Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: open mic

Perth Poetry Festival 2023

I am honoured to announce that I will be a National Guest Poet at this year's Perth Poetry Festival alongside Juan Garrido-Slagado from South Australia and Jean Kent from New South Wales. We'll be joining International Guest Poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay from India as well as Local Guest Poets Lisa Collyer, Caitlin Maling, Talya Ruben and Luoyang Chen. The festival will take place from 9-17 September 2023 on Whadjuk Noongar land in and around the glorious Western Australian city of Boorlo / Perth.

I've been enviously observing the vibrant Perth Poetry scene from afar for quite some time and I am looking forward to discovering new poets, hearing amazing poetry and being part of it all, even if it's only for a short time. There are so many great poets coming out of Western Australia including Shastra Deo, Madison Godfrey, Scott Patrick Mitchell (who I got to interview in season one of Pocketry Presents), Rashida Murphy, Nadia Rhook and Elfie Shiosaki. And so many workshops I wish I could do, especially those being held at the Wetlands Centre (where Lakshmi R Kanchi is the poet in residence) and at the Centre for Stories.

It's going to be my second visit to the city. The first was with my parents when I was in primary school and I can barely remember anything from that trip. I'm looking forward to rediscovering this west coast city.

WA Poets Inc put on a great festival and there will be performances, open mics, workshops and more!

If this sounds like your cup of tea, you can find the workshops here. There's an early bird discount if you book before 1 July 2023.

May 31, 2023
Back on the Stage

With all the lockdowns during the pandemic I got out of the spoken word habit. I've attended a gig here or there. In March I was lucky enough to catch Andy Jackson, winner of the Prime Minister's Award for Poetry reading from his most recent collection, Human Looking. I also heard my beautiful youngest daughter reading for her first feature set at Radio Laria in Northcote. That all changed last night when I tamed the butterflies and got back up on the stage.

The hosts of Littlefoot & Co, Eden and Josh, are beautiful human beings who create a safe and welcoming space for poets of all abilities. Their warmth is what makes this event special. The venue itself at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren is an intimate studio theatre with brilliant acoustics. The sound and lighting tech are all taken care of by Bunjil Place staff making this one of the most schmick spoken word events in Melbourne. Forget about noisy pubs or hole in the wall dens, this is next level professional. And there was free soup and sourdough bread! Seriously good people.

I performed two pieces. One was published in The Victorian Writer and the other was a newer piece I wrote after coming back home from Sri Lanka at the end of last year. Being back on the stage again was brilliant. I love performing in spite of the nerves! And hearing other poets read their poetry is always inspiring and affirming. But the best bit of the night was after all the performances were over and I got to meet and speak to the other performers. So good!!! A huge shout out to Littlefoot & Co, all the poets and the audience for making it such a great night.

May 26, 2023
Twenty Four Hours of Poetry

I have just spent the most amazing day immersed in the world of words. It began with Claire G Coleman's workshop, Embracing Your Poetic Licence, at the Wheeler Centre for Books. The workshop was part of the Melbourne Writers Festival and it was wonderful to be attending an event at my first ever writers' festival. It sorta felt like a coming of age moment as an author! The festival program was incredible and there were so many great workshops that I wanted to do but I decided to be content with one.

Claire is the author of several books including Terra Nullis and I've wanted to attend one of her workshops for a long time. She gave us some great exercises and stressed the importance of reading poetry for all authors but especially authors of prose to learn the techniques of lyrical writing.

After the workshop some fellow festival goers were heading out for drinks so I tagged along as we headed downstairs to the Moat. It was so, so, so cool to be chatting to other writers in a spontaneous gathering after an event. This never happens to me – usually all my commitments as a mother prevent this from happening! Thanks Tash for the idea. And the funny thing was, three of us were having milestone birthdays in the following week – 40, 45 and 50. What an odd coincidence!

I spent the rest of the evening out in Fairfield at my first Mothertongue spoken word event. I'd seen one of the co-hosts, Fleassy Malay at a festival at CERES a few years back and since then Mothertongue had been on my list gigs to attend. It was wonderful to be back in the spoken word space, hearing the stories and words of women and gender diverse poets speaking their truth. It was an intimate gig and the cakes and chai from the caterers were delicious. I could even eat them which is no mean feat given all my intolerances!

After the gig I got a lift into the city from a lovely poetry friend and spent the night in a hotel!! It was a real treat to be able to stay out as late as I wanted and not worry about having to catch public transport home to the hills. It was wonderful to stay in such a lovely room with city all lit up outside my window.

The next day I hopped on a tram to Carlton for Emilie Collyer's workshop, Where We Meet the World. The workshop was put on by Melbourne Poet's Union and they even provided snacks! Fresh fruit, biscuits and tea and coffee for the break. It's the first writing workshop I've been to where I've been fed!

Emilie is brilliant. I could happily do her workshop every single week it was that good. If you ever get the chance to do one her workshops, sell the car, abandon the cat. Do whatever it takes, but be there. I promise you, you won't regret it. Not for one moment.

I feel so blessed to have been able to spend a while day devoted to my passions. A day of learning, writing, reading, speaking and hearing poetry. What more can a woman ask for?

September 11, 2022
Littlefoot & Co Spoken Word

Last night saw me heading south to Bunjil Place in Narre Warren for the Littlefoot and Co spoken word night. Bunjil Place is an incredible venue. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, it's well worth the trip. They have an incredible program of events throughout the year and the building is state of the art.

It was a wonderful night of spoken word and poetry with perfomances from first time poets right through to the 2020 Australian Poetry Slam Champion, Ren Alessandra. Spoken word gigs are a roller coaster of emotion as the poets take you on a wild ride through their experiences and imaginations. What I love about spoken word and the poetry community here in Melbourne is how welcoming they are. It doesn't matter if you're a novice or a superstar, everyone gets an enthusiastic reception. Of course, part of what makes this particular event so special is its hosts, Eden and Josh.

It was only the second time I've perfomed live since lockdown ended and it was wonderful to be back on stage. For once, I didn't preplan or rehearse everything I was going to say. I wasn't even 100% sure what poems I was going to recite. I was too busy before hand to prepare so I decided to try something new and wing it!

I had a few poems I was thinking about performing but it wasn't until the gig was underway that I made my final choice. I recited My Words and The Shift which are about the creative porcess of writing a poem and I finished with Never Seen which was published in Brownface, issue 100 of Cordite.

It was interesting performing in this way – with no practice or preparation. I liked speaking off the cuff about my poems and I wasn't too nervous either. Perhaps it was because I wasn't trying to be perfect and get all the words to my intorduction right. Maybe it's because it was familiar and I've done it before. Whatever the reason, I really appreicated the feeling of being comfortable on stage and behind the microphone. I found I still knew My Words and The Shift off by heart even though it's been a while since I've perfomed them. It was like slipping into an old and familiar jumper that's cosy and warm.

The night ended with two original songs from a local songwriter and musician. This is one of the best spoken gigs in Melbourne and I'll definitely be going back for more poetry goodness!

March 12, 2021
Events
Featured Poet

Event: Beit e’Shai Sunday Teahouse Session #1

Time: 5.00 pm – 7.00pm

Date: Sunday 17th November 2024

Venue: Beit e’Shai Pop-up Teahouse & Gallery, 372 high Street, Preston, Victoria 3072

Cost: Free for Aboriginal friends and community; sliding scale tickets + tea on arrival

BOOK NOW!

Open Mic

Event: Radio Laria

Time: 7.30 – 9.45 pm

Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024

Venue: O pen Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $5 – $10

Beyond the Page Poetry Workshop with Indrani Perera

Do you find it hard to put your feelings into words? Are you struggling to find ideas? Has the muse left you and inspiration fled? Are you stuck in a rut with your writing — revisiting the same metaphors and line breaks again and again?

It’s time to neurohack your writing and get out of your poetry rut!

In this two hour workshop with Indrani Perera, author of pas de deux and editor of the Pocketry Almanack, you’ll learn how to get out of your head and creep into the cracks by exploring the spaces in between. Through exercises and writing prompts you will:
- use movement and drawing as part of your writing practice and to access different parts of the brain.
- write poems from different points of view, including insects and inanimate objects.
- write using senses other than sight — especially those of sound and hearing.
Bring your child-like self, a sense of adventure and a willingness to play!

Proudly part of Sonic Poetry Festival 2024: poetry that sounds like all of us.

Event: Sonic Poetry Festival 2024

Time: 10.30.00am – 12.30pm AEST

Date: Saturday 7th September 2024

Venue: Activity Room 2, Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre

Address: 251 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Cost: $30

BOOK NOW!

Featured Poet

Event: Perc.u.lations

Time: 3.00 pm

Date: Saturday 10th August 2024

Venue: Kafé on Hemmings, 86 Hemmings Street Dandenong, Victoria

Cost: pay as you feel

Open Mic

Event: Cherry Tree Poets

Time: 1.30 pm

Date: Saturday 6th July 2024

Venue: Cherry Tree Hotel, 53 Balmain street, Cremorne, Vic 3121

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: Radio Laria

Time: 7.30 – 9.45 pm

Date: Wednesday 3rd July 2024

Venue: O pen Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $5 – $10

Open Mic

Event: Cherry Tree Poets

Time: 1.30 pm

Date: Saturday 29th June 2024

Venue: Cherry Tree Hotel, 53 Balmain street, Cremorne, Vic 3121

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Thursday 16th May 2024

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Featured Poet

Event: Festival Finale, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 6.30 pm

Date: Sunday 17th September 2023

Venue: Switch Theatre, 555 Wellington Street, Perth, 6000

Cost: $15 conc, $20 full

Featured Poet

Event: Crossing Borders – A Multicultural Soirée, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 7.00 – 8.00 pm

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Planet Royale, 12 Lake Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: $15 conc, $20 full

Featured Poet

Event: Perth Poetry Club

Time: 2.00 – 4.00 pm

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Moon Cafe, 2/323 William Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: by donation

Beyond the Page – A Liminal Spaces Workshop with Indrani Perera

Get out of your head and creep into the cracks with a workshop that explores the spaces in between. Bring your child-like self, a sense of adventure and a willingness to play. Through movement, sound and drawing you’ll discover how to write poems that move beyond the page.

As a tool to tap into those spaces between our thoughts, this workshop will also explore different ways of using pen and paper. Bring along any art supplies that feel inspiring (coloured pencils, textas, watercolour paints, pastels) as well as journals, sheets of blank paper etc. It’s an excuse to go wild in the stationery section!

Event: Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 9.00 – 11.00am AWST

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Centre for Stories. 100 Aberdeen St, Northbridge, WA

Cost: $25-35

Featured Poet

Event: Festival Gala, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 7.00 pm

Date: Thursday 14th September 2023

Venue: Planet Royale, 12 Lake Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: $25 conc, $30 full

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Tuesday 20th June 2023

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Thursday 25th May 2023

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Workshop

Event: Word Play

Time: 10.30 am – 12.00 pm

Date: Tuesday 21st March 2023

Venue: Harkaway, Victoria

Cost: $15 per student

Anthology Launch

Event: Shoot the Breeze anthology at Radio Laria

Time: 7.00 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 1st Feburary 2023

Venue: O pen Studio,204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: 0 – $15

Open Mic

Event: Mothertongue

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Friday 9th September 2022

Venue: The Crucible, Fairfield Uniting Church, Fairfield

Cost: 0 – $15

Featured Poet

Event: Girls On Key Featuring Indrani Perera and Helen Bradwell

Time: 7.00 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 7th July 2021

Venue: Open Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $11.50 / $9.00 (only 30 available)

Buy Tickets

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 4th July 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: free (donation to support the Motley Bauhaus’s relocation)

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 2nd May 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: $5 cover charge

Open Mic

Event: Littlefoot & Company

Time: 7.45 pm

Date: Thursday 22nd April 2021

Venue: Bunjil Place Studio, Narre Warren

Cost: Free

Book Launch

Book: pas de deux by Indrani Perera

Time: 7.00 pm

Date: Tuesday 30th March 2021

Venue: Zoom

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6014563938

RSVP: hello@indraniperera.com by 23 March 2021

Open Mic

Event: Littlefoot & Company

Time: 7.45 pm

Date: Thursday 11th March 2021

Venue: Bunjil Place Studio, Narre Warren

Cost: Free

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 7th February 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: $5 cover charge

Promoting Your Poetry Workshop

You’ve written a book. Yay you! Now what? This workshop will show you how to promote your poetry online and in person so that people will learn about you and want to buy your work.

You’ll learn how to create an online presence, how to find a writing community and how to build your reputation and get your work known by fellow poets. The workshop will also touch on branding and creating promotional materials. Promoting Your Poetry is aimed at poets but the content applies to all writers seeking to promote themselves.

Facilitator: Indrani Perera

Organiser: Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online

Time: 2.00pm AEST

Date: Saturday 1st August 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: $20

Podcast

Event: Words Out Loud – Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online Edition

Organiser: Words Out Loud Ballarat

Date: from 30 July 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Poetry Slam

Event: Get It Out There Poetry Slam

Organiser: Art Is… Festival

Time: 7.00 – 9.00 pm

Date: Thursday 25th June 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Featured Poet

Event: Fresh Voices for Melbourne Spoken Word Poetry Festival

Time: 6.30 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 17th July 2019

Venue: Bargoonga Nganjin, 182-186 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North

Cost: free
August 31, 2018
Events
Featured Poet

Event: Beit e’Shai Sunday Teahouse Session #1

Time: 5.00 pm – 7.00pm

Date: Sunday 17th November 2024

Venue: Beit e’Shai Pop-up Teahouse & Gallery, 372 high Street, Preston, Victoria 3072

Cost: Free for Aboriginal friends and community; sliding scale tickets + tea on arrival

BOOK NOW!

Open Mic

Event: Radio Laria

Time: 7.30 – 9.45 pm

Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024

Venue: O pen Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $5 – $10

Beyond the Page Poetry Workshop with Indrani Perera

Do you find it hard to put your feelings into words? Are you struggling to find ideas? Has the muse left you and inspiration fled? Are you stuck in a rut with your writing — revisiting the same metaphors and line breaks again and again?

It’s time to neurohack your writing and get out of your poetry rut!

In this two hour workshop with Indrani Perera, author of pas de deux and editor of the Pocketry Almanack, you’ll learn how to get out of your head and creep into the cracks by exploring the spaces in between. Through exercises and writing prompts you will:
- use movement and drawing as part of your writing practice and to access different parts of the brain.
- write poems from different points of view, including insects and inanimate objects.
- write using senses other than sight — especially those of sound and hearing.
Bring your child-like self, a sense of adventure and a willingness to play!

Proudly part of Sonic Poetry Festival 2024: poetry that sounds like all of us.

Event: Sonic Poetry Festival 2024

Time: 10.30.00am – 12.30pm AEST

Date: Saturday 7th September 2024

Venue: Activity Room 2, Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre

Address: 251 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Cost: $30

BOOK NOW!

Featured Poet

Event: Perc.u.lations

Time: 3.00 pm

Date: Saturday 10th August 2024

Venue: Kafé on Hemmings, 86 Hemmings Street Dandenong, Victoria

Cost: pay as you feel

Open Mic

Event: Cherry Tree Poets

Time: 1.30 pm

Date: Saturday 6th July 2024

Venue: Cherry Tree Hotel, 53 Balmain street, Cremorne, Vic 3121

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: Radio Laria

Time: 7.30 – 9.45 pm

Date: Wednesday 3rd July 2024

Venue: O pen Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $5 – $10

Open Mic

Event: Cherry Tree Poets

Time: 1.30 pm

Date: Saturday 29th June 2024

Venue: Cherry Tree Hotel, 53 Balmain street, Cremorne, Vic 3121

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Thursday 16th May 2024

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Featured Poet

Event: Festival Finale, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 6.30 pm

Date: Sunday 17th September 2023

Venue: Switch Theatre, 555 Wellington Street, Perth, 6000

Cost: $15 conc, $20 full

Featured Poet

Event: Crossing Borders – A Multicultural Soirée, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 7.00 – 8.00 pm

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Planet Royale, 12 Lake Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: $15 conc, $20 full

Featured Poet

Event: Perth Poetry Club

Time: 2.00 – 4.00 pm

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Moon Cafe, 2/323 William Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: by donation

Beyond the Page – A Liminal Spaces Workshop with Indrani Perera

Get out of your head and creep into the cracks with a workshop that explores the spaces in between. Bring your child-like self, a sense of adventure and a willingness to play. Through movement, sound and drawing you’ll discover how to write poems that move beyond the page.

As a tool to tap into those spaces between our thoughts, this workshop will also explore different ways of using pen and paper. Bring along any art supplies that feel inspiring (coloured pencils, textas, watercolour paints, pastels) as well as journals, sheets of blank paper etc. It’s an excuse to go wild in the stationery section!

Event: Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 9.00 – 11.00am AWST

Date: Saturday 16th September 2023

Venue: Centre for Stories. 100 Aberdeen St, Northbridge, WA

Cost: $25-35

Featured Poet

Event: Festival Gala, Perth Poetry Festival 2023

Organiser: WA Poets Inc

Time: 7.00 pm

Date: Thursday 14th September 2023

Venue: Planet Royale, 12 Lake Street, Northbridge, 6003

Cost: $25 conc, $30 full

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Tuesday 20th June 2023

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Open Mic

Event: LittleFoot & Co

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Thursday 25th May 2023

Venue: Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, 3805

Cost: free

Workshop

Event: Word Play

Time: 10.30 am – 12.00 pm

Date: Tuesday 21st March 2023

Venue: Harkaway, Victoria

Cost: $15 per student

Anthology Launch

Event: Shoot the Breeze anthology at Radio Laria

Time: 7.00 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 1st Feburary 2023

Venue: O pen Studio,204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: 0 – $15

Open Mic

Event: Mothertongue

Time: 7.30 pm

Date: Friday 9th September 2022

Venue: The Crucible, Fairfield Uniting Church, Fairfield

Cost: 0 – $15

Featured Poet

Event: Girls On Key Featuring Indrani Perera and Helen Bradwell

Time: 7.00 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 7th July 2021

Venue: Open Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote, 3070

Cost: $11.50 / $9.00 (only 30 available)

Buy Tickets

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 4th July 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: free (donation to support the Motley Bauhaus’s relocation)

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 2nd May 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: $5 cover charge

Open Mic

Event: Littlefoot & Company

Time: 7.45 pm

Date: Thursday 22nd April 2021

Venue: Bunjil Place Studio, Narre Warren

Cost: Free

Book Launch

Book: pas de deux by Indrani Perera

Time: 7.00 pm

Date: Tuesday 30th March 2021

Venue: Zoom

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6014563938

RSVP: hello@indraniperera.com by 23 March 2021

Open Mic

Event: Littlefoot & Company

Time: 7.45 pm

Date: Thursday 11th March 2021

Venue: Bunjil Place Studio, Narre Warren

Cost: Free

Open Mic

Event: P-Word Sessions

Time: 4.00 pm

Date: Sunday 7th February 2021

Venue: Mötely Bauhaus, 102 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North

Cost: $5 cover charge

Promoting Your Poetry Workshop

You’ve written a book. Yay you! Now what? This workshop will show you how to promote your poetry online and in person so that people will learn about you and want to buy your work.

You’ll learn how to create an online presence, how to find a writing community and how to build your reputation and get your work known by fellow poets. The workshop will also touch on branding and creating promotional materials. Promoting Your Poetry is aimed at poets but the content applies to all writers seeking to promote themselves.

Facilitator: Indrani Perera

Organiser: Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online

Time: 2.00pm AEST

Date: Saturday 1st August 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: $20

Podcast

Event: Words Out Loud – Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online Edition

Organiser: Words Out Loud Ballarat

Date: from 30 July 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Poetry Slam

Event: Get It Out There Poetry Slam

Organiser: Art Is… Festival

Time: 7.00 – 9.00 pm

Date: Thursday 25th June 2020

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

Featured Poet

Event: Fresh Voices for Melbourne Spoken Word Poetry Festival

Time: 6.30 – 9.30 pm

Date: Wednesday 17th July 2019

Venue: Bargoonga Nganjin, 182-186 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North

Cost: free
August 31, 2018