Shoshanna Rockman – Curator

Eva Collins, Alan Fyfe, Barbara Kamler, Anita Lester, Milo Friedman, Gal Iungman, Guido Melo, Alex Skovron, Isi Unikowski, Ann Shenfield

Pop in for soul-soothing poetry in the heart of winter, in the heart of our beloved St Kilda. An MJBW2026 Monday night special event. Sip a luminous cocktail or an Italian wine whilst your imagination roams. This is a poetry performance of, for and by the people. Be immersed in the words, imagery and rhythms of our old favourites, interstate greats and courageous newbies.

About the artists:

Shoshanna Rockman (curator) has always devoured books but only began writing four years ago, creating work that is edgy, raw and humorous. Her poetry blends feminism, science, mythology and magic, drawing readers inward while pushing them towards life's edges. The proud mother of five, she also cares for a rescue dingo-dog. An editor, copywriter, English tutor and performance poetry curator, she's a jazz fan, beachcomber and energetic go-getter.

Eva Collins is a Polish born Melbourne writer and photographer. She holds a Diploma in Professional Writing, Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy/Psychology, and separately in Fine Art Photography and a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art. Her verse memoir, Ask No Questions, (Puncher & Wattmann) was shortlisted for the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, CBCA Book of the Year Awards and Mary Gilmore Award. Eva’s interview is on ABC Radio National’s Conversations. Her poems have appeared in The Best Australian Poems, Quadrant, Southerly, Westerly, Cordite Review and the Newcastle Poetry Prize Anthology. Some of Eva’s photographs are in the National Portrait Gallery, State Library of Victoria and Council offices and her films have won awards in international film festivals. Eva was shortlisted for the Newcastle Poetry Prize 2026 and her second book will be coming out early next year.

Alan Fyfe is the author of two novels and a poetry collection. His work has been recognized in the Victorian Literary Award, the Paragraph Fellowship, the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, The Newcastle Poetry Prize, and the Chaffinch Press Aware Prize. He is a winner of the WA Premier’s Poetry Book of the Year, as well as overall Book of the Year; and of the Karl Popper Philosophy Award. His current novel, The Cross Thieves, is available from Transit Lounge.

Barbara Kamler came to Australia in 1972 as a traveller, with no thought of building a life or career here. She is a Melbourne-based poet and author of creative non-fiction, as well as eight academic book titles and numerous essays. Her most recent collection Sophie (Ginninderra Press, 2024), creates a multi-voiced collage of prose vignettes and photographs to tell the story of her spirited grandmother, who fled the pogroms of Poland at age 14, and ventured to New York City on her own.

Anita Lester is a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist working across film, painting, music, poetry, illustration and performance. Her practice is united by a deep commitment to storytelling, exploring themes of memory, identity, faith, folklore, longing and cultural inheritance through a diverse body of work that moves fluidly between disciplines.

Milo Friedman is a 19-year-old emerging poet whose work is grounded in the bodily and difficult to process. Spurring from established voices, his poetry is used to fossilise feeling and interrogate what’s uncomfortable by bending language and syntax. A rigorous self-critic, Milo treats each piece as an opportunity to deepen his understanding of form and emotional resonance.

Gal Iungman is a poet, chef, and cultural entrepreneur based in Victoria, Australia. He is the author of the poetry collection A RAVEN (Pardes Publishing, 2018). His poetry has been published in newspapers in Israel and featured in the literary initiative Ars Poetica. Alongside his writing, he is the owner and operator of the St Kilda wine bar, Dawn & Mabel’s.

Guido Melo is a columnist with Latin America’s La Silla Vacía newspaper. He is a poet, writer, researcher, and PhD student at Victoria University in Melbourne. His essays have appeared in English, Spanish, and Portuguese-language publications across Latin America, Australia, Africa, the USA, and Brazil.

Alex Skovron is the author of over a dozen books of poetry and prose. His work has been translated into a number of languages, including French, Chinese, Czech and Dutch. His volume of new and selected poems, Towards the Equator, was shortlisted in the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. In 2023, Alex was honoured with the Patrick White Literary Award for his contribution to Australian literature. His latest book, Switchpoints, a collection of narratives in prose and verse, was published this year.

Isi Unikowski lives in Canberra, Australia. He has been widely published in Australia and overseas, including Best of Australian Poems 2022. His first collection, Kintsugi, was published in 2022 by Puncher & Wattmann, New South Wales.

Ann Shenfield has worked as an animation filmmaker, illustrator and writer. Her animated films have received various prizes including selection to the Official Competition in Berlin. Her poetry has also received numerous prizes. Her book A Treatment (Upswell Publishing) was listed in The Age Best Books 2023. Recently her poems were longlisted in the Newcastle Poetry Prize and the Fish International Poetry Prize. She is a practising psychoanalyst (Candidate) and member of the Australian Centre for Psychoanalysis.

Contact the host of Pop-up Poetry

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