Caroline Reid Writes

  This year has been an extraordinary one. I decided to quit my part-time job and commit to writing full-time. It was a thrilling and scary decision, a long time in the making. Then, as if I needed reminding that life is short so I had better get on with it, my mother died on January 12th, while I was in hotel quarantine. Two days before my mother's funeral I got a phone call from the UK informing me that my poem 'A Poem To My Mother That She Will Never Read' had won the International Mslexia Award for Poetry. That was one of the most poetic moments of my life. Poetic because the poetry that resonates best with me always makes me feel more than one thing. Being published online meant I was able to submit it to the Woollahra Digital Literary Award for Poetry in Australia. It was announced last night that it won that award.   I am humbled, grateful, proud, teary, sad, elated. Thanks to Woollahra Council & Libraries; Ocean Vuong for the title inspo; all the poets whos

SIARAD won 2nd prize in the International Poetry Book Awards! I feel so much love for the team that created this book: Bronwyn Mehan at Spineless Wonders (ES-Press), Bettina Kaiser, designer and illustrator, and Matilda Gould who provided editorial assistance.   Thanks so much to judge of the award, John Evans, and administrator Dave Lewis.  And big congratulations to Rufus Mufasa for her collection Flashbacks and Flowers .  To celebrate this success, we're making SIARAD the Audiobook available for $1.99 . But only until November 18, so you'll need to get in quick! CLICK HERE FOR LINK ORIGINAL POST: SIARAD has been shortlisted for the International Poetry Book Awards 2022, a Welsh-based international poetry awards programme open to all indie authors, self-published poets and those published by small independent publishers. You can check out all shortlisted authors HERE.        

 The Poetry Book Awards is an annual, international book award given to the best poetry book awards produced by indie writers, self published authors or books published by small, truly independent presses. I received news last week that SIARAD has been long listed for this year's award. The Poetry Book Award - long list SIARAD is published by ES-Press , an imprint of Spineless Wonders Publishing,  which truly is a small, independent press. The advantage of being published by small presses like SWP is that authors get to work closely with the publishing team. I worked alongside graphic designer BKAD (Betttina Kaiser) , and had input in all the decision making including style of book, (I love square books!) front cover, graphics and font type, as well as working closely with editor Matilda Gould. The process was invigorating and exciting, a real artistic pleasure. I didn't write and publish this book to win awards. As a team we made the book we wanted to make, a book that gave u

Earlier this year I was invited to present my spoken word theatre show SIARAD in Mt Gambier as part of the Mt Gambier Fringe Festival, presented by Writes SA as an Arts Industry Collaboration with Adelaide Fringe. The Mt Gambier community were so welcoming. Many folk stayed behind to have a chat after the show, which was just brilliant.   Taking SIARAD on the road to Mt Gambier made me realise how much I want to present this show to audiences outside of an urban setting. The experience resonated with me on a deep level. Perhaps it was the drive, the quiet, the space to think and be. Time stretches on the the road. There's more space for contemplation. And because my mother had died just 2 months prior to doing the show in Mt Gambier, I still very much needed time, for contemplation and grieving. And because I was able to honour the memory of my mother in the show, this performance in Mt Gambier has become a part of my healing. Plus, I was born in a small town and grew up in regiona

December 29, 2023: I've updated the original post so that my poem is now available to read and download. The poem recounts my lived experience of being a daughter whose mother is living interstate in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease during a global pandemic.     In January 2022 I received an unexpected phone call from the  the UK. I was in Perth staying with my brother and sister-in-law after having been released from hotel quarantine just a few days prior. The call was from the editor of Mslexia magazine. She told me that my poem 'A Poem To My Mother That She Will Never Read' was the winner of the 2021 International Mslexia Poetry Competition.  It was the day before my mother's funeral. It was the first time I'd won an international literary prize. It's an understatement to say that is was one of the most magically bitter-sweet moments of my life. In the original post I'd linked to Mslexia, where you could read the poem. However, since Mslex

 Dear Friend, I'm inviting you to the Opening of Duck n Weave Artist Collective's 2022 Adelaide Fringe Exhibition UNRAVELLED on Friday March 4, at 6pm at Ginger's Vintage Lounge Bar, 109 Goodwood Rd. This is a special graduation of the 2021/2022 Creative Exchange participants (I'm one of them). Creative Exchange is an Artist mentorship and collegiate support group that meets monthly for a year of living creatively. It is a deeply meaningful journey of putting our art first. The exhibition features acrylic painting, sculpture, collage, cyanotype and textiles. I have 8 collage on ply in the exhibition (that's one of them on the poster). They're all for sale. One is inspired by the poem The Sky Is The Great Entrance by Jill Jones. You can read Jill's poem HERE. There will be light supper food available and the bar will be open for a fabulous fun night of art and good company. You can register you interest HERE (helps assist with our Covid 19 safety planning).