~ Photo Credit: Emma Byrnes ~
Indrani Perera is a Sri Lankan/German/Australian poet, creator of The Poet's Express e-mail newsletter and a maker of useful things living on unceeded Wurrundjeri Country in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). She is also the founder of Pocketry, the home of unheard voices where she publishes the Pocketry Almanack and hosts the Pocketry Presents podcast.
Indrani is the author of many books including two collections of poetry published by Ginninderra Press, Defenestration and pas de deux. Her handmade chapbooks (Wild Heart and Still:Books) and instant books (Some Thoughts On Writing a Poem For a Journal and Promote Your Poetry) can be bought in her shop.
Her poems have been published in online and print journals in Australia, India and the USA including Axon, Burrow, Cordite, Eye to the Telescope, Gems Zine, hākārā, Jacaranda Journal, More Than Melanin, Not Very Quiet, Rochford Street Review, Science Write Now, Teesta Review, The Crow and The Victorian Writer. They are forthcoming in Kalliope X. She has also been anthologised by Girls on Key, Geelong Writers Inc, Ginninderrra Press and WA Poets Inc.
Indrani has been both highly commended and longlisted for the University of Canberra Vice Chancellors's International Poetry Prize. She was also shortlisted for the Jean Stone Award and the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing: Open Poetry section. Indrani was the winner of Day Four for Red Room's 2022 Thirty in Thirty poetry challenge and in 2017 she was the winner of the Elyne Mitchell Writing Awards Bonus Non-Fiction prize.
In September 2023, Indrani travelled to Western Australia to attend the Perth Poetry Festival. She was invited by WA Poets Inc to be a National Guest Poet for the festival and she featured at the Festival Gala, the Perth Poetry Club, the Multicultural Soirée and the Festival Finale. While in Boorlo/Perth she also facilitated the poetry workshop, Beyond Words.
In August 2020 Indrani ran an online workshop, Promoting Your Poetry, as part of the Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online. She has also featured at Girls On Key and for Melbourne Spoken Word and been interviewed for 3CR's Spoken Word program.
Indrani's latest creation is The Circus of Similes, the place where poetry goes to play. The Circus is a mashup of word games, children’s toys, paper craft, book binding and poetry. You can download and create all sorts of paper ephemera and instant books to brighten your day, inspire your writing and create new poems.
Want more? Read Indrani's blog about writing and the creative process or find her on Instagram.