Program Overview

Program Overview

The university program in question is a creative writing class focused on "Writing Contemporary and Anticolonial Poetry." This program is led by Ellen van Neerven, an award-winning Indigenous writer who serves as the INPUTS Writer-in-Residence for 2019.

Program Leader

Ellen van Neerven is a renowned writer with a multi-award-winning fiction collection titled "Heat and Light" (UQP, 2014) and a poetry collection, "Comfort Food" (UQP, 2016). They currently teach first-year poetry at RMIT. Ellen's work emphasizes the importance of looking after country (land, water, sea, animals) and learning from ancestors, as well as asserting a proud identity.

Program Details

In this creative writing class, participants will engage in discussions on how to read and write contemporary poetry. The program will explore the past and future to influence and sharpen the participants' own creative practice. The focus areas include:

• Reading and writing contemporary poetry
• Exploring the past and future to influence creative practice
• Sharpening individual creative writing skills

Program Focus

The program is designed to help participants develop their skills in writing contemporary and anticolonial poetry, with an emphasis on learning from ancestors and asserting a proud identity. Ellen van Neerven's expertise and experience in Indigenous writing will guide the program, offering a unique perspective on the importance of country and cultural heritage in creative writing.