Spoken Word

‘A ceasefire breaks like a paper chainthey killed a forest to make.’- from Crisis Talks by Hayley Ricketson. In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 21 August 2025, you will hear poet Hayley Ricketson talk about politics, performance and playwriting.Hayley Ricketson is a poet, playwright and probably writes most from the impetus that the personal is political – and the political is personal. She discovered spoken word poetry when living in London and has been a Slam finalist in London and Melbourne, and is currently lucky enough to be part of the Melbourne Slamalamadingdong Poetry Team. Playwriting is her love language but overall she loves creative writing and expression in all its forms, particularly when it’s communicating something honest, human and maybe a bit funny. Poems written and performed by Hayley Ricketson in this episode:Crisis TalksSweet NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Hayley Ricektson for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!

Di Cousens talks to Anne-Marie Te Whiu about her new book Mettle, published by the University of Queensland Press.

For much of the last four decades, Mark Roberts has been involved in writing, criticism and publishing. In 1982, he established P76 magazine with Adam Aitken and has been involved in small press publishing ever since. In 2011 he set up the on-line journal Rochford Street Review, one of the leading and most long-lasting independent cultural journals in the world.Mark was the winner of the 2016 Byron Bay Poetry Prize and runner up in the 2013 Joanne Burns Award. He was longlisted in the Joanne Burns Award in 2014 and 2019, and the Liquid Amber Poetry Prize in 2023.The Office of Literary Endeavours (Five Islands Press, 2025) is Mark’s third book, after Stepping out of Line (Rochford Street Press, 1986) and Concrete Flamingos (Island Press, 2016).  Produced & Presented by Tina Giannoukos

Omar Sakr is a poet and writer born in Western Sydney to Lebanese and Turkish Muslim migrants. His previous book of poetry, The Lost Arabs, won the 2020 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry. In this interview he speaks to Di Cousens about his new book, The Nightmare Sequence, which reflects on the war in Gaza.Photo by Tyler Aves.

Angela Costi is a poet and writer with a background in social justice, law and communityarts. Since 1994, her creative gatherings, including plays, short fiction and essays, have been published, produced, broadcast and translated. She has a number of poetry collection including Honey & Salt (5Islands Press, shortlisted Mary Gilmore Prize 2008), and most recently, The Heart of the Advocate (Liquid Amber Press, 2025). Her chapbook Adversarial Practice (Cordite Poetry Review, 2024) was commended in the Wesley Michel Wright Prize.She won the University of Canberra’s Health Poetry Prize 2024. In 1995, she received atravel award from the Australia National Languages Board to study Ancient Greek drama inGreece. She was writer-in-residence at the former Kensington Public Housing Estate on the Relocated project.She is known as Αγγελική Κωστή among the Cypriot Greek diaspora, her ancestry. She lives on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation.The Heart of the Advocate is available here: https://liquidamberpress.com.au/product/the-heart-of-the-advocate/Producer & Presenter: Tina Giannoukos

In this recording of the live broadcast of 3CR's Spoken Word show, you will hear Indrani Perera and WaffleIrongirl presenting poems sent in by our listeners. This June we’re asking you for your donations so that we remain free of government and corporate influence, and a true voice for the community. If you’ve ever enjoyed just a single program, then that’s a great reason to support us with a tax-deductible donation and make sure we're here for you tomorrow.Huge thanks to everyone who has already donated! To add your donation, go to: https://bit.ly/3crGIVENOWEvery little bit helps! Poems played in this episode:Lines and Bridles by Anke MacLeanCanyon Lee by Richard AtkinsThe Night by Sasha CuhaBlue Horse by Marion May CampbellArtemis by Marion May CampbellOff the Face of the Earth by Caz MaselAvoidance by Amanda Anastasi NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsProduced by Brendan Bonsack.

3CR Spoken Word presents a LIVE show to celebrate the 3CR 2025 RADIOTHON! Hosted by Brendan Bonsack & WaffleIrongirl, this show was broadcasted on 3CR 855AM on 12th June 2025.Thank you so much for your donations, don't forget you can keep giving throughout June at: https://bit.ly/3crGIVENOWWe play listener contributions from:Antonio Montaine (Instagram: @antoniomontaine)Andrew Rogerson (Instagram: @ithinkthereforeislampodcast)Steven Atkinson (https://www.youtube.com/@stevenatkinson2360/videos)Josh Cake (Instagram: @joshcakemusic)Bernard Peasley (Instagram: @rhoufifoto)Dave Munro (https://www.facebook.com/dave.munro.528)Saara Lamberg (Instagram: @saaralambergofficial / https://events.humanitix.com/winter-warmers-film-festival)Stephen Smithyman (https://www.facebook.com/stephen.smithyman)

Sandy Jeffs' memoir, Flying With Paper Wings, Reflections on Living With Madness, has been recently reissued in a revised edition. Sandy talks about her experience of schizophrenia and the healing power of poetry. Part 2 of 2.Photo by Di Cousens.

Sandy Jeffs' memoir, Flying With Paper Wings, Reflections on Living With Madness, has been recently reissued in a revised edition. Sandy talks about her experience of schizophrenia and the healing power of poetry. Part 1 of 2.Photo by Di Cousens.

Jarad Bruinstroop’s debut poetry collection, Reliefs (UQP, 2023) won the Wesley MichelWright Prize, the Five Islands Poetry Prize, the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, and wasshortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award.He is the recipient of the Val Vallis Award, the Queensland Writers Fellowship, and the Fryer Library Creative Writing Fellowship.His work has appeared in The Best of Australian Poems, Meanjin, Overland, HEAT, Island,Westerly and elsewhere including at the Queensland Art Gallery, QUT Art Museum, andGeorge Paton Gallery.He holds a PhD in Creative Writing from QUT where he now teaches.He is currently at work on a short story collection. Photo: Torrey AtkinProducer & Presenter: Tina Giannoukos