A full house gathered at the Sydney Writers’ Festival for Baraya Barray – Whale Song, a breathtaking evening of story, song, and poetry.

This panel discussion led by First Nations artists and cultural leaders uncovers how poetry can celebrate cultural ways of sharing story and encourages us to listen more deeply to the wisdom of Country.

Musician and composer Eric Avery sets the tone, opening with a violin performance inspired by the sounds of whales. Dhurga language holder, teacher and contemporary traditional dancer Elizabeth Luland, award-winning multi-disciplinary artist Kirli Saunders, alongside Eric Avery and host Luke Patterson share powerful stories of Country and kinship in this deeply moving and unforgettable panel, alive with cultural truth.

Held at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in 2025, this panel was part of Red Room Poetry’s ground-breaking program for First Nations school children and communities, Baraya Barray - Whale Song.

Baraya Barray - Whale Song celebrates the importance of First Nations languages and the natural environment. Through this program, young First Nations people connect with their community Elders, Language Custodians, scientists, poets and musicians to learn about and respond to the east coast Whale songline through the creation of poems, song and dance. Listening closely to our non-human kin and Country, it asks the question - ‘What can we learn from our first language holders?'

Learn more about Baraya Barray: https://redroompoetry.org/projects/baraya-barray-whale-song/

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

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Shaine Melrose reads their poem ‘Bees of the Antipodes’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Shaine Melrose is a queer writer/poet, retired gardener, living with chronic illness on Kaurna Yerta, in the Adelaide Hills. Shaine's poetry has been widely published and recently her debut collection The Natural World Somersaults was released by Walleah Press.

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xiaole Zhan (詹小乐) reads their poem ‘Dragon Fruit’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Xiaole is a Chinese-Aotearoa writer and composer based in Naarm. They are the 2024 Kat Muscat Fellow, and the winner of the 2023 Kill Your Darlings Non-Fiction Prize.

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dženana Vucic reads her poem ‘There are Rivers Underneath the Sea’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Dženana is a Bosnian-Australian writer - her essays and poetry have been published widely, and she is working on a poetry collection and an autotheoretical novel. Her poetry collection after war is forthcoming with UQP in April 2026.

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kaitlen Wellington reads her poem ‘Born to Fight’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Kaitlen Wellington is a Yuin woman who is an emerging writer, with poems published in the Australian Poetry Journal and Guwayu-For All Times.

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Madison Godfrey reads their poem ‘Vroom Vroom Plays In The Background’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Madison is a writer, editor, educator and the author of Dress Rehearsals (Allen & Unwin: JOAN, 2023).

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nam Le reads his poem ‘Richmond’ commissioned as part of the 2025 Red Room Poetry Fellowship program.

Find out more and apply for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship here.

Nam’s work encompasses fiction, non-fiction, poetry and screen and has been translated into over fourteen languages. Receiving major awards in America, Europe and Australia. His work has appeared in modern classics series, and is widely anthologised and taught.

Applications for the 2026 Red Room Poetry Fellowship open 9am, Tuesday 2 December 2025 and close 5pm, Tuesday 3 February 2026 (AEDT).

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship is presented in partnership with Varuna - the National Writers House, and thanks to our generous program supporters Bret Walker AO SC, Tim Game SC and The Adès Family Foundation.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every day across Poetry Month in August, 30in30 delivers new original poetry, reflections and writing prompts from some of the country’s leading poets, authors, and spoken word artists.

​​30in30 provides a snapshot of some of the best of contemporary Australian poetry - and in this episode, we’ve pulled together a selection of this year’s commissioned works for your listening pleasure.

Find out more about Poetry Month and the artists featured in this episode at redroompoetry.org/poetrymonth

Artist Bios and Poems

1. Chika Ikogwe artist biography, and poem, 'Let that Black lady breathe!
2. Heather Mitchell artist biography, and poem, 'I Fell'
3. Lang Leav artist biography, and poem, 'A Letter to My Mother at Immigration'
4. Mitch McTaggart artist biography, and poem, 'In the event of apocalypse, remember TV'
5. Kirli Saunders artist biography, and poem, 'Safe Way'
6. Hasib Hourani artist biography, and poem, 'you can start anywhere, you’ll still hit all the service stations'
7. Manal Younus artist biography, and poem, 'I Dance'
8. Dominic Guerrera artist biography, and poem, 'cycle'
9. Lucy Norton artist biography, and poem, 'a song you can’t unsing'
10. Jonathan Sriranganathan artist biography, and poem, 'Clipper blades and feather pillows'
11. Juran Adams artist biography, and work 'Willow'

Explore Poetry Month

August is Poetry Month - a continent-wide celebration of contemporary Australian poetry established by Red Room Poetry to increase access, awareness and visibility of poetry in all its forms and for all audiences.

Support the show: https://redroompoetry.org/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.