Breaking news! My poem “Imago” has won second prize! There were 500 entries so I’m very pleased to have placed in this amazing competition. ❤️
What a joy to be on the fantastic shortlist for this year’s Ros Spencer Poetry Prize. Winners will be announced on Friday the 28th of August (that would be tomorrow as I type) and of course all shortlisted poems will be included in the anthology.
My poem “Imago” has been longlisted for the wonderful Ros Spencer Poetry Prize along with many other fine poets. The shortlist and winners will be announced at this year’s Perth Poetry Festival at the end of the month (Aug). All longlisted authors will be published in the 2026 Brushstrokes Poetry Anthology to be launched in November this year.
Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by publisher Ted Olczak for his Printed Word ANZ special issue. We covered a lot of ground including such things as the way living in Australia has (re)shaped my voice as a poet, some of the themes that I’m seeing come through at writers festivals, the challenges facing independent publishers, how to break into reviewing, and even the links between myself in Australia and my great-grandmother Rebecca, who I wrote about in Bobish. You can read the whole interview here: https://www.independentpressaward.com/subscribe
In what’s looking like an exciting and busy August, I’ll be talking with the wonderful Joanne Fedler about her beautiful new memoir Bring Us Home From Sorrow on Tuesday the 4th of August at 7pm as part of Shalom Collective’s Festival of the Spoken Word. Tickets are still available and we’d love for you to join us there. Visit: https://www.shalomcollective.com.au/whats-on/bring-us-home-from-sorrow
My fellow writer and interviewer extraordinaire Ed McManis invited me to participate in his fun project Sugar Frosted Koans. Koans are meditations from Zen Buddhism that transcend rational thinking. Along with a dozen or so other poets, we were invited to contribute 2-5 Sugar Frosted Koans in McManis’ invented form of three stanzas with a repeating introductory line: “In Heaven…” with a volta or some twist or turn (I had Laurel Near’s very strange song from Eraserhead stuck in my head the whole time I worked on this project). The book is now out on Amazon here and I’m pleased to be a part of it (I believe I’m the “Maggie Pops” on the cover): Sugar Frosted Koans
When festival director Debbie Lee asked me if I would moderate a session titled Death, Grief, and Finding the Light for this year’s Melbourne Jewish Book Week with extraordinary authors Joanne Fedler, Katia Ariel, and Andrea Goldsmith, I was delighted. These authors have written some of my favourite books – all exquisite, and all people I’ve had the pleasure of being in contact with over the past year. This is going to be such a powerful, nourishing session and if you’re able to attend, please come and join us. Festival passes are on sale now, and I’ll update with individual session links when they become available.
Cathedral – Gums at twilight by Brian Purcell (a hint at the heartwood of the book)
I’m delighted that my new poetry collection will be published in Feb 2027 by Liquid Amber Press. Liquid Amber press is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting poetry publishers in Australia with an excellent design and editorial team and a terrific list of poets. I’m so pleased to be working with them and joining this high-calibre group. More details soon, but for now, if you’d like to join my early-readers program or put your name down for a heavily discounted autographed book in the first two weeks of publication (no obligations in either instance – just an expression of interest at this stage), please drop me a line and I’ll put you on the list.
This Sunday I have the great pleasure of once again interviewing the fabulous Jane Messer about her book Raven Mother. Jane and I spoke at the Newcastle Writers Festival this year and it was such a rich and powerful conversation but of course I had many more questions to ask and now I get to ask them! 
This is a free event at the Randwick Library but unfortunately for anyone who hasn’t already booked, it is already sold out but there is a waitlist which can be joined here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sydney-writers-festival-jane-messer-in-conversation-tickets-1983588335107
I’m delighted to be a part of the 2026 Write Here festival. I have 2 events. The first is on Friday, 15 May from 10:00 – 12:00, a repeat of the fabulous Literary Cruise I did last year, leaving from Booragul Wharf. This year we will combine Devonshire tea with a relaxing cruise and immersive and eco-focused writing exercises that will give new life to your work as you engage with the beauty of Lake Macquarie and the fragility of our world. Book here: https://library.lakemac.com.au/Events/Eco-writing-Cruise-with-Magdalena-Ball#
On Saturday 16 May, 12.30-1.30pm Windale Hub, bilyabayi, I’m hosting a panel including George Kemp, Raaza Jamshed, and Clare Stephens called The First Cut
