From brushfires, to bog fires, to the burning of libraries; through the flame of the holy spirit to the pagan fires of solstice, fire has been both warm companion and feared and capricious renegade. The elements of fire, water, earth and air are primal sources of inspiration and image. This workshop explores the nature of fire in its many forms, the relationship of fire to feeling, the transformative and destructive power of fire, and its use in ritual.
Photographic material relating to Australian bush fires is explored. Robyn will also explore the use of fire in her own work as examples. This workshop focuses on the emerging meaning of fire and the flame for each writer.
The workshop begins with a talk by Robyn on her own use of the ‘the particular’, analysing her poetry and some prose. It then moves into a guided moment followed by writing towards the topic, a period of writing, and feedback for each participant on their work in terms of the topic set. Each participant is given notes to keep relating to the topic for each workshop, as well as copies of Robyn’s or other poems which exemplify themes.
This workshop can be appropriate for and has been successfully conducted with, established and early writers; poets and prose writers.
Robyn Rowland, Australian-Irish citizen, has been living between Ireland and Australia for over 30 years, and working, teaching and reading in Turkey since 2009. From December 2019 until late 2022 she lived back in Australia, caring for her father, who died, aged 102.
She has eleven poetry books (Australia, Ireland and Turkey), including Mosaics From The Map (Doire, Ireland 2018) and two bilingual, Turkish translations, Mehmet Ali Çelikel: Under This Saffron Sun—Safran Güneşin Altında (Knocknareone, Ireland 2019) and This Intimate War Gallipoli/Çanakkale 1915—İçli Dışlı Bir Savaş: Gelibolu/Çanakkale 1915 (Five Islands Press, Australia and Bilge Kültür Sanat, Türkiye, 2015. Repub. Spinifex, 2018)). She has been awarded Australia Council and Copyrigth Agency grants, and various writing residencies. Robyn has won or been listed for many prizes e.g shortlisted for the ACU Poetry Prize, Newcastle Poetry Prize, Peter Porter Poetry Prize, Lane Cove Poetry Prize, Society of Women Writers National Poetry Prize, Antipodes: Journal of Australian and New Zealand Literature International Poetry prize, Liquid Amber Poetry Prize.
Robyn has published multiple book reviews, journals articles, book chapters on literature and poetry. Her poetry appears in national/international journals in nine countries, fifty anthologies, and eight editions of Best Australian Poems. She has read at major literary festivals in India, Portugal, Ireland, UK, USA, Greece, Austria, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey and Italy, and is published in translation in a number of these. She is filmed reading for the National Irish Poetry Reading Archive, James Joyce Library, UCD, on YouTube.
Extensive interviews: with Denise O’Hagan appeared in The Blue Nib December 2020 https://denise-ohagan.com/robyn-rowland-in-conversation-with-denise-ohagan/and in Helezon this year: https://helezondergisi.com/an-interview-on-poetry-with-the-poet-robyn-rowland-talha-ercevikbas/
Previously, Deputy Chair, Australian Poetry Centre; Curator of various readings. In 1996 (Professor) Dr. Rowland AO was made an Officer in the Order of Australia by the Governor General, for her national and international contributions to women’s health and higher education.
