Poem Diffuser

Posted on August 27, 2025 by magdalenaball

You never know who your poems will reach or where they will end up.  Recently I got an email from someone in India who told me they had read my poem “Somewhere Else” and was moved by it and wanted to make a reed diffuser with the poem on the bottle. The poem isn’t in any of my books and I can’t work out where it was published (maybe The Lake according to my submission spreadsheet but that was 2014 and the link I have no longer works), but it’s nice to know that someone will be reading my work while scenting their house a delicate Garden Lavender fragrance.

https://www.urbanganges.com/product-page/somewhere-else-by-magdalena-ball-poetry-reed-diffuser

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Poetry on the Big Screen

Posted on August 25, 2025 by magdalenaball

As part of the Perth Poetry Festival, all through August, poetry is being projected in random rotation across Perth’s giant public screens for the whole of August, illuminating the city with poetry.  One of the my poems, “Not Literally Audible”, is being included as part of the showcase and you can see it live and large if you live in Perth. If not, the tiny version is here on the right and you’ll just have to imagine the beautiful city of Perth around it. I’ll also be reading the poem live this coming Saturday the 30th of August as part of the Saturday Night Poets gala as I’m heading over to Perth this week as a guest of the festival. If you live in Perth, look up, enjoy the superb poetic atmosphere, and then come along this weekend and join in the fun.  Details here: https://perthpoetryfestival.com/program/

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Ros Spencer Poetry Prize

Posted on August 18, 2025 by magdalenaball

Keeping the Western Australia theme going, I’m so pleased to have been longlisted by judge Kevin Gillam for this year’s Ros Spencer Poetry Prize with a bunch of other terrific poets. All longlisted poems will be included in the Brushstrokes Anthology being publisher later this year. The shortlist will be revealed soon and the winners announced at WA Poets Presents on Thursday August 28th from 6-8pm at The City of Perth Library, as part of the 2025 Perth Poetry Festival, which, of course, I’m delighted to be taking part in as an interstate guest.

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Crossing Boundaries – interview with Beth Spencer

Posted on August 8, 2025 by magdalenaball

I did an interview with Beth Spencer about her book The Age of Fibs some time ago for my Compulsive Reader Talks podcast.  Beth enjoyed the session so much that she turned it into a transcript which she then submitted, by invitation, to Coastlines Journal, an online literary magazine run by Southern Cross University. The discussion was far ranging and included things like public and private histories, how The Age of Fibs came together, identities and popular culture, memory, climate, hope, and despair – all the good stuff!  You can check it out here: https://coastlinesjournal.com/issue-10-crossing-boundaries-finding-hope-beth-spencer

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Perth Poetry Festival!

Posted on July 29, 2025 by magdalenaball

I’m delighted to have been invited as a guest to this year’s Perth Poetry Festival!  The WA poetry scene is very strong with superb poets and a wonderful community and I’ll be joining in 3 big events including the Festival Gala on Friday night, running a “Memoir in Verse” poetry workshop on Sat the 30th, and as a featured poet in the Saturday night poetry session. There are a whole series of terrific workshops all weekend.

Tickets to the Friday night gala available here:
https://events.humanitix.com/ppf2025-gala

Tickets to the workshops are now available here:
Perth Poetry Festival Workshops

Tickets to the Saturday night Poetry session here:
https://events.humanitix.com/ppf2025-satpoets

If you are able to come along to any of the events, please say hello!

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Poetry D’Amour

Posted on July 27, 2025 by magdalenaball

Given I’m heading to Perth for the Perth Poetry Festival very soon, I’m particularly pleased to be on the longlist for the Poetry D’Amour competition this year along with many other poets whose work I admire deeply. I honestly think that a large part of the pleasure of being on a long or shortlist is being part of the community of others also on the list, but then I think that at least some of the great pleasure of being a poet is in community.  Winners will be announced on Thursday the 28th of August at the City of Perth Library.

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Australian Jewish Writer Awards

Posted on July 25, 2025 by magdalenaball

It was my great pleasure to have been invited, along with Katia Ariel and Jessica Abelsohn, to be a judge for the The Szymon (Simon) Klitenik Award for Jewish Fiction as part of the Australian Jewish Writers Awards.  The shortlist is now out and judges comments are available in the link below. The winner will be announced on the 24th of August and wins a prize of $5,000.

https://www.shalomcollective.com.au/programs/jewish-book-awards?p=our-offerings&m=2025-awards-the-szymon-simon-klitenik-award-for-jewish-fiction-

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Sydney Launch of Gold Digger by Lisa Collyer

Posted on June 26, 2025 by magdalenaball

On Saturday, the 27th of September, I’ll be MCing the Sydney launch of Lisa Collyer’s much awaited new poetry book Gold Digger, which will feature a launch speech by Willo Drummond and readings by the author and some special guests.

Gold Digger challenges the enduring myths of domesticity by portraying women as breadwinners, unearthing the

realities of labour, aspiration, and social mobility. Collyer deftly reveals how women’s work – often overlooked or undervalued – has always been present, from the kitchen to the corridors of power.

The event happens from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Better Read Than Dead, 265 King St, Newtown

For all the details and to book visit: https://www.betterreadevents.com/events/gold-digger-lisa-collyer-with-willo-drummond-and-magdalena-ball

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Dublin: The Circle Sessions

Posted on May 20, 2025 by magdalenaball

Spending Bloomsday in Dublin has long been on my bucket list, and this year I’m not only going to be in Dublin on June the 16th, I’ll also be a feature poet at The Circle Sessions.  These acoustic sessions take place every Monday from 7-11, featuring Spoken Word Poetry, Storytelling, Music and Performance in the International Bar, 23 Wicklow St, Dublin. If, by some coincidence, you are also going to be in Dublin on Bloomsday, please do come join me.   There’s an open mic which you can sign up for from 745.  The beautiful pub, mentioned in Ulysses, is over two hundred years old.

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Judith Feature

Posted on April 17, 2025 by magdalenaball

The Wonderful poet, essayist, translator and scholar Rachel Neve-Midbar has created a beautiful feature of me and my work (and a few of my tiny delights) at Judith Magazine. Judith is a Substack-based showcase of Jewish arts of all kinds and is an absolute treasure trove of complex and meaningful work.  “There are no easy solutions in these poems, but oh, how they help us to think and rethink.” You can find my feature here: https://judithmagazine.substack.com/p/a-broken-world-introducing-the-poetry

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