PEN Perth

16/10/2026

Last night at Ode to Sirens, we enjoyed surprising, moving and at times, unsettling, poetry from two fine poets: Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes from Ethiopia and Srijato from Bengal, India.

Yirga’s poetry is deeply connected to culture, land and belonging. He spoke about the Ethiopian tradition of ‘wax and gold’, where the surface meaning of a poem holds a deeper, hidden message.

Srijato’s poetry can be deceptively simple, finding moments in everyday life before introducing a jarring dissonance. For him, meaning and content take precedence over form.

Robbie Wood from Centre for Stories thoughtfully guided the conversation, exploring how their experiences of political and social challenges shape their writing, and how closely observing the world can become a way of questioning its systems.

An evening of powerful words and generous conversation, brought fresh perspectives to a new audience.

06/10/2026

A mgical start to . If you missed the opening, do check out many many other wonderful events in the festival. And please come and support the PEN Perth panel including local and overseas poets
https://totallylit.au/program/the-costs-of-bearing-witness/

17/09/2026

Latest newsletter available - see link in bio - lots going on 🙏

04/09/2026

Friends in Perth, when I posted this event on my personal page, I got a lovely response from a Curtin University alumna expressing her joy at the prospect of seeing her favourite teacher and poet Yirga and her favourite poet Srijato on the same panel.

Don’t miss this important conversation about the risky business of writing poetry, anchored by Robert Wood.

Organisations like PEN International argue that around the world legal and illegal attacks on writers are on the increase. But is poetry inherently risky business? Do poets have to take...

21/08/2026

Poems of War and Peace
Hearing the original language of the poets with translations - heart wrenching, poignant and real. A wonderful evening shared with a supportive community…

Thanks to Vivienne Glance, Lakshmi Kanchi, Afeif Ismail and Dr Ishraga Mustafa Hamid - and Centre for Stories as always for our fabulous venue 💕🙏

.glance

05/08/2026

Words matter.

So does the freedom to write them.

Every day, writers around the world are imprisoned simply for expressing their ideas.

PEN Perth stands with them.

Our account is almost 1,000 strong. If you believe words should never be silenced, follow PEN Perth
penperth.com

03/08/2026

PEN Perth invites you to an evening of poetry exploring war, peace, exile, identity and hope.

Poems of War and Peace brings together four poets:
Afeif Ismail
Vivienne Glance
Lakshmi Kanchi
Dr Ishraga Mustafa Hamid

Hosted by Vivienne Glance, this special event will feature readings and conversation reflecting on war, peace and survival through the unique perspective of poetry.

Thursday 20 August
6.00–7.15 pm (following the PEN Perth AGM)
Centre for Stories, Northbridge
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/poems-of-war-and-peace

We'd love to see you there, and please feel free to share this invitation with friends, colleagues and anyone who may be interested.

Thank you for your support.

After the PEN Perth AGM, poets will share their experiences of war and responses to peace in its many forms and meanings.

10/07/2026

Say happy birthday to Galal and let him know you are thinking of him on his birthday.

Today, Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy turns 36, marking another birthday in prison. Arrested in March 2018 for his poetry, he was sentenced by a military court on charges of "spreading fake news" and "insulting the army." In prison, he's endured torture, hunger strikes, and systematic denial of basi...

04/07/2026

20/06/2026

On World Refugee Day, 20 June, we recognise the courage, resilience and contributions of millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict, persecution, violence or human rights abuses.

At PEN Perth, we stand in solidarity with refugees, asylum seekers and displaced writers whose voices are too often silenced. We affirm the importance of freedom of expression, the right to tell one’s story, and the dignity of every person seeking safety and a place to belong.

Today is an opportunity to listen, learn and act with compassion. Behind every refugee statistic is a human story of loss, hope, strength and survival.