Spoken Word

Ashleigh Russell takes a sharp and uncompromising look at issues of mental illness and how one lives with it for decades. Her poetry is often dark, certainly insightful, and may trigger discomfort in some listeners. There are, however, significant moments of positivity, joy and relief, which are beautifully articulated by Ashleigh, not only in her actual poetry but also in her chat with Ela.

This programme features the poetry of long time 3CR stalwart, the late Lisa Bellear. Jen Jewel Brown has recently edited a beautiful anthology of Lisa's poetry for University of Western Australia Publishing. For twenty years, Lisa presented Not Another Koori Show on 3CR before her untimely death. She was not only a poet and broadcaster, but also an academic, social worker, photographer, theatre pr...

This week's guest poet is Morgaine van Wingerden, who will be flying to the USA very soon, as a member of the team representing Australia at the National Poetry Slam in Chicago. Morgaine's work pulls no punches, and, amongst other things, she shares with us some of her dark and raw insights into child and motherhood, family violence, modern dating horrors, and the importance of writing in dealing...

Laundry Man aka Jakob Boyd

The remarkable Hunch (aka Daymon Greulich) performs a spectacular set of spoken utterance. He analyses himself, his inner psyche, the world around him, and anything else that might get in the way, at a rate of knots. Just when you thought it couldn't get any faster, he ups the beats per minute to a breathtaking tempo. Norman Gunston on speed. Between pieces, he catches his breath to answer questio...

Our guest poet this week is Laniyuk. Laniyuk is a Larrakia, Kungarrakan and Gurindji poet, living in Melbourne/Naarm. She was recently awarded with the First Nations Writer’s Residency in the 2017 Noted Festival, and Overlands' Writers’ Residency in 2018. She is a contributor to the book, Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives. In the spirit of the theme of NAIDOC Week, "Because...

Girls On Key Director and poet, Anna Forsyth, reads from her second poetry book, Beatific Toast. Interviewed by Di Cousens.

Santo Cazzati presents Jay J Larkin, convenor of the gig Ms Millies, held monthly at Afro Hub in North Carlton. She talks about what motivated her to start this gig and about her interest in poetry in general. We hear substantial pieces by her covering issues of gender, sexuality and race, written and delivered in a pointed and incisive style.

The 2018 Melbourne Spoken Word and Poetry Festival is a wide ranging event over three weeks, featuring both performance poets, more literary page poets, and lots more besides. Santo Cazzati speaks with Melbourne Spoken Word founder Benjamin Solah about this new festival. We hear recordings of three out of the many featured artists.

Save these dates! Tuesday 15th May is the 3CR On-air Spoken Word fundraiser for 3CR Community Radio, and 17th May - 3rd June is the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival. In this program, we talk about these events and hear from some of the performers, Jennifer Compton, Kylie Supski, Tariro Mavondo, Tenda McFly, Tim Evans and Alan Pentland.

Poet and past President of the Melbourne Poets Union, Wendy Fleming reads new poems. Wendy is the author of 'Backyard Lemon'.

Renowned Melbourne sound poets, Sjaak de Jong and Shane Van Den Akker, join us in the studio to talk about the Fluxus art movement and its influence in Australia. With live recordings from their recent Fluxus Lives! event at the Melbourne City Library, as well as performances from Ania Walwicz, Eddy Burger, Anna Fern, Razor Hope, Jeltje Fanoy, Sjaak de Jong, Shane Van Den Akker and Peter Murphy. D...

Poet Judith Rodriguez reads new, unpublished poems. Photo by Di Cousens

Australian Poetry Slam Victorian winner, Sharifa A Tartoussi, shares her epic love poem, talks about her recent publication, "ColourBlind", the experience of performing poetry at the Sydney Opera House, convening GriffinSpeak, her childhood and parents, the poets that inspire her, and much more!

Recording of Hamish Danks Brown featuring for Westword at Dancing Dog Cafe, Footscray.

Three of the team of presenters of the Spoken Word programme, Carmen Main, Ela Fornalska and Santo Cazzati, present a freestyle programme in which they read and talk about some of their favourite poems by poets other than themselves.

Grace de las Nieves reads poetry from he debut collection, "La Gracia de las Nieves". The book is published in Spanish, with English translations. Presenter, Brendan Bonsack, reads the English versions. Grace chats about coming to Melbourne from Chile, women's power and poetry as a language of revolution, the translation process, and the untranslatable concept of "saudade". She also discusses the...

This was an outdoor recording in Castlemaine of poets reading the working of refugee poets, most of whom are in detention offshore, on Manus Island and Nauru. The readers of the poems were Andy Jackson, Klare Lanson, Adam Ford, Margot Feast, Ann de Hugard, Catherine Ryan, Paola Bilbrough, Kent McCarter and Janet Galbraith. The reading was an activity of the Free Poetry Project, affiliated to Writi...

Jocelyn Deane and Carmen Main, in coversation regarding all things poetic. BIO Jocelyn Deane was born in London, 1993, before moving to Australia in 2001. They were awarded the 2013 457 visa prize for poetry, as well as being shortlisted for the 2015 Marsden and Hachette prize. They’ve been published in Voiceworks, Australian Poetry and Seizure magazine, among other places. They currently work as...

Bushfires, gardening, masculinity and family violence, dementia and loneliness, being a mother, being a doctor, celestial bodies, love, religion, football, and more! Kim Jeffs is our guest this week, sharing her work and discussing how poetry has helped change her outlook on life.

Tune in to 3CR to hear Mary Stone share her poetry in discussion with Carmen Main. Mary Stone is a poet, singer, song-writer, artist & librarian. She has featured as a spoken word performer in & around Melbourne, including: West Word, House of Bricks, Chamber Poets, Red Lobster & several cafes, galleries & bars. Some of her poetry has also been included as part of broader art installations & exhib...

The many-talented Nadia Rhook is our guest poet this week, sharing some of her poems, local history and world travel tales.

This is a recording of a reading of  the poetry of poets in detention offshore. It was held outside the office of Chris Crewther, Liberal MP for Dunkley, in Frankston, and afterwards the poems and a letter were handed to his office. Includes music by Kavisha Mazzella from her CD, Riturnella. Readers were Anne Elvey, Jennifer Compton, Linda Stevenson, Avril Bradley and producer, Di Cousens.