The Poetry Kit |
CONTRIBUTORS BIOGRAPHIES Christopher Kelen (Australia) Christopher Kelen is a well known Australian poet whose works have been widely published and broadcast since the mid seventies. The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature describes Kelens work as typically innovative and intellectually sharp. Kelen holds degrees in literature and linguistics from the University of Sydney and a doctorate on the teaching of the writing process, from UWS Nepean. Kelens first volume of poetry The Naming of the Harbour and the Treeswon an Anne Elder Award in
1992. In 1988 Kelen had won an ABA/ABC bicentennial award with his poem Views from Pinchgut. In 1996 Kelen was Writer-in-Residence for the Australia Council at the B.R.Whiting Library in Rome. In 1999 he won the Blundstone National Essay Contest, conducted by Island journal. He also won second prize in the Gwen Harwood Poetry Award that year. In 2000 Kelens poetry/art collaboration (with Carol Archer) Tai Mo Shan/Big Hat Mountain was exhibited at the Montblanc Gallery in Hong Kongs Fringe
Club. And in 2001 another collaboration (essay and watercolour) titled Shui Yi Meng/Sleep to Dream was shown at the Montblanc Gallery. Both exhibitions have been published as full colour catalogues. Kelen's fourth book of poems, Republics, dealing with the ethics of identity in millennial Australia, was published by Five Islands Press in Australia in 2000. A fifth volume, New Territories a pilgrimage through Hong Kong, structured after Dantés Divine Comedy was published with the aid of the Hong Kong Arts Development Board in 2003. In 2004 Kelens most recent chapbook Wyoming Suite a North American sojurn was released by VAC Publishing in Chicago. In 2005, Kelens long poem Macao was shortlisted for the prestigious Newcastle Poetry Prize and a re-edited version of Tai Mo Shan appeared in Southerly Since 2000 Kelen has taught Crea(Document link: KitKelen)tive Writing and Childrens Literature at the University of Macau in South China.Mai Van Phan translated by Do Xuan Oanh (North Vietnam)
Do Xuan Oanh, the translater :
Born 4th January 1923 in Quang Yen, Quang Ninh province, North Vietnam, into a poor worker family of the coal mine area. Grew up from self-education and became jack of all trades : journalist, painter, writer, social worker, song writer, translator, peace activitst etc. Joined the revolution before 1945 and wrote the famous Nineteen August song on the August 1945 General Uprising Day. Wrote many songs and music works during the wars. Translated into Vietnamese many American novels, including Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn first published in Vietnam. Translated into English the play Truong Bas Soul in the Butchers Skin to be performed in America. For a while joined the Vietnam Peace Committee and Vietnam-US Society as Vice-chairman and General Secretary. As a peoples diplomat representing social organisations, had worked with the Vietnam delegation in Vietnam-US Paris Peace Talks from 1968 to 1973. Retired in 1990 to continue with music and translation works.
E-mail: xuanoanh05@yahoo.com
Mai Van Phan:
Mai Van Phan, born in 1955 in Ninh Binh, Red River Delta, North Vietnam. Member of Vietnam Writers Association. Winner of some awards for poetry in Viet Nam. Mai Van Phan is the author of six collections of poetry in Viet nam: Sun Drop, Calling Green, Morning Prayer, Name Giving Ceremony, Contemporary People (Long poem), Water wattle. His poems also appeared in more than 30 anthologies, including, Poetry Kit Magazine 5, published in the British; FULCRUM 3, The Writers Post (Volume 6 & 7), Wordbridge (US); Grey Borders (Canada); Poem and Comment Magazine (S. Korean); Softblow (Singapore).
Geoff Stevens (UK)
Editor of Purple Patch poetry magazine since 1976, own poetry published widely, latest book Keelhauling Through Ireland from Poetry Monthly Press..
Ian C Smith (Australia)
is an Australian writer whose work has appeared in Best Australian Poetry (UQP), Cordite, The Malahat Review, Meanjin, Salt-lick Quarterly, Westerly, and many other literary magazines. His books, These Fugitive Days, &, This is Serious, both published by The Ginninderra Press, Canberra.
Desmond Swords (Ireland)
Desmond Swords is the child of Irish emigrants and was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK in 1967. He is a 2004 Writing and Drama graduate (Lancaster 2.1) and studied under the poet Robert Sheppard. He lives in Dublin and writes in a wide variety of form, including metrical, slam, linquistically innovative, L=A=N=G=A=U=G=E, performance, prose and comedy. He is currently undertaking a web authoring and multi-media course and is actively involved in the Dublin poetry scene, from Poetry Ireland events where he is known as Desmond Swords, right through to the Write and Recite weekly open-mic night; where he is known as "Scouser", and which is reviewed in this months "Totally Dublin" magazine, the author of the piece stating that he made - "the discovery of the genius of Scouser, a brilliant contemporary poet who, on a good night, manages to get kicked out of his own gig." - he has also read and performed with a wide variety of poets, from the current world slam champion Buddy Wakefield and ex world champ Taylor Mali, through to linguistically innovative Irish poet Maurice Scully and Ireland's hottest new female poet Leanne O'Sullivan."
His poetry and criticism is totally web based and can be accessed through
this link. http://www.blogger.com/profile/7592777
Ben Barton (UK)
Ben Bartons poems have appeared in a number of small-press mags both here and abroad, including Isibongo, Panda, Paramter, Poetry Greece, Scriptor, Time Haiku and The Ugly Tree. He has won the Kent Ottakars/Faber Poetry Competition twice (1997-98) and recently presented a short film for the BBC Video Nation project entitled 'No One Reads Poetry'. He works full time as an advertising copywriter.
GARY LEHMANN (USA)
None available
TRIVIKRAMA KUMARI JAMWAL (INDIA)
Trivikrama Kumari Jamwal is currently researching Australian women poets of the 1990s for a Ph.D. thesis. She is a scholar at the Centre for New Literatures, University of Jammu. (India) Her early education and graduation (B.A. Double Major English and Economics) was in Mumbai (then Bombay). After moving to Jammu she completed an M.A. in English at the Jammu University. Somewhere in between she managed to clear a highly exciting but taxing Post Graduate Diploma course in Social Communications Media at the Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai and a Post Graduate Diploma course in Business Management at the University of Jammu. Trivikrama has also trained and worked with Ogilvy & Mather Public Relations, Mumbai and New Delhi; managed the New Delhi branch office of Adityasham Research and Marketing Services, a consultancy specializing in amusement parks; and written features and articles on marketing, advertising, television soap operas, education and accelerated learning, health, womens issues, parenting, pets and human nature in general as well as English Literature-focussed essays and articles.
JENIFFER COMPTON (AUSTRALIA)
I am a poet and playwright who also writes prose. I lives in Wingello on the Southern Highlands of NSW in Australia. My most recent book of poetry is Parker & Quink published by Ginninderra Press and my most recent stage play is The Big Picture which premiered at the Griffin Theatre in Sydney and is published by Currency Press.
From Feb 1 - July 31 2006 I will be the Whiting Fellow in Rome. This Fellowship is awarded by the Australia Council to a poet. While I am based in Rome I would very much like to get out and about to Festivals and readings etc etc. In 2005 I was a guest at the International Festival of Poetry in Genova and had the best time. So - I am ready, willing and able to travel about and can be contacted on my email address jenniferleecompton@hotmail.comBrad Evans (UK)
Brad Evans was born in Sydney, 1971. He was placed into various educational institutions for twenty years, finally escaping in 1997 when poetry became too influential in his life. His poems, articles, interviews, letters and reviews have been published in zines, magazines and anthologies (printed, audio and online) in Europe, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and in Australia. His first full-length book of poems, and them and the jackals and the night, was privately published in 2001.
Brad is also the founder and editor of the print and online journal, Red Lamp, a journal that publishes realist, socialist and humanitarian poetry:
http://www.geocities.com/red_lamp
An audio CD of this journals launch, featuring working class poetry from the inaugural issue, is now available.
Some contributors biographies are not available at the time of going on-line. These will be added as they arrive.
To contact any of the contributors please write to Poetry Kit and your mail will be forwarded.