Extraordinary Voices for Extraordinary Times is a monthly poetry podcast brought to you by UQP in collaboration with the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Hosts Ellen van Neerven and Omar Sakr will be joined by guest poets as they take up the challenge to write new responsive poetry in a short amount of time.
Host Omar Sakr talks with guest poet Lachlan Brown. Lachlan grew up in Macquarie Fields in South West Sydney. His first collection, Limited Cities (Giramondo, 2012), was commended for the Mary Gilmore Award. His poems have been shortlisted and highly commended for the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize, the Canberra Poetry Prize, the Newcastle Poetry Prize, the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, and the Blake Poetry Prize. He teaches literature at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
Lachlan discusses his new poem 'Walking in Isolation', the challenges of writing a sestina and the photos that inspired his work.
Omar reads his new poem, 'The Poems I Couldn't Write This Week' and discusses the compulsion to write and the industry of poetry.
12 Nov 2020
Episode 5: Hani Abdile and Ellen van Neerven
Ellen van Neerven talks with writer and spoken word poet Hani Abdile. Hani fled the civil war in Somalia at 16, forced to leave her family behind. She made her way to Australian waters by boat and was detained on Christmas Island. Hani is author of 'I Will Rise', an honorary member of PEN International, and a lead writer for Writing Through Fences. She currently lives in Sydney.
Hani discusses her new poem, 'Sadness and the Sea', and Ellen shares her new poem 'Access Denied', both of which address themes of survival, human rights, community and resilience.
To read the poems in full, visit www.uqp.com.au.
CREDITS:
Host: Ellen van Neerven
Producer: Sally Wilson
Audio production: Anthony Frangi
6 Oct 2020
Episode 4: Omar Sakr with Ali Cobby Eckermann
Omar Sakr talks with Ali Cobby Eckermann, a Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal poet and the author of seven books including the verse novel Ruby Moonlight (2012), and the poetry collections Inside My Mother (2015) and the memoir Too Afraid to Cry (2013). In 2017 she was awarded Yale University's Windham Campbell Prize in Poetry.
Ali reads her poem 'Temple', inspired by her recent move to regional South Australia where she grew up, while Omar shares his new poem 'Things That Saved My Life Lately'. They discuss isolation, self care, and slowing down.
To read the poems in full, visit www.uqp.com.au.
CREDITS:
Host: Omar Sakr
Producer: Sally Wilson
Audio production: Anthony Frangi
10 Sept 2020
Episode 3: Ellen van Neerven and Charmaine Papertalk Green
Ellen van Neerven talks with Charmaine Papertalk Green from the Wajarri, Badimaya and Southern Yamaji peoples of Mid West Western Australia.
Charmaine reads her new poem 'Familiar Lines', inspired by lockdown and current events in Western Australia, while Ellen's poem 'Freedom Matters' tells the moving story of a tragic event in 1896 that they recently learnt about.
To read the poems in full, visit www.uqp.com.au.
CREDITS:
Host: Ellen van Neerven
Producer: Sally Wilson
Audio production: Anthony Frangi
13 Aug 2020
Episode 2: Omar Sakr and Ouyang Yu
Our host Omar Sakr is joined by Ouyang Yu, a Chinese-Australian poet, author and translator, as they reflect on their new poems and break down their creative processes.
Ouyang reads a selection of poems from 'Till Covid-Infinite: A Suite of Poems', while Omar reads his new poem 'Relevant to the Day - July 4th, 2020'.
To read the poems in full, visit www.uqp.com.au.
SHOW NOTES:
The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer, translated by Ouyang Yu: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/9867722/version/173239191?l-language=Chinese
'Book without bonking' by Ouyang Yu - Griffith Review (on translating Corpsing by Toby Litt): https://www.griffithreview.com/articles/book-without-bonking/
George Abraham, poet: https://www.gabrahampoet.com/
Adonis, poet: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adonis
'The Man Who Remade Arabic Poetry' - The New York Times: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/18/the-man-who-remade-arabic-poetry
Flag of Permanent Defeat by Ouyang Yu: https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/flag-of-permanent-defeat/
CREDITS:
Host: Omar Sakr
Producer: Sally Wilson
Audio production: Anthony Frangi
3 Jul 2020
Episode 1: Ellen van Neerven and Eunice Andrada
Ellen van Neerven is joined by Eunice Andrada, a Filipina poet and educator, as they reflect on their new poems and break down their creative processes.
In Eunice's poem, 'Nature Heals Itself', she discusses the experience of caring for her mother after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Ellen's poem, '2023' was inspired by the news that Australia has won the rights to host the women's world cup in 2023.
To read the poems in full, visit www.uqp.com.au.
SHOW NOTES
Fake animal news abounds on social media as coronavirus upends life – National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/
‘Weather’ by Claudia Rankine – The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/books/review/claudia-rankine-weather-poem-coronavirus.html
‘Sci-Fi’ by Tracy K. Smith – Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55516/sci-fi
Nick Cave on his darkly exquisite new work: ‘Is there racism in heaven?’ –The Guardian:
‘The revolution will not be zoomed’ by Ellen van Neerven – Peril: https://peril.com.au/back-editions/edition-42/the-revolution-will-not-be-zoomed/
CREDITS:
Host: Ellen van Neerven
Producer: Sally Wilson
Audio production: Anthony Frangi
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