding a chair in the forest", as well as some of his favourite poems by other Australian poets. Michael shares his uniquely generous and warm style of performance, as well as discussing how he became a pivotal part of the Melbourne Poetry community.
Malaika Gilani, speaks about her poetry book, "Untold Journeys", and a soon-to-launched anthology, "I Bared My Chest".Santo Cazzati introduces a new project by Pope Fred.Performances from Anna Fern and Viki Mealings.Benjamin Solah speaks about the 2017 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize.
Writing on The Wall by Anne M. Carson is a long poem that takes as its starting point the name of freed slaves on a wall in Delphi. This long poem imagines the life of a man whose father was captured in the Persian War and who must navigate freedom for the first time. Read by Anne M. Carson and Di Cousens.
Carmen Main introduces her guest Waffle Irongirl. A conversation on poetry, snacks and Barnsey. This podcast contains ramen.
Carmen Main introduces her guest Waffle Irongirl. A conversation on poetry, snacks and Barnsey. This podcast contains ramen.
Brendan Bonsack is about to join the team at 3CR Spoken Word and we hear him here reading his own poetry with long time presenter of the programme Santo Cazzati.
Gayelene Carbis is Melbourne poet who has won many prizes, but up until now she has not published a book. In this program she reads her poems and talks about the poetic process with Di Cousens.
This week we have Helen Child LIVE in the studio with a few surprise guests (hint: there is mention of onion and some explaining... as well as a dead, headless rat)
This show was recorded live after one of the 5 shows in Footscray. Featuring Steve Smart, Loran Steinberg and Jez PA Speelman.
Philton has been a poet and publisher of literature for many years on the Melbourne scene. He has more recently moved to the Mornington Peninsula where, in addition to the foregoing, he has been active in establishing the Rhonda Jankovic Society to encourage the expression of social justice through literature (the late Rhonda Jankovic being the founder of the Spoken Word programme on 3CR and a long time station stalwart and social justice advocate). Philton's own poetry also comes from a social justice perspective and is, furthermore, imbued with a gentle humour and subtle writing style. A former newsreader on this station, his rich deep bass reciting voice is made for radio.
Peter Bakowski talks about his new book, The Courage Season, and reads some of the poems.
The meeting of a saint and a pope - Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati introduces Pope Fred, anarchist, cultural agitator and colourful personality. Pope Fred rants spiritedly against car culture, consumerism, the mental health system and many others. The two protagonists discuss the reasons for the attempted control of society through the mental health system, the underlying economic causes of society's ills and the possibilities for a revolutionary transformation of that society.
Regular Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati, co-founder of the programme with the late Rhonda Jankovic, reads the prizewinning and placegetting poems in the Rhonda Jankovic Awards of 2016. Beginning with the Commended poems, then the Highly Commended poems, and concluding with the Third, Second and First Prize poems. The competition was judged by highly respected and experienced poet and teacher Claire Gaskin.
One of the earliest Spoken Word shows from the first year of the programme, 2009, panelled by our founder, the late Rhonda Jankovic. Santo Cazzati introduces Michael Reynolds, the convenor of the long running Passionate Tongues gig in Brunswick, tireless and selfless photographer of poets in action, and general patient nice guy of our scene. We hear poems by both of them and they talk about the scene as it was then, its gigs, its personalities, outstanding and memorable events.
Beowulf is an ancient epic poem written in Old English. Dr Felix Nobis has translated this epic and performed it theatrically. The story is one of heroes, Vikings, Danes, monsters and dragons, and also chivalry and clan. Felix is interviewed by Di Cousens.
A programme of crazy and spontaneous interaction between 3CR Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati and guest poet Paul Skec. Amidst the general philosophical prattle and weird noises emanating from the mouths of these two are observations on science, the Croatian language, the immigrant experience, Paul's wife Lish and their two twin children. Paul Skec is one of the ghoulish presences on Melbourne's grassroots poetry scene, always there skulking in the backround somewhere.
Susan Fealy has just released her first book of poetry, Flute of Milk. It has been ten years in the making, after her poems have been included in many journals and anthologies in Australia and the US. She has a careful and distinct style of reading her poetry, which is most appropriate to the refinement and thoughtfulness of her composition. The issues she deals with in her poetry include love, loss, gender and aesthetics. These and other issues are discussed by the poet and 3CR Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati.
Susan Fealy has just released her first book of poetry, Flute of Milk. It has been ten years in the making, after her poems have been included in many journals and anthologies in Australia and the US. She has a careful and distinct style of reading her poetry, which is most appropriate to the refinement and thoughtfulness of her composition. The issues she deals with in her poetry include love, loss, gender and aesthetics. These and other issues are discussed by the poet and 3CR Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati.
Amy Bodossian performs poetry from her new book, Wide Open, and talks about life. Amy is a cabaret artist and poet.
Ian McBryde recently released his book of poetry We The Mapless. It is a retrospective of work from many of his previous books AS WELL AS containing new poems. His imagery is very striking, very disturbing - and very brief. He has a live reading style to match, which is heard in this programme to great effect as he caresses the 3CR microphones with his distinctive vocal cords.
Laura’s first job was with the prestigious British supermarket Sainsburys. She tried to make friends with her co-workers (for she had few at school), but since most of them were into So-Solid-Crew and Arsenal she found that she had more in common with the numerous bottles of condiments and tinned non-perishables that she was stacking. From there she left her half-cockney/half-posh conservative town of Welwyn Garden City to seek music, arts and literature in the industrial city of Manchester. There she joined the Manchester University Creative Writing Society who brought out an anthology called ‘Tiny Minds’. There are not many copies of this book in circulation, but literature archaeologists believe that there is one copy in her parent’s garage, despite Mr and Mrs Fisher being unable to locate it. Laura then went on to live in Sheffield briefly and after she went Bristol for a duration, giving her an accent that is difficult to pin down and changeable depending on what mood she’s in. In Bristol she dedicated herself to a civic job unrelated to poetry where she joined a big, nation-wide team that served every member of the British public. The skills acquired in this role are appreciated on a global scale and this led Laura to the city of Melbourne. Alone and far away from home, Laura missed her many English friends. She thought particularly of the condiments and non-perishables from her long ago first job and their struggle to get from the storeroom onto the shelves. She started writing poems to tell their stories. Laura has also been inspired by nature, the universe, the perspectives of animals and the difficulties that arise when animals choose to poo in places that are inconvenient to humans. She is also working on her novel ‘Autumnal Equinox’ which combines Celtic folklore with contemporary characters struggling in a grossly unequal, class dominated society.
ani Abdile, a Somali Australian refugee, performs her poetry from her new book, I Will Rise
Kerry Scuffins reads from her new book, The Million Star Hotel. This hotel is the night sky, appreciated only by the homeless. Kerry's poetry has a sensitivity to the vulnerable and reflects her broad life experience.
Anne Elvey's Sanctuary 267 is a long poem that commemorates the refugees who are now in Australia who had been on Nauru. Each one is given a name and a description and the intention is to universalise the experience of seeking sanctuary. This poem is read by three voices, poet, Anne Elvey, producer, Di Cousens and actor, Ezra Bix. The 267 people from Nauru were the focus of a campaign to Let Them Stay, and so far they have stayed.
Maurice McNamara can charm a room full of people who thought they didn't like poetry. He is down to earth and easygoing, with a subtle and peculiar way of saying the commonplace and the ordinary. He reads from his book Half Hour Country, which sounds like fireside chat storytelling with a musical lilt.
Anne Elvey's 'Sanctuary 267' is a long poem that commemorates the refugees who are now in Australia who had been on Nauru. Each one is given a name and a description and the intention is to universalise the experience of seeking sanctuary. This poem is read by three voices, poet, Anne Elvey, producer, Di Cousens and actor, Ezra Bix. The 267 people from Nauru were the focus of a campaign to Let Them Stay, and so far they have stayed. Let Them Stay photo by Di Cousens.
Gabrielle completed a PhD in creative writing at The University of Western Australia. While finishing, she completed her second book o poetry, Les Belles Lettres. Her first collection is called Don Juanita and the love of boys. She has been published in numerous anthologies, including The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry. She has performed her work at the Big Day Out and Overload Festival, among other places. She has also performed at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A Live recording of Girls on Key at Open Studio in NorthcoteThis weeks features are: Cassandra-Elli and Lauren Lee Williams
Marty Smith grew up in the remote hill country pahiatua and the sea. Her father made his kids learn to ride bareback hanging on by their knees so the whole time she was a track work rider in New Zealand and England she never fell off. Marty grew up in a time when smoking was communal and companionable and the people she loved floated through a blue haze like mirages. she wanted to touch them back into life again and she has done so with her amazing book of poetry and collage illustrations called horse with hat
Tune in for this cracker of an ep with RikTheMost (Rikki Livermore).We talk Melbourne vs London, slam, dance, this awesome poet's process and more. You'll also be treated to three pieces including nuuu sh*t - 3CR Spoken Word EXCLUSIVE oooooooowwwwww exclusive...
Vicki Viidikas was born in Sydney 1948. (The same year as Michael Dransfield.) Her parents split up when she was a child and her mother moved to Queensland where Vicki went to school until she was 15. She came to Sydney and studied art for a year, took a series of casual jobs as a waitress, then employment at Abbey’s bookshop near Sydney Town Hall. She started writing at sixteen and never stopped. Writing became her passion and her life. She was a pioneer as a young female poet in the pre-baby boomer generation of predominantly male poets in Sydney, the first of us to be published in an established journal. She was 19 when her first poem was published in Poetry Australia. Vicki was one of only three women to be published in the University of Queensland Press’ initial paperback poets series of 20 books.https://rochfordstreetreview.com/tag/vicki-viidikas/https://www.amazon.com/New-Rediscovered-Vicki-Viidikas/dp/0980571766
Encompassing Africa, Jamaica, Australia and the UK, the poem Demerara Sugar journeys through the sugar cane trade across centuries, countries and a family. In this exclusive recording, Maxine Beneba Clarke reads this epic poem from her new collection, Carrying the World.
Since last year, he has been on a perpetual poetic pilgrimage across Austaleya, Dreamerica, Canadada, Dangleterre, Paristhmus, Italicks, Cirque du Turquie and Singapore. Currently based in Mel Burn, he has applied for a Collide art award residency with CERN particle physics lab in Geneva and FACT art and technology institute in Liverpool, with the intention of curating a poetry project titled 'DisCERN'.He has published 1 chapbook 'All Other Destinations' (2010) and dozens of poems in journals and anthologies around the world. These 3 Poeteers frequently perform, record, write and apply their poetry and spoken word via a combination of travel and socia lmedia networking, as well as workshops for organisations such as Melbourne Laneway Learning. The 3 Poeeters also speak French as they are influenced by the literary experiments of OuLiPo (Ourvoir de Litterature Potentielle), so also perform and write and translate for la poesie Francophone . All in all they treat poetry as a worldwide wordplayground.
On this episode of Spoken Word, Carmen Main is Ela Fornalska's guest. She is a fierce, sensitive truth-sayer of a poet who explores the human condition of heart ache in all its guises and weaves musical themes through her work. A treat of a show. Take a listen...
Steeped in the long traditions of centuries of classic poetry, yet sharply inserted into contemporary society, Marc Testart's highly expressive vocal delivery flies over the widest range of emotions. A past Australian Poetry Slam champion, Marc shares not only his poetry but the thinking behind it with Spoken Word presenter Santo Cazzati.
Over the past 16-17 years Steve Smart has performed all over the world, run workshops, gigs, festivals (RIP Overload Poetry Festival) and been sporadically published. He has released six poetry CDs, various self-published chapbooks and has a massive web presence. His hair is no longer categorised as brown, it is now officially ‘salt and pepper’. As a poet Steve has been described as ‘Melbourne’s rockstar of performance poetry’ – (Perth Poetry Club), “wildly funny to deeply moving’ (Simon Leo Brown – abc.net.au) and ‘a raw, seething, hardcore poet who makes the rest of us look spineless’ (Amanda Anastasi – melbournespokenword.com). He lives in Footscray and is the current President of Melbourne Poets Union.
Tune in to hear internationally recognised award winning poet Gayelene Carbis as Ela Fornalska’s guest for August 2016 on 3CR’s Spoken Word.Music by Madeleine Peyroux and k.d.lang
Under various names and in a variety of disguises, ReVerse Butcher has been performing, experimenting with and publishing her poetry for 15 years. She was a founding member of the Speedpoets (QLD), and moved on to coordinate and collaborate on several other open mic poetry readings including: Trip the Word Fantastic (QLD), WamJam (QLD), Beat @ The Boat (NSW) and ContraVerse (QLD & VIC). She has previously sung or spoken with several musical acts including: The Electric Afterglow (QLD), The Molotov (QLD) and Trypswytch (QLD/NSW). ReVerse is currently engaged in a series of elaborate art experiments around Melbourne, called the #antiresidency which you may or may not ever find.
Join Ela Fornalska and her guest Megan Bailey, for some fierce, honest, delicate poetry. Take a front seat ride to this talented, brave poet's return to the poetry world. We discuss making the ugly beautiful, how writing a poem can be a full stop on an experience and a way of completing a moment. We also discuss meaning making, the confessional tradition, poetry and a sense of self and whether poems should be written from an authentic lived experience.Music by SiaPhotograph by Michael Reynolds
Massaging Himmler: A Poetic Biography of Dr Felix Kersten.Poetry Anne M CarsonPiano Julian BaileyThe story of Dr Felix Kersten is a remarkable story, an archetypal story of the meeting of good and evil. But who is this relatively unknown man?Dr Felix Kersten was masseur to Heinrich Himmler, one of the most feared high ranking Nazis, head of the Gestapo and the SS.As a masseur, Kersten used his therapeutic expertise gain influence over Himmler, allowing him to secure the release of tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of people. Another, better known hero was Oskar Schindler, responsible for the release of 1,100.Poems from the Massaging Himmler sequence are performed alongside Rachmaninov Preludes, Opus 23. Julian Bailey, who has been playing some of the Preludes for over 40 years. The pieces combine passages of sublime lyricism with others of passionate intensity and make a perfect foil for the dramatic sequence of Massaging Himmler Youtube interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CnZLir88AY&feature=youtu.be http://annemcarson.com/massaging-himmler-a-poetic-biography-of-dr-felix-kersten/ http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/massaging-himmler#.V4jVZI7sep4 http://www.jhc.org.au/news-and-events/calendar-of-events/item/497-massaging-himmler.html www.anemcarson.comwww.singinlogic.com.au http://spokenword3cr.podbean.com/e/massaging-himmler-a-poetic-biography-of-dr-felix-kersten/
Santo Cazzati reads all of the prizewinning and placegetting poems in this year's Rhonda Jankovic Awards for social justice through literature. The late Rhonda Jankovic was the founder of the Spoken Word programme, a long time stalwart at 3CR and a tireless grassroots activist for many social justice issues.
A live recording from the 3CR Fundraiser @ Hares & Hyenas of Sandy Jeffs and Peter Bakowski
This is a live recording made at Hares and Hyenas on 29 May 2016. Judith Rodriguez reads new poetry, including a series of poems about Oodgeroo Noonuccall - Kath Walker. They knew each other in Brisbane in the 1950s when a group of friends gathered to talk philosophy, read poetry and make music at the home of John Manifold. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodgeroo_NoonuccalJudith is a legend of Australian poetry and also a great teacher of poetry. For many decades she has taught poetry writing at the Council for Adult Education in Melbourne.
Robert James Conlon is a long time exponent of the art of taking an audience in one direction, only to sneak up behind them and yell 'Gotcha!'. This is not to say he will not put himself in the firing line. We all come under scrutiny and Robert's work features a high level of self-analysis.He has been a part of the Melbourne poetry scene since the 90s and has performed widely; in addition to his more recent long term project of posting more poems to Youtube than anyone ever. He studied writing at Latrobe Uni and continues to hone his craft the best way a poet can. By writing as often as possible.In 2014 he was the winner of the Brimank Poetry Competition (of which he has also been runner up). He has been a Victorian finalist of the Australian Poetry Slam and also battled Komninos Zervos in a poetry-wrestling ring in 2015.
Join Ela Fornalska and her guest and fellow 3CR ‘Spoken Word’ co-producer Peter Davis for a jam packed programme. Peter is a poet in his own right and shares some of his work. He also shares what it is like to be a busking flautist and his early involvement in 3CR community radio, as well as the history of poetry on 3CR. We discuss our up-coming inaugural ‘Spoken Word’ benefit gig for radiothon (Sunday 29th May, 2016), the Dax poetry collection and touch on Buddhism and the power of mindfulness and meditation in mental health. Music by Nick DrakeTo find out more about Peter Davis and his work, explore the links below: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/431914 http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/the-retired-hermit/2006/08/10/1154803029570.html?page=fullpage http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/360/in-search-of-the-hermit-within/5556172 http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/hindsight/pennies-pokeys-punks-and-the-prince/3223196 http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/17/1087245038103.htmlhttps://au.linkedin.com/in/peter-davis-ba286862https://meenwhylemedia.com/2014/10/03/podcast-interview-peter-davis/ http://www.livingpositivevictoria.org.au/speakers/bio-peter-davis.htm Image by Di Cousens
Linda Stevenson has a great poetry blog, 'Written there on skin' :http://writtenonskin.blogspot.com.au/'Linda Stevenson is a thoughtful poet whose work ranges from intellectual word play to direct and simple appeals to the emotions. One of her own paintings forms the beautiful cover illustration. Her words paint pictures too – scenes and images that continue to haunt the reader after the words have been read. And her language is full of music.' REVIEW by Rosemary Nissen-WadeLinda says of her writing, "My poetry is a part of my life, that creative part so vital to our human individuality. It has been a lifelong habit, scribbling words down, from childhood on through adolescence, adulthood and now into mature older age.I love the process that takes the poet from the raw first phrases on through the building of themes and expressed ideas and finally to the crafting of a satisfying work. The sharing of that creation with others is the icing on the cake." To buy Linda's chapbook Written on SkinOrders and pre-orders From Blank Rune Press, via Linda’s poetry blog ‘Written There on Skin’Via the Blank Rune Books Facebook pageBy email Valli will take a firm order, supply payment details, and forward the book after the money is received in the account.Order price: RRP $15 AUD including P&H.
Barry Dickins describes his journey in poetry and reads women poets such as Christina Rosetti, Anna Akhmatova and Melbourne icon, Kerry Scuffins.
Michael has been described as ‘the patron saint of Melbourne’s Poetry’ and is much loved by poets around Melbourne. He grew up in Geelong but is a mad Hawthorn fan. He started reading at the Dan in 1999 and currently runs Passionate Tongues at the Brunswick Hotel every second Monday night. He has done a lot for everyone, encouraging new poets to continue having a go on the open mic, and giving many of us our first features. He released a chapbook through Melbourne Poets Union called ‘Upon finding a chair in the forest’ in 2008 which has had four reprints since then. His work jumps out at you for it’s careful use of language and the hilarious word play poems. Michael is also known for his photography and many of his photo’s have been used to advertise and promote poets all around Melbourne and serve as a record of the history of the poetry scene.
Hear young, talented poet Robbie Coburn read brand new poems from a collection he is currently working on as well as some in-depth discussion about his poetic process, his influences and how he got started. We also take a closer look at particular poems and Robbie reveals how poetry saved him: “I 100% believe that I would be dead without poetry.” With musical excerpts by Lou Reed and Bob Dylan www.robbiecoburn.com.au
Heather Ellis reads from her just released book Ubuntu: one woman's motorcycle journey across Africa Heather was a fin de siècle journalism student at James Cook University, Cairns, and awed everyone with her quiet tales of travelling across Africa solo by motorbike during the nineties. Heather, you are the spirit of 'ubuntu'. For more details visit: www.heather-ellis.com http://motorbikewriter.com/one-womans-epic-african-motorcycle-journey/ To follow on FaceBook seach Ubuntu: One Woman's Motorcycle Odyssey Across Africa Buy the book at: http://www.blackincbooks.com/books/ubuntu KEYWORDS: Ubuntu, motorcycle travel, motorcycle adventure, Africa travel, women adventurers, travel memoir, motorcycle journey, solo travel, Yamaha TT600
Barry reads the poem that inspired his love of poetry as a primary school kid in Keon Park. He also discusses his upcoming play on the Sydney anti-development activist, Juanita Neilsen. Barry Dickins is a much published poet, playwright, novelist and commentator.
Santo Cazzati performs Part One of his autobiographical spoken word oratorio, covering the first 12 years of life, from 1961-1972.
‘Wow! What a presence!’ ‘You didn’t just pop out of a flower, did you!’ These are some of the responses that Lady Longdrop (aka Kendra Keller) has been receiving, as she claims her place on stages and at campfires around the country. But the feed-back she likes best is an electric silence. Her sensuous surreal poetry is a delicate weave of themes and images that will make you fall in love with the moon. ‘Hey Moon!’ – her début collection of poems - has been described as ‘serious poetry’ and ‘pure magic’.
Listen to Peter Godforsaken Matthews (stage name of author and journalist Peter Salvatore Matthews) share his excitement for Australian history through poetry. He really makes it come alive in performing his ‘short epic’ Vandemonian in its entirety, on the programme. Also learn more about this talented writer and his interesting writing background. It’s a cracker of a programme, sure to intrigue.Musical except by David Jones and Friends.If you would like to find out more about Peter Godforsaken Matthews / Peter Salvatore Matthews, find him on facebook for check out his blog at https://loljournalism.wordpress.com/Programme presented and produced by Ela Fornalska.
Norman Jensen, Steve Smart, Lish Skec and Patrick Boyle read poetry.The last three poets read live at tribute to late Patrick Alexanderhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Alexander_%28poet%29 Produced by Peter davis
Barry Dickins is guest on Spoken Word, interviewed by Di Cousenshttp://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21819 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Dickins https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/53278.Barry_Dickinshttp://dailyreview.com.au/picture-this-barry-dickins/9205
SISTA ZAI is a storyteller who uses spoken word to explore the political through her personal and lived everyday experiences. Zai’s social justice work takes place within the Stillwaters Women’s Storytelling Collective, which she founded in 2011 with the intention of making diverse and underrepresented voices and issues heard in the mainstream. Sista Zai is also a radio announcer on 3CR’s Hip Sista Hop show (Monday @ 1pm on 855am), where she showcases music by women and indigenous Australians and a spoken word segment featuring live readings from local poets.JAMIE KING-HOLDEN's first book of poetry, Chemistry, was published by Whitmore Press in 2011. Her poetry has appeared in Antipodes, Capsule, Cordite, Dotdotdash, Eureka Street, Ekleksographia, Mascara Literary Review and Verandah. She was shortlisted for the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize in 2010 and was guest emerging writer for the Mildura Writers festival in 2011.
Join Ela Fornalska and Santo Cazzati as we take you on a journey through Melbourne Spoken Word's second issue of Audacious, their audio journal. You will be treated to a taster of what the complete album has to offer.
https://www.youtube.com/user/iamkensevenKen Smeaton is a past presenter at 3CR. He also produces The Poetry Lab on Youtube (link above)Ken writes great poetry about people, with great insights and empathy into all people. Enjoy Kens poetry- this is a favourite Melbourne poet enjoying the art of reading for you
Born and bred in the inner-city suburbs of South Africa, Poet and performer Chalise lives and breathes for the power of words to rouse a crowd and change minds. Currently a writing student at RMIT, Chalise recently featured in House of Bricks. Her controversial, fiery, preach-style poetry has silenced crowds since her debut performance. When she’s not writing, you can find Chalise behind a glass of wine and a mic, behind a megaphone at protests, or behind a 7/11 coffee machine with her ever-final dollar.
Join presenter Ela Fornalska and her guest Amanda Anastasi on this episode to learn more about Anastasi's writing process, what inspires her, who she reads, what her writing aspirations for the future are and the experience of writing collaboratively. You will also be treated to a selection of her exquisite poetry.
Abe Nouk is a Melbourne based poet who originally came to Australia as a refugee from Somalia. A few years ago he discovered Melbourne's spoken word scene and found his niche. He has twice won the Victorian Poetry Slam at the State Library of Victoria and has competed at the Opera House for the national championship twice. In this episode he shares his poetry and his life story. Show produced by Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.
John McKelvie was born in Scotland just over 66 years ago and has been writing poems songs and stories for the more than 50 years. This talent was recognised by his English teacher at school and when he was naughty, which he often was, instead of getting one hundred lines, he was made to write one hundred words as a poem and read it to the class. He developed his story- telling making up absurd adventure tales for his nieces and nephews and later his own children. On graduating he moved to London to work as a dustman where he also became involved with poetry and theatre before moving to Melbourne in 1987. He was delighted to find Melbourne had even more poetry venues than London and obtained a job in superannuation. His work has been published in a number of anthologies including, Best Australian Poems. At the urging of his friend Tom Kent he produced a volume, Hopscotch, which Tom edited and published. He has been a featured reader and singer at a number of poetry venues and considers the Dan to be his Saturday afternoon home. His work can be humorous, satirical, social, environmental, political or romantic and he is still sometimes naughty.
Join Ela and the first six guests she had in the Spoken Word studios. Each guest shares a favourite poem (or poems) written by a poet who has influenced them over the years. Discover why these poems are special to guests: Chalise van Wyngaardt, Rachael Guy, Myron Lysenko, Sandy Jeffs, Jeltje and Lish Škec.
As a part of the Sampari art exhibition and sale the FRWP Women's Office is hosted a spoken word afternoon, showcasing some of Melbourne's finest spoken word artists amidst the amazing art of the Sampari exhibition. The theme of the event was linked to West Papua's struggle for independance. performers were asked to focus on social justice.Indegenous people and local Melbourne performers wrote about asylum seekers and social justice and the struggles of minority peoples. The Free West Papua Campaign exists to alert the world to the ongoing tragedy in West Papua, which is under brutal Indonesian military occupation.MissionWe are a peaceful, public campaign, whose aim is very simple: to give the people of West Papua the freedom to choose their own destiny - a freedom they have always been denied. We work with politicians of all parties, and also with other NGOs and campaign groups, both national and international, towards this aim. We have no religious, party-political or corporate affliations, and we are determinedly non-violent. Our funding comes from donations, the sale of merchandise, public fundraising events and occasional small grants from charitable foundations. We are entirely independent, and nobody at the campaign is paid for their work.Friday, 11 December, 6 - 8pm - West Papua Flotilla Films Saturday, 12 December, 2 - 4pm - Mt. Carstensz (Namangkawi) Forum Sunday, 13 December, 2 - 4pm - West Papua Rent Collective Christmas Party To stay up to date with the latest on the Sampari exhibition, like previewing the art of some of our fabulous exhibiting artists visit the Sampari exhibition Facebook page.Free West Papua Campaign Australia
Anne Elvey talks about her new poetry book, This flesh that you know, and reads many of the poems. With the themes of memory, family and ecology, this is a warm and insightful anthology. Photo by Di Cousens.
Loran Steinberg's poetry can be observational, personal and is often written as a sort of interior monologue, sometimes dialogue. She has been writing on and off for most her life. Focusing primarily on poetry for the last three years. The fascinating thing that is poetry and the poetry community has kept her interest ever since. She printed off a short zine in 2013 called Stuff I Wrote and has featured at poetry readings in Melbourne and Adelaide, where she grew up. A new zine should be coming out any month now.Her Poem “Moodswings” was published in 2014 in Page17 Issue 11, coming second in the poetry competition and earning exciting actual money. She collects odd facts and long words that are rarely ever useful and is learning to play cello. She loves living in Melbourne, particularly Footscray and was easier to recognise when she still had blue hair.Randall and Smarty are at it again. In fact they've never really stopped being at it. Attempting to arrest your attention with words. Poetry for people to enjoy. It's a concept they believe in with some vigour. Damned for being entertaining seems like a strange concept in a society that is prepared to be entertained by damn near anything. Perhaps if they were sitting in a room with a camera whining that their souffles didn't set the way they hoped or that some faceless minion hadn't restocked their free beer fridge... So they're gonna take their frustrations out on the microphone and stick it where it fits - right in your ear! Their shows have been described as dynamic and hilarious, full of movement and colourful language (swearing). See what the fuss has been about from Perth to Preston and several other places that don't begin with 'P'.
Join Ela and the first six guests she had in the Spoken Word studios. Each guest shares a favourite poem (or poems) written by a poet who has influenced them over the years. Discover why these poems are special to guests: Chalise van Wyngaardt, Rachael Guy, Myron Lysenko, Sandy Jeffs, Jeltje and Lish Škec.
Santo Cazzati plays excerpts from the latest Voiceprints CD, No 15 in the series put out over the years by veteran avantgardist Sjaak de Jong. The pieces are experimental, being sometimes sound oriented, sometimes prone to disfigure conventional language, sometimes very abstract, sometimes ridiculous in their humour.
Rowena Molloy started reading at the ‘Left Bank’ in ’96 where she first met Melbourne Poets. She has sung in a couple of choirs. Studied a BA at Deakin where she won the Media Competition in the Poetry Section, was printed in a couple of zines, as part of her uni course had her poems projected on a theatre wall at an A-list event while entertaining as a roaming performer and facilitated a live, on-line tutorial on queer politics. At Babble, Rowena won an on the spot writing competition. She has been published in an NMIT Poetry Anthology after studying at the Greensborough campus. She has also co-MC’ed at St Andrews Market. Her features include Montsalvat, at a Feminist Conference in Melbourne and ABC Gallery. Some of her day jobs have included Customer Service at Oxford University Press and Commercial Cook at Meditteraneo. Since then Rowena has been hiding in the audience at poetry readings watching her friends become great Spoken Word Artists.
Witty, charming, thoughtful, insightful, unexpected - Krish Prasad is introduced to listeners by regular presenter Ela Fornalska.
Jennifer Harrison reads Images Reflections Gathering Tributes Andy Jackson reads from The Weight of The Glass live at The Dan Poetry longer extended version available at spokenword3cr.podbean.com Patrick Macgillicuddy Alexander (20 March 1940 – 21 September 2005) was an Irish-born poet who settled in Australia. Alexander was the son of Hugh Alexander, the Anglo-Irish mathematician famed for his work on the German Enigma machine at Bletchley Park during World War II. Born in Dublin, Dublin (County), Ireland he studied to be an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London and moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1960. He remained there, except for nine years in Sydney in the late sixties and early seventies. During his time in Sydney he began submitting to magazines. His publications include Thrown Shadows (1976); five short poems, re-edited as one appeared in Poetry London (London, 1979); Effects of Remembrance (1994); Images Reflections Gathering Tributes(1995), amongst others. He gave several readings of Blake, of the pre-Raphaelites, and of Japanese Poetry in Translation at the National Gallery of Victoria. Alexander was renowned as a performance poet. He was from 1983 to 2004 the only artist to produce an event for every Melbourne Fringe Festival. The relationship of the voice and the written word in poetry was an abiding interest for him. In honour of his contribution, the Festival has named the spoken performance prize the Patrick Alexander Memorial Award. He died in Fitzroy, Victoria. His papers are held by the State Library of Victoria
Australian Poetry member Maxine Beneba Clarke is having a banner year, experiencing the kind of overnight success that really only comes after a decade of hard yards. Her debut short story collection, Foreign Soil, won the2013 Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and landed her a book deal with Hachette.
Benjamin is currently working on some screenplays including one based on his novel Screwjob, a new poetry chapbook on things you don’t normally write poems about, some spoken word performances and various non-fiction projects.Benjamin Solah is a writer of truth, fiction and poetry, a spoken word artist and political activist. He grew up in the Western suburbs of Sydney, but now lives in Melbourne where he studies Creative Writing at RMIT.His writing often has strong political themes, especially to do with oppression, alienation and capitalism as well as through the lense of sport and popular culture. He has also explored the issue of asylum seekers in his work.He is the editor ofMelbourneSpokenWord.com and the convener of monthly poetry night, Keep Left. His writing has appeared in publications including Overland, Geek Mook, The Emerging Writer and various anthologies by eMergent Publishing. He also performed spoken word and poetry around various venues in Melbourne including regular poetry events, Passionate Tongues at The Brunswick Hotel and Dan Poets at The Dan O'Connell Hotel.
Ela Fornalska is joined by Audacious editor and convenor of the melbournespokenword.com website, Benjamin Solah, and 3CR Spoken Word co-founder Santo Cazzati. They talk about how new and younger poets access Melbourne's grassroots scene today and we hear tracks from the new Audacious CD, including poems by Amanda Anastasi, Anthony O'Sullivan and Kylie Supski.
n today's program Ela Fornalska's guest is Jeltje. A vast array of ground is covered, including influences, the migrant experience and being a migrant poet, politics and poetry, sound poetry and Jeltje's new collection 'Princes by night'.http://islandpress.tripod.com/ISLAND.htm- See more at: http://www.3cr.org.au/spoken-word/episode-201502260900/spoken-word-3cr-guest-poet-jeltje#sthash.7NnPkRnV.dpuf
GIRLS ON KEY – Girls on Key brings together the best up and coming female singer songwriters, giving them a platform and supporting young refugee women to learn music. bi-monthly residency http://openstudio.net.au/event/girls-on-key/‘Open Studio in Northcote, Melbourne is one of those rare and intimate venues that finds a groovy niche and just keeps providing punters with a great night out based on a simple formula of unique gypsy bands, booze and crepes.’ Flamenco Australia
James Jackson, AKA The Beast AKA The Monster of Poetry is the last protégé of Shelton Lea and the original rock star poet. Encouraged by Shelton, James first read at the Dan in 2004 and first featured there the year after. Over the ensuing decade he has busted up slams, other poets and the expectations of many an incredulous audience. At the conclusion of 2007’s Monster of Poetry show for the Overload Poetry Festival James was detained by ASIO in relation to several undisclosed matters. He was released soon after. A former New Aussie Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, James still wrestlers professionally although recently he has been focussing on hip hop and other allied ventures. James writes about diverse topics such as the northern suburbs, yowies, Gar, Burqas his exceptional existence and why poets don’t go to the police to solve problems. James Jackson has to be seen to be believed. Look out for upcoming promotional movies on Facebook. To find out more about James and his work check out www.jamesjackson.net.au.
Spoken Word has uncovered a wonderful new talent on the poetry scene, 18 year old Chalise Van Wyngaardt. Chalise moved to Melbourne this year specifically for its poetry scene and is a writing student of the revered Ania Walwicz at RMIT. Her delivery is forceful and passionate, her writing is highly informed and aware of long literary traditions, yet her spontaneous personality shines through at all times.
http://nathancurnow.weebly.com/Nathan Curnow : poetAfter gaining qualifications in Community Development I worked in Drug and Alcohol and Crisis Housing for many years in Melbourne, where I quickly became numb and exhausted. I had been pursuing writing for a couple of years and so decided to commit further by quitting my job and enrolling in Creative Writing at Swinburne Tafe. Following that I entered the University of Melbourne, which for me was like a kind of hothouse, one that fast-tracked my development. Studying under Kevin Brophy and Philip Salom, among others, I completed a Post Grad Dip in Creative Writing and moved to Portland on the far south west coast of Victoria.Some might think of me as a Melbourne poet, but the majority of my writing has occurred in the regional wilds of Victoria. The irony is that as soon as I moved out of the city, the small opportunities and breakthroughs began to come my way, which meant some serious travel! I spent the next six years crashing on friends couches, in hotel rooms or in my car on the side of the road, all to perform, read, write and generally make a go of it.In 2007 things got even crazier when I set off to write about my stays at ten haunted sites around the country. The adventure was featured widely in print and radio, and sparked the interest of a number of festivals where I was invited to appear. In 2010 I co-edited, along with Lisa Greenaway and Ella Holcombe, Going Down Swinging No. 30, the iconic and much loved literary journal that has given myself and so many emerging writers a great kickstart. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with a range of gifted people over the years, including artist Dr Carmel Wallace, composer Anthony Lyons, musicians Wulfbyrne Brown, Joel Roberts and Michael Wallace, plus film students (Raphaela Lee, Clare O'Donnell and Laura James) from RMIT. Nathan Curnow
Australian poet, Judith Rodriguez, has been teaching poetry at universities internationally and at the Council of Adult Education for fifty years. She brings to this program a global knowledge of poetic forms and history. This is Part 3 of a three part series. Rodriguez taught English at La Trobe University from 1969 until 1985. In 1986 she was writer-in-residence at Rollins College, Florida, an experience commemorated in her ninth collection Floridian Poems (1986). In 1989 she took up a lectureship in writing at Victoria College, which in 1993 became part of Deakin University, where she continued to teach until her retirement in 2003. Rodriguez's first poetry collection was published in 1962 as part of Four Poets, the others being fellow Brisbane poets David Malouf, Rodney Hall and Don Maynard. The title poem of her first solo collection, Nu-Plastik Fanfare Red: and other poems (1973), has remained an anthology favourite; it demonstrates her highly effective use of direct and forthright language and striking imagery.Water Life (1976) won the inaugural South Australian Biennial Literature Prize in 1978, while one of Rodriguez's most highly-regarded collections, Mudcrab at Gambaro's (1980) received both the Sydney PEN Golden Jubilee Award for Poetry and the Artlook/Shell Literary Award in 1981. The title sequence of poems celebrates life and sensuality through the eating of Queensland mud crab. Rodriguez is also known for her poems about women's experiences; the title poem of Witch Heart (1982), published by the feminist press Sisters, records a visit to Robyn Archer's play about the often disastrous lives of famous women performers, A Star is Torn.
Legendary spoken word artist from Fitzroy, Pi O, is featured in two longer pieces, one about a famous old Fitzroy musician, and the other about TV celebrity of yesteryear Graham Kennedy.
Anna Forsyth is a New-Zealand born writer and musician. For her day job, she writes and edits educational text books. Her first collection of poetry, A Tender Moment Between Strangers, was released in 2013 and her poems have appeared in several journals, including Landfall, FourW and n-Scribe. In 2012, she started Girls on Key, a bi-monthly music and poetry gig for women performers, raising funds for refugee girls to learn music. In her spare time, she performs music under the name Grace Pageant and has released an EP, Little Bonfire which we will be hearing some of today. When she grows up, she would like to be a wandering philosopher in Paris.
Special thanks to all listeners that helped our Spoken Word 3CR show exceed its target !!!
'The Year My Hair Fell Out' a factional account of that very first year working and living abroad. The book is set in Chuncheon and reveals the different and varied experiences one has when exposed to a foreign culture they know very little about. http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Hair-Fell-Out/dp/0992557704 When Australian Don Laridis turns 37 he realises that it's time for a 'real' change. He chooses to relocate to South Korea, a country he knows very little about. Unbeknownst to him, the plight of the English academy that he's been recruited for is on the brink of financial collapse. Instead of running he opts to stay, reveling and losing himself in this uncertain situation. Laridis teaches English to farm kids, university students, corporate types and housewives - people immersed in a sometimes obsessive pursuit of a second language, even to the brink of murder. This factional story reveals his exposure to the idiosyncracies of a foreign culture, not just in the curious dynamics of private education, but also in the diverse characters he meets on the hoof. Bob Blunt peeks into the moral fabric of unfamiliar culture that's dealing with Confucian traditions and new found modernity. He narrates, prods, pricks, and observes while keeping us tight in step with the central character.
This is the second in a series of three programs on 20th century poetry in English.Rodriguez was born Judith Catherine Green in Perth and grew up in Brisbane. She was educated at Brisbane Girls Grammar School, and graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts. She then travelled to England, where she received a Master of Arts from Cambridge University in 1965, where she met her first husband, Colombian Fabio Rodriguez.[1]She has published numerous volumes of poetry, some illustrated by her own woodcuts, edited an anthology and the collected poems of Jennifer Rankin. From 1979 to 1982, she was poetry editor for the literary journal Meanjin, and from 1988 to 1997 she was a poetry editor with the publisher Penguin Australia. The play Poor Johanna, co-written with Robyn Archer, was produced in 1994 and her libretto for Moya Henderson's opera Lindy, about the Azaria Chamberlain disappearance, was performed at the Sydney Opera House in 2002.[2] She is a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award and taught at La Trobe University (1969–1985) and Deakin University (1998–2003).
A live recording from Open Studio with the poetry night, Girls on KeyBronwen Manger is a poet and spoken word artist, located in Box Hill. Bronwen performs her work at readings and events around Melbourne (often accompanied by her identical twin Emily Polites), and her poems have been published in various journals and magazines, including Best Australian Poems 2012, The Age, Going Down Swinging, Triptych Poets 2, and page seventeen. Bronwen has performed her poetry live on radio (Triple J, 3CR and Phoenix FM), and she has appeared on Channel 31’s Red Lobster TV program. Bronwen’s poetry varies widely, from rambunctious rhymes to contemplative lines, and she aims to tempt the audience into an opulent web of passion and puzzlement, strung between wildflowers and grenades, paradise and apocalypse, decadence and deprivation.Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist from the UK. Now based in Melbourne, Australia, she runs one of Melbourne’s most successful Spoken Word events, Mother Tongue. Her quirky, theatrical and emotive performance style captivates audiences leaving them both laughing and crying, occasionally both at the same time. Fleassy incorporates both her Theatre background with her love of hip hop and poetry to create stories and poems that ooze rhythm, melody and personality. She also teaches 6 week Spoken Word courses looking at the power of vulnerability and honesty both on and off the stage.Anne M Carson. has been published in the USA, Ireland, France and widely in Australia. Her first collection, Removing the Kimono, was published by Hybrid Publishers in 2013. She has a particular interest in collaboration and has worked with a dancer, pianist, keyboard player and harpist. She has won and been commended in various literary competitions most recently in 2015 she was shortlisted for the Ron Pretty Poetry Prize.Gemma Mahadeo is a Melbourne-based writer who came to Australia in 1987. Prior to that, she lived in her country of birth, England, and also spent time in her mother’s, the Philippines. Her poetry has appeared both online and in print at Famous Reporter, Islet, Poetrix, Cordite, antiTHESIS, and Going Down Swinging, with more recent work appearing or forthcoming in Writ Poetry Review, Tincture Journal, and Tenderness Journal later in 2015.
Anna Fern is a remarkable sound poet who stretches the physical possibilities of the human voice. In this programme she talks about some of the history of experimental sound poetry, with ample demonstrations of her own, and also talks about how such work is received by audiences. Anna refers to some of the improvisation groups she has performed with. And just to reveal her versatility, she even does some 'straight' poetry.http://www.queenslandpoetryfestival.com/site/anna-fern-sound-poet/ https://annafern.wordpress.com/
Interview with Benjamin Solah about great website and CD launched recently by Melbourne Spoken Word peter davis presenter also thanks kind people who gave money to allow Spoken Word 3Cr to surpass its target for Radiothon
Australian poet, Judith Rodriguez, has been teaching poetry at universities internationally and at the Council of Adult Education for fifty years. She brings to this program a global knowledge of poetic forms and history. This is Part 1 of a three part series.
Yvette Stubbs is convenor of Cafe Arts in Warragul.She's published many poems and is known for great humour and lively poetry readings.---Yvette is described as the infamous mad woman of cloverlea who is one of the matriarchs of the poetry scene. She shepherds sheep, vascilates over vegies, and feasts on fajoas. At night she sits under a daya dah tree and surveys the domed sky, patting her half eared stray grey whilst contemplating nothing at all.Yvette and Jillian Durance have co-authored a book of poetry "The Naked and The Clothed" ...http://www.coalcreekliteraryfestival.com/Authors.html
Join Ela Fornalska and her guest Myron Lysenko for a special haiku focused programme. Ela and Myron discuss the appeal of haiku, talk about ‘rules’ and techniques and question whether writing haiku can make the world a better place. Listeners will also hear haiku of the original masters and some of Myron Lysenko’s original haiku and senryu. Musical experts by Leszek Możdżer (Tracks ‘Ex Ego’ and ‘Incognitor’) To find out about ‘Ginko’ that Myron seasonally runs, follow the click: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ginko-With-Lysenko/156663058472?fref=ts
Scizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety are conditions that this weeks poets on Spoken Word live with and write about.Sound effects and music mixed in by Peter D. http://www.daxcentre.org/collection/poetry-collection/
Once again, The Rhonda Jankovic Competition for Poetry on a Social Justice Theme has been held, with 166 entries from across Australia. Kevin Brophy, well known poet and academic, was this year's judge, and the quality of the poetry was very high. In this broadcast can be heard almost all of the prizewinning entries, as well as the voice of Rhonda herself reading one of her own poems.
http://melbournespokenword.com/the-last-word-with-matt-hetherington/http://tincture-journal.com/2015/02/28/matt-hetherington-interviewed-by-stuart-barnes/Matt Hetherington is a writer, music-maker, gourmet Indian chef, soccer nut, bludger, and lover based in Brisbane. His first collection of all-Japanese-related forms (and fourth poetry collection) is For Instance, published by Mulla Mulla Press.
Kevin was born in Caulfield, Melbourne in 1946, and grew up on the working class side of the Racecourse. He has survived fire, lightning and gunshots, the last whilst head gardener at Koonunga Golf Course. He has been a steel tier in the building industry, once established a crosswords company and has worked in printing and as a publisher. He has also been an art critic, journalist, editor and anthologist. He returned to his ‘grey city’ of Melbourne after eighteen years away, including in the South Pacific and Adelaide. In late 1994 he founded Black Pepper with Gail Hannah. He has published six collections of poetry including two featuring his existentially dubious hero The Apparition. He is working on a new collection The Compleat Apparition.http://blackpepperpublishing.com/pearson.html
Sandy Jeffs on 3CR Spoken Word reading poems and in conversation with producer Ela FornalskaSandy Jeffs Biography Sandy Jeffs was born in Ballarat and has a BA from La Trobe University. She has lived with schizophrenia and all its moods for over thirty years. She is a community educator who speaks to schools, universities and community groups about what it’s like to live with a mental illness. She has been published widely and is a prize-winning poet whose writing has been concerned with madness, domestic violence and the humorous antics of women who play midweek ladies’ tennis. Sandy lives with her friends and animals on the outskirts of Melbourne.She is the author of the bestselling Poems from the Madhouse (1993; reprinted 2000, 2001), Loose Kangaroos (co-author, 1998), Blood Relations (2000), Confessions of a Midweek Lady: Tall Tennis Tales (2001), and The Wings of Angels: A memoir of madness (2004). Her latest book is her autobiography, Flying with Paper Wings: Reflections on Living With Madness (2009).
3CR Spoken word goes to Carlton and records live poetry at LaMama Poetica.MC of this event is Amanda Anastasi and she reads a poem.Then two feature sets by Jennifer Compton and David Stavenger.http://redroomcompany.org/poet/jennifer-compton/http://redroomcompany.org/poet/david-stavanger/This edition of Spoken Word 3CR concludes with a poem called Gallipoli by Rowan White, a peace-activism inspired poem that provides an alternatuive to glorification of war. Producer for this edition : Peter Davis
Our Beautiful Voices is a book of poetry from current and former refugees in Australia's detention centres. The poems will be read by the prize winning poet and actor, Ezra Bix. Produced by Di Cousens.Our Beautiful Voices is poetry by people incarcerated in immigration detention. Within the detention industry people are called by numbers, not names. This poetry celebrates individual histories, stories and identity. These poems are about survival, of resistance and reclamation of self.https://www.facebook.com/events/716772718441575/?ref=1https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152763075938479&set=a.10151467330988479.1073741826.669223478&type=1
Eric Beach is one of australia’s most unusual and accessible poets. His work has been performed all over the country on trams, ferries and even at the opera house. He has sung at jazz festivals and at railway stations. He is also a playwright and community writer. He has won the NSW premier literary award and the age poetry book of the year award.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QPRMUWtBcwhttp://www.poemhunter.com/eric-beach/ Eric Beach was born in Hastings, New Zealand, in 1947. In Australia Beach quickly established himself as an energetic and somewhat eccentric figure on the poetry scene, and was heavily involved in organising poetry festivals, workshops and readings, and contributing to small magazines. He was well known for his own poetry readings, and became renowned for writing his poems on scraps of paper which he kept crumpled in his pockets. In 1977 he was one of the founding members of the Poets Union. Besides Melbourne, he also lived in Brisbane and Adelaide, and supported his family by working on the railways.In 1989, Beach moved to Hobart, where he continued his involvement with local writers’ groups and poetry workshops. In 1996, he published his major work, Weeping for Lost Babylon. As well as garnering much favourable critical attention, the book also won the Dinny O’Hearn Poetry Prize for 1996 and was joint winner of the Kenneth Slessor Prize the same year. His poems, sometimes experimental in form, and sometime using the forms of dramatic monologue and prose poems styles, often have a political emphasis. Besides poetry, Beach has also written a number of dramatic works.Poetry CollectionsLyrics & Blues ([Wellington, NZ]: [the Author], [1968])Henry Lawson Petfoods (Sydney: Fragment Press, 1974).Saint Kilda Meets Hugo Ball (St Lucia, Qld: Makar Press, 1974).In Occupied Territory (Cammeray, NSW: Saturday Centre, 1977).A Photo of Some People in a Football Stadium: Poems (Melbourne: Overland, 1978).[with Shelton Lea], Fond Far Wells (Poowong, Vic: Clough Press, [198-]).I Want to be Normal ([Glebe, NSW]: [the Author], 1993).Weeping for Lost Babylon (Sydney: Angus and Robertson and Paper Bark Press, 1996).Red Heart My Country (Lauderdale, Tas: Pardalote Press, 2000).Suggested Further ReadingEric Beach, ‘Oral/Aural Poetry,’ Off the Page Dummy Run (1990).Geoff Page, ‘Utterly From the Heart,’ Five Bells 3.8 (1996): 9–10.Myron Lysenko, et al., ‘Eric Beach, the Man who Talks To Going Down Swinging,’ Going Down Swinging no.14 (1994): 93–113.Michael Sharkey, ‘An Interview with Eric Beach,’ Overland no.111 (1988): 64–71.Michael Sharkey, ‘Beach’s Whimsy,’ Australian Book Review no.182 (1996): 54–55.
Once again, The Rhonda Jankovic Competition for Poetry on a Social Justice Theme has been held, with 166 entries from across Australia. Kevin Brophy, well known poet and academic, was this year's judge, and the quality of the poetry was very high. In this broadcast can be heard almost all of the prizewinning entries, as well as the voice of Rhonda herself reading one of her own poems.What is social justice?Social justice relates to inequalities stemming from power relations, indifference or exploitation. It is associated with, for instance, economic conditions, political persecution, health, education, dis/ability, ethnicity, race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, and violence. Poetry Award entries may identify inequalities by observation and/or advocate solutions. http://www.rhondajankovicliterarysociety.org/http://www.rhondajankovicliterarysociety.org/poetry-award.htmlRhonda Jankovic, an accomplished poet with publication credits in journals and several awards, was a passionate patron of emerging poets and a staunch advocate for people disadvantaged in society. After a childhood suffering abuse Rhonda was removed to an orphanage. But her new 'family' repeated the abuse, so Rhonda took to the streets of Christchurch (New Zealand) where she lived for Several years. At 18, fleeing her negative life, Rhonda scraped together a one-way fare to Sydney (Australia), bereft of further cash, accommodation or people meeting her. Witnessing Rhonda openly sobbing on the plane, a compassionate couple invited her to their home and assisted her with obtaining employment. Having left school at 14, Rhonda subsequently studies and gained entry into La Trobe University (Melbourne) where she reached postgraduate level researching Australian history. Rhonda pursued her advocacy for poets and social justice as producer/host of two Radio 3CR programs - Spoken Word (poetry) and SUWA (focusing on issues facing homeless and similarly disadvantaged people). She died of cancer in 2012 at the age of 49. To honour and continue her work the Rhonda Jankovic Society for Promotion of Social Justice through Literature was formed; it has posthumously published Rhonda's poetry collection Your Heartbeat in Mine and established the Rhonda Jankovic Poetry Award.About the SocietySoon after Rhonda died on 25 November 2012, a number of supporters - inspired by her laudable achievements, by the knowledge these were attained in the face of daunting hurdles, and also by her passionate commitment to both social justice and poetry - felt moved to initiate an ongoing tribute which would actively promote Rhonda's values. This led to Sponsors contributing to a Friends of Rhonda Fund, which largely paid for the production of Your Heartbeat in Mine, and also to the formation of the Rhonda Jankovic Society for Promotion of Social Justice through Literature. As of April 2013, the Rhonda Jankovic Society for Promotion of Social Justice through Literature Inc. became an incorporated association (Incorporated Registration: A0059242G).Objectives of the SocietyThe Society adopted the following objectives:Accept and manage sponsorships and donations for the purpose of promoting social justice through literature;Manage a Rhonda Jankovic Social Justice Poetry Award, the frequency of which will be determined, and;Subject to funding, contribute donations or similar supportive measures to causes in the spirit of Rhonda Jankovic's social justice philosophy.
La Mama Poetica is now curated by Amanda Anastasi, La Mama Poetica remains a night of some of the best spoken word and poetry that Melbourne has to offer, with a diverse selection of both emerging and established poets.http://lamama.com.au/2015-summer-program/la-mama-poetica-nighthttp://lamama.com.au/la-mama-programs/la-mama-poeticaPETER BAKOWSKI has been writing poetry for thirty-two years. He has published seven poetry collections: Thunder Road, Thunder Heart, In The Human Night, The Neon Hunger, The Heart at 3am, Days That We Couldn’t Rehearse, Beneath Our Armour & his most recent collection Personal Weather. His poems have appeared in over one hundred literary magaz…ines worldwide,http://bakowskipoetrynews.blogspot.com.auGEMMA WHITE has just released her first book of poetry, ‘Furniture is Disappearing’ with Interactive Press. This book was also awarded ‘Best First Book’ in IP’s Rolling Picks Awards for 2014. Gemma has also been published in The Age, Award Winning Australian Writing 2011 and Best Australian Poems 2013, among other places.http://lamama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/gemma-white.jpg http://www.theartofgemmawhite.comhttp://www.3cr.org.au/spoken-word
Kabir lived 600 years ago in Varanasi, India. His poetry speaks of an inner truth, the breath inside the breath, the ocean inside the drop inside the ocean. He was revered by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs and his work is still memorised and recited all over India today. Dr Peter Friedlander of the ANU in Canberra has created a new translation of the poetry of Kabir and presents some of the poems and some of his insights into translating this unique poet mystic saint.
In today's program Ela Fornalska's guest is Jeltje. A vast array of ground is covered, including influences, the migrant experience and being a migrant poet, politics and poetry, sound poetry and Jeltje's new collection 'Princes by night'.http://islandpress.tripod.com/ISLAND.htm
George O'Hara is a poet, musician and recorder of other poets and musicians. He has produced several cds of poetry, ukulele songs and electronica over the last few years of his own and others work. He loves reading and listening to all types of music as well as creating music. He has performed with the Melbourne Ukulele Kollective and at a number of music festivals including the Australia Day Parade.This show produced by Santo Cazzati. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M3Yb1874AEhttps://www.facebook.com/events/435375449840291/The feature poet, George O'Hara plays ukulele and writes poems. Then combines the poems and ukulele playing to create... ukupoleelems. He has performed with the Melbourne Ukulele Kollective at several music festivals and also spent some time just being at several music festivals. With stories of love, loss, more love, a little bit more loss and insightful armchair political commentary George adds just the right amount of humour to spice things up a bit.
Ela Fornalska is a poet, language teacher and emerging broadcaster. She had a hiatus from the Melbourne poetry world to live and work in Germany and complete post graduate study on her return. She is now back and a brand new member of the 3CR Spoken Word team of presenters.Ela has performed her work around Melbourne, as well as being published by various literary journals, some of which include ‘mod_piece’, and the bilingual Australian/Austrian journal ‘Gangway’, where her German language poetry has been published. In March 2015, she will have a poem published in the ‘Australian Rationalist’. In the past she had a poem published in ‘Love & Fear: A Poetry Anthology’ as well as having a poem recorded on the ‘Poetry for Peace’ CD, in 2003. Ela has also performed as a feature poet at readings such as ‘Babble’, ‘The Lentil Bash’ and ‘Passionate Tongues’ among others, as well as performing her work at the Overload Poetry Festival in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and at the ‘Montsalvat National Poetry and Song Festival’ in 2005. She has appeared on the former community television poetry program Red Lobster and has worked and performed collaboratively, including with visual artists. In the past, she also created her own zines, some of which are her ‘Word Play’ series and ‘Vitamin D Sunshine’.She is a keen haiku poet, who completed a year of haiku where she wrote a haiku for each day of an entire year in 2005. She is currently undertaking this haiku endeavor again, in 2015. Ela is also a singer and has been a member of various groups.http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A70433?mainTabTemplate=agentWorksBy
Ela Fornalska’s first guest on Spoken Word is Elizabeth ‘Lish’ Skec. Her latest collection of poetry is Breath. Today we will be in conversation with Lish about her poetic life and hear some special selections from Breath which showcase her diversity as a poet. Facebook page for Breath: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breath/284331441740862Amazon page for Breath: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0646919334/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_ChFDtb1Y63HW3H6Shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8s1KwXXSI
Amy Bodossian, quirky, kinky, passionate, colourful, philosophical, spontaneous, unpredictable from one moment to the next, is captured in this studio appearance with Santo Cazzati. The most prosaic conversations between them somehow slip unobtrusively into fine art of the fringe variety. Amy reads her poems about chasing love, her childhood, chasing love, the life of an artist, chasing love, and...chasing love again.Her website is :-amybodossian.comCritically acclaimed Cabaret starlet Amy Bodossian has been captivating audiences with her uniquely irreverent and whimsical blend of song, spoken word and comedy for over ten years. She is also an actor who is represented by Australia’s leading talent agency, Profile Talent Management.Born into the culturally fertile landscape of Adelaide, South Australia – home of the true eccentric – Bodossian studied drama at Flinders Uni, majoring in the gutter and the stars. She quickly became an underground spoken word legend with her raw, poignant, and often comical style of performance poetry. In 2008 she won the SA Young Women Writers’ Award.Since moving to the cultural concrete wonderland of Melbourne in 2009 she has appeared on ABC’s Spicks and Specks, performed at the Woodford Folk Festival, the Falls Festival, The Big Day out, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Fringe, The Adelaide Fringe, and headlined at all of Melbourne’s major poetry evenings.
Santo Cazzati from 3CR Spoken Word performs poetry by Paul Verlaine with musical selections by Gabriel Faure. Santo reads Verlaine in both French and English and mixes in the exquisite music of Faure. Poet Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.Gabriel Urbain Fauré (French: [ɡabʁiɛl yʁbɛ̃ fɔʁe]; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924)[n 1] was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his best-known works are his Pavane, Requiem, nocturnes for piano and the songs "Après un rêve" and "Clair de lune". Although his best-known and most accessible compositions are generally his earlier ones, Fauré composed many of his most highly regarded works in his later years, in a more harmonically and melodically complex style.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Fauré
Jennifer Harrison reads her tender and exquisitely written poetry.She writes both with simplicity akin to childlike observation/ curiosity of details, then shifts to depth of poetic theory in her reflections upon art, nature and any subject she chooses she explores fully until its essence is distilled into poetry. Jennifer writes with perseverance to uncover the words that most need to be spoken and haven't yet been found in poetry. She is a unique and tender poetry writer. One of Melbourne's favourite poets. A great contributor also to anthology collections of poetry upon themes such as Motherhood and also mental health collection at DAX Centre.Peter Davis interviews Jennifer. She reads her poemtry in studio of 3CR.