Magdalena Ball

I’ve been invited to join this exceptional line up of poets next Wed 30th Nov 2022, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Knox Street Bar in Chippendale (21 Shepherd St). The line up includes David Adès, Afeif Ismail, Oscar Douglas, Willo Drummond, Emily Duff, Priyasha Janhavi, Gareth Jenkin, Mark Mordue, Kavita Nandan, and Alec James Wright. Tickets for the event, which can be attended in person or via the professional livestream, can be purchased here: https://events.humanitix.com/news-poets-from-the-north-east-west-south

Live stream link: https://poetrysydney.org/2022/11/11/n-e-w-s-poets-from-north-east-west-south/?fbclid=IwAR3IYa8gBkNPYCFHVBE1FUAoZJRqxW8XDT2Afzd49Gk-bvC0Cy43nc1TQj4

Next Saturday the lovely Jenny Blackford and I will be at the Toronto Multipurpose Centre for the Award Ceremony for the Alice Sinclair Writing Competition Award winner announcement.  Jenny and I were once again judges for this competition (this year I judged poetry and Jenny judged short stories), and we will be reading our adjudication reports and meeting the shortlisted writers, all of whom will be featured in the anthology being created.

This is an open session and all are welcome to attend. Saturday, 12 November, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at Toronto Multipurpose Centre (9 Thorne Street, Toronto). Afternoon tea will be provided. RSVP: alicesinclairprize@gmail.com

This Saturday, November 5th, I’ll be reading poetry at the special live reading event to celebrate the Grieve 10th Anniversary being held at:

Adamstown Arts, Adamstown Uniting Church 228 Brunker Rd Adamstown.

The event, which begins at 1:30pm will feature poems and stories from the past 10 years. If you’re in the vicinity, please come join in the celebrations. It’s free but booking is essential: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/live-reading-grieve-10th-anniversary-tickets-411706724897?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

The 2022 Maitland IF program has just been released and I’m participating in a few exciting events.   The festival runs from October 21st to 30th and features a wide range of literary and artistic events with workshops, family events, readings, panels and lots more.  Most of my sessions are on Saturday the 22nd of October, and include hosting a Flying Island multi-book launch from 10-11am and a brilliant panel called Wild Women of Poetry with some of my favourite poets (and friends) Anne Casey, Jennifer Compton, and Ali Whitelock, hosted by the incomparable Gillian Swain.  The full festival program is available here: https://ifmaitland.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IF-2022-Final-Program-Printable-3.pdf

It was a long drive from Newcastle to Canberra and back again the next morning, but worth every mile to be able to perform with this great bunch of talented poets at the iconic Smith’s Alternative  including my co-feature Daniel Ionita, and an open mic featuring the who’s who of Canberra’s thriving poetry scene like Lizz Murphy, PS Cottier (current poetry editor of the Canberra Times), Jacqui Malins, Martin Dolan, Gemma Nethercote Way, Andrew Moss, and Philip Norton to name just a few all beautifully managed by sparkling MC Sarah St Vincent Welch. What an honour.

So excited to be included for the second time in Raining Poetry in Adelaide. The way it works is that poem are temporarily stencilled onto the pavement and become fully visible when it rains. The full poetry map is here: https://tinyurl.com/RPIA2022

I was invited to submit a poem to this stunning exhibition at Lighthouse Arts to celebrate the migration of whales along the east coast of Australia.  My poem, titled “Migaloo” (after the beautiful and well-known Albino humpback) will be printed either A1 or A2, framed and exhibited beside stunning artworks about whales. There will be photographs, print works, paintings and other media on display including artworks by Aboriginal artists Emily Lloyd, Siarn Staley, Saretta Fielding, Wanda Matthews and her sister Charmon accompanying the Awabakal whale story provided by Bronwyn and Shane Frost. The exhibition opens Saturday 6th August and will run until Sunday 18th September, with the Exhibition Space open on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 4pm.  You might even catch sight of a migrating whale!

Very excited to be reading with Daniel Ionita at That Poetry Thing, Monday 29th August 7pm at Smith’s Alternative. This will be my first gig on Ngunnawal Country, in Canberra. There will be an open mic, so please come join us. Tickets can be obtained here: https://www.smithsalternative.com/events/that-poetry-thing-77280?fbclid=IwAR2nyd9Tf2t6G-HUz-JWbM8lxWPC8YbAYfSIl11oJ8uqXR9hDFv8FYPHNmE