Public. Open. Space. launches in WA | More poetry lesson plans | A new home for The RITP | On missing and making deadlines
And another thing... about SA's shameful new anti-protest laws
Welcome to my words, thoughts and ponderings for May. This enews includes my first Public. Open. Space. events, some big bookish news for The Relationship is the project, and more.
Public. Open. Space. launches in WA
It’s less than a month until Fremantle Press sends my debut poetry collection out into the world (eep!), starting with two free events in Western Australia:
Boorloo author Laurie Steed will launch the book on the afternoon of Sunday 2nd July at the Fremantle Library, featuring a reading from special guest Timmah Ball.
Or you can join me and Kinjarling poet Barbara Temperton in conversation on the evening of Thursday 13th July at the Albany Public Library.
Tickets are free but bookings are essential. Both events are accessible and family friendly. Light refreshments will be provided. Books will be available to purchase on the night (or are now available for pre-order online).
And watch this space for VIC and SA launch details coming soon.
More poetry lesson plan ideas
In anticipation of next month’s launch, here’s part two of my lesson plan ideas for teachers, librarians and anyone else interested in running your own poetry workshops.
A new home for The Relationship is the Project
The RITP team was thrilled share the news this week that the second edition of The Relationship is the Project officially has a new home with our friends at NewSouth Publishing.
NewSouth was the distributor for our first edition, so we are very excited to be working more closely together on the updated and expanded version.
The RITP 2.0 will be released in the first half of next year.
On missing and making deadlines
"I love deadlines," Douglas Adams once wrote. "I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by."
I've been thinking a lot about this quote the last few weeks, as I finally hit two personal writing deadlines that were both looooooong overdue. In a busy world, I am much, much better at meeting other people's deadlines than my own, and these two family projects have been ticking along for a while.
The first was the final in a series of picture books I've written for my LA neiphlings. It was originally intended to be ready for his birth, but I'll soon be able to read it to him in person (as a very grown up 18-month old). The second was more than 14 years in the making: my 98-year-old Nanna’s memoir, ghostwritten under the near-constant threat of physical violence.
No matter how small (or precious) the audience, there nothing like the feeling of a project that’s finally done.
Tips for coaching yourself and your teams through ‘post’-pandemic challenges
Earlier this year, Clare Travis and I presented a webinar on coaching ourselves and our teams through ‘post’-pandemic challenges. The slides from that session are now available for download Clare’s website.
Coming soon…
I was delighted to talk about my debut poetry collection, the second edition of The Relationship is the Project and all things arts funding and advocacy with Astrid Edwards for The Garret Podcast. Subscribe now to listen to our conversation later this month.
Proud to have my latest arts governance essay in the Winter edition of the new-look Meanjin, out next month. Subscribe now to reserve your copy.
And another thing…
My latest ‘and another thing’ vlog is about South Australia’s shameful new anti-protest laws. These are usually exclusively for my Patreon followers, but this one’s for all of you too.
With control, censorship and protest key themes of my upcoming poetry collection, this is a subject that’s particularly close to my heart. But these worrying developments affect everyone in South Australia and beyond.
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If you’d like more of these rants, you can join me as an advocate, ally or accomplice on Patreon from just $2.50/month).