Poetry Writers Panel: The Power of Poetry
Step into the rhythm and resonance of poetry in this intimate panel exploring the craft, courage and creativity behind the form. From page to performance, discover how poets shape language into something that lingers long after the final line.
Event #18 – RACV Torquay Resort
3:15pm-4:00pm
Cost: $25
Diane Fahey
Diane Fahey is one of Australia’s foremost poets and the author of sixteen poetry collections, most recently Sanctuaries (2024), a dedicated exploration of birdlife. Her deep connection to the Barwon Heads landscape is captured in two of her previous volumes: Sea Wall and River Light (2006) and A House by the River (2016).
An acclaimed voice in Australian literature, Diane has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the ACT Government’s Judith Wright Prize, and has been shortlisted for six other major book awards. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Western Sydney University (UWS).
Robyn Rowland
Dr. Robyn Rowland AO is an Irish-Australian citizen who has spent four decades living between Ireland and Victoria. Since 2009, she has also worked extensively in Turkey. In 2019, she returned to Australia to serve as a companion and carer for her father until his passing at 102. Now based in Victoria, her most recent collection is Steep Curve (2024).
Robyn is the author of fifteen books, including twelve poetry collections. Notable among these are her bilingual Turkish-English works: Under This Saffron Sun – Safran Güneşin Altında (2019) and This Intimate War: Gallipoli/Çanakkale 1915 – İçli Dışlı Bir Savaş (2015; republished 2018).
Her work has been featured in international journals across nine countries and eight editions of Best Australian Poems. An acclaimed reader, Robyn has performed in over ten countries and is featured in the National Irish Poetry Reading Archive at University College Dublin. She has been shortlisted for and has won numerous awards, including the Peter Porter Poetry Prize and the ACU Poetry Prize.
Geoff Carr
Geoff Carr is a Ballarat-based author whose short stories are deeply rooted in his childhood in the Wimmera town of Stawell. Growing up enveloped by the blue silhouettes of the Grampians and the Black Ranges, Geoff carries that landscape into his writing, drawing on a lifetime of experiences before and during his fifty-year teaching career in Ballarat.
His collection, Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories, offers a sentimental portrait of Australian boyhood and bush life, told with quintessential country charm and humor. “This is a book of memories,” Geoff says. “I want people to be transported back to a time where those nostalgic memories can be reignited.”
Moderator – Chrissie Bellbrae
Chrissie Bellbrae decided that life was too short to wait after a major health scare, prompting her to take matters into her own hands. On her 63rd birthday, she released her debut novel—a story inspired by the Arthurian legend of Tristan and Isolde and the captivating tales told by her grandmother.
Chrissie draws inspiration from the gaps in her own ancestry research to craft immersive dual narratives. These stories transport readers from the past to the present, featuring characters who lead lives far more remarkable than her ancestors likely ever experienced.
An active member of the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) and the Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), Chrissie is a familiar face around Torquay. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cheering on the Torquay Tigers or swimming with the Wednesday Ocean Waders. Chrissie gratefully acknowledges living and writing by the salt water on Wadawurrung Country. The Romanov Secret is her second novel.
Take a look at our other sessions
This year’s line-up also includes bestselling and award-winning authors including Sarah Bailey and J.P. Pomare, who will take to the stage for a special live recording of their podcast, “He Read, She Read”, alongside acclaimed writers Alli Sinclair, Antoun Issa, Melissa Manning, Mark Smith, Tanya Scott, Brendan Cullen and Paul Mitchell, Emma Hardy, Kate Halfpenny and many more.