WELCOME
Caroline Reid
POET | PERFORMER | WRITER
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photo: SIA DUFF |
Hi! I'm Caroline Reid, a poet and performer with story and humour at the heart of all my art.
I write with humour about serious subjects: loss and grief, disease and aging, voice and language, family relationships, and human relationships with the more-than-human world. My work is deeply personal. It allows me to remember, reflect, discover, feel and connect. And I love working in diverse mediums: page, performance, video, audio and collage;
My writing is not soundproof. It works best when read out loud. Anticipate strong language, good bad jokes, tears.
SIARAD, my debut collection published by Spineless Wonders IMPRINT ES-Press won second prize in the UK Poetry Book Awards 2022. I recorded the collection as an audiobook, made video poems, which continue to be showcased in international festivals and exhibits, and adapted it for theatre. I performed SIARAD as a one-woman spoken-word show at Adelaide Fringe, Mt Barker Fringe and most recently at Red Dirt Poetry Festival in Alice Springs.
"If you hated poetry at school and haven't read it since, [SIARAD] might just be the book to reignite your interest." Glam Adelaide
As a performance poet, I've twice represented South Australia in the Australian Poetry Slam at the Sydney Opera House (making it to the final round of top five poets both times), won S.A's Nature Slam, Goolwa Poetry Cup, Draw Your (S)Words Slam, Senior Slam (yes, I'm that old), a slew of interstate slams, and I'm active in Adelaide's thriving spoken word scene. I no longer compete, but that doesn't stop me from sharing my work with audiences.
"SIARAD is extraordinary work, superbly delivered." Ali Whitelock
I'm the previous winner of the Mslexia Poetry Award & Woollahra Digital Award, won second prize in the Tom Collins Literary Award and was Highly Commended in this year's Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize.
Right now, I'm working on a second book of poetry, Room 1824, made possible by a grant from ARTS South Australia. Room 1824 is informed by my experience of trying to reach my dying mother interstate during a global pandemic. So, you know, funny stuff.
I live in Adelaide, Australia on unceded Kaurna land and am available for Readings and Performances, Poetry Commissions, Workshops, and as a Speaker for Panels and Keynotes.
Contact me at: caroline[at]carolinereidwrites[dot]com
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