Poetry Team

Maureen Clifford
Editor
A poet and author, a mother to one son and over the years numerous dearly loved dogs. This self confessed animal lover lives with her two dogs in a semi-rural city an hour out of Brisbane both of her dogs were pound puppies and had been abused dogs but now her two girls are pampered pooches and much loved. After 30 years spent in the Private Health Insurance industry a foray for 6 years as a self employed grazier on a sheep property in SE Queensland was probably the happiest time of my life, and is sadly missed. It certainly got my poetic juices sparking thats for sure although I love where I live now in my renovated old Queenslander, despite nearly getting wet feet in the 2011 floods but I still miss those open spaces. I held the position of one of the community editors on the now defunct ABC POOL site for 3 years which I greatly enjoyed, but moving on these days sees me as an active on line member of The Australian Bush Poets Association (ABPA) , as well as being a regular subscriber to Silver Peers, Writers Dock, Linkedin, Goodreads and Mosaic Musings poetry sites. Currently I manage 3 Facebook pages for TAT Poetry, ABPA, and Lil Brumbies for the Hoofs2010 Inc. Brumby Rescue Group as well as my own page and blog site. I am also the poetry editor for The Australia Times Poetry Magazine. Now retired from the workforce, I have taught myself to do photo restorations which came in very handy when putting together our family tree as many old photos were in a bad state. I still dabble with it but it is hard on the eyesight. I concentrate more these days on my writing and poetry, with some work published in anthologies and periodicals in America, Australia, New Zealand and the UK as well as on numerous Forums and Web Sites.. My strong suit is Bush Poetry although I write in most genres. Writing poetry is my passion and you will find my work listed under several names. My early works appear under the non-de-plume of Khadizia or Mahalia but all of my later works as Maureen Clifford, The Scribbly Bark Poet. For those of you who love anything Australian my Ebook has stories of working dogs, sheep, goats, chooks, horses and other things with tails plus a bit of Aussie humour. If you support our men and women in uniform as well, there is a section of military poetry. My family has military connections to both the Navy and the Air Force over several generations. Theres the odd dig at the Aussie male in there, some trucking poems and one or two other things hence the title “Aussie Tails and Aussie Males and one or two other things.” http://bookstore.bookcountry.com/Products/SKU-000641615/Aussie-Tails-and-Aussie-Males-and-One-or-Two-Other-Things.aspx

Loretta Leslie
Editor
Lilly Rae
Contributor

Julian Gasparri
Contributor
Freelance journalist and journalism graduateEditorial/writing experienceInterests: TravelCultureFilmMusicPoetryFiction

Frank Prem
Contributor
Frank Prem has been writing poetry as a serious pursuit for in excess of 20 years. He has been published in magazines, zines and anthologies, both in Australia and in a number of countries overseas, occasionally for money. He has won a number of writing competitions over the journey. He has performed his work in various spoken word venues and occasionally recorded it.He has self-published three collections of his work, The Book of Evenings (written as Frank Faust) and Small Town Kid, which have been reproduced as complete collections on his blog page, and ‘also ‘Memoir of a Dog’.His work is intended above all to communicate with a reader or listener and aims to be accessible. He tries to celebrates the small things in life by elevating them from the periphery to the centre.Frank lives with his talented singer/songwriter wife Leanne Murphy in the beautiful township of Beechworth in the North-East of Victoria, where they nestle as close to nature as they can.

Ana Lucretia Nedelcu
Contributor

Jean Aked
Contributor
My interest in poetry started as a child when my mother recited poems to me. I read and write poetry and upload to YouTube. My website has some of my favourite poems together with my own poetry and information about the poems I have written. My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jeana1001 . I am on PoetryZoo: https://poetryzoo.com/author/jeana1001 . I am on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jeana1001 .
Pam Davies
Contributor

Simon Carroll
Contributor
Simon is a native of Ballarat and was encouraged onto the stage by his performing children in 2012 where he performed Robbie Burns’ Address Tae a Haggis at Ballarat’s famous Royal South Street Society Eisteddfod in the Mum’s and Dad’s session of that years Speech and Drama section. Since that time he has found himself acting in local and Melbourne based theatre shows, gigging with his banjo, and writing and performing all sorts of bits and pieces including poetry and short-stories in a range of settings including festival, pubs and cafes. He looks forward to sharing some of his work with you.
PINKY LATT
Contributor

Kimberley Bargache
Contributor

Victoria Foss
Contributor
A second-year Arts student with a passion for writing, nectarines, and shameless people-watching. Sometimes she listens to Southern Gothic mixes on 8tracks and reads more than three books at once.

Joyleen Gibbons
Contributor
Joyleen Gibbons is a retired teacher and librarian who lives in ruralSouth Australia. She enjoys experimenting with different forms ofpoetry, and much of her work reflects her interest in the Australianlandscape. Joyleen is also a contributor to the ABC Open 500 WordsProject. She has self-published a small volume of poetry, and is anoccasional blogger and oral presenter of her poems."

Drew Grozier
Contributor

K.W. Peery
Contributor
A poet and lyricist.Peery is a founding member of the Americana collaborative Marshall/Peery ProjectPeery writes about his personal life experiences. Unvarnished truth bleeds from his pen onto the page. When you read, listen and digest the words, an unmistakable vulnerability is neatly embedded. Peery has an innate ability to dig up his past and offer it to the listener as if he were speaking directly to them.
Peter Collins
Contributor

Claire Booker
Contributor
Claire Booker is a poet and playwright based in London and Brighton. Her poetry has been published in TAT Poetry and a wide range of British-based publications including Ambit, Magma, New Welsh Reader, the North, Poetry News, Popshot, the Rialto and Structo. She has also had work in American journals such as the Beechwood Review, the Good Ear Review and Ginosko. Her stage plays have been performed in America, France, Germany, Romania, Malta, Spain, the UK and Australia (including at the Sunshine Coast Drama Festival, Logan City and Brisbane). She blogs at www.bookerplays.wordpress.com and can be emailed at bookerplays@yahoo.co.uk
Alexis Mitchell
Contributor

Colin Hope
Contributor
Australian poet surveyor who has traveled extensively through outback Western Australia in the Pilbara, Kimberley, Goldfields and Murchison regions. Turned 16 working as a Jackeroo in the Kimberley (1981). Started writing in the late 80s, very informal, just for myself and friends. Spent a lot of time in mining camps and towns for 15 years and liked to spread a bit of culture around. Moved to Canada fulltime in 2003 but plans to retire back in Oz. Self-published a book with a friend in the early 90s in Toronto (Observations on Chaos Theory), performed on the Ed the Sock show and in a few pubs.Only wrote sporadically for the next few years, decided to concentrate on the positive and dusted of my unfinished rhymes earlier this year and started writing new stuff.

Richard Subber
Contributor
Rick Subber is a freelance editor, a writing coach and a historian. He lives with his family in Natick, Massachusetts, USAHes a former newspaper reporter/editor who now indulges his love of the right words.Rick is a proud grandpa who is teaching his granddaughter to read and write, in case there is poetry in her future. His poetry has been accepted for publication in The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, millers pond poetry magazine, The RavensPerch, Whispers, Northern Stars and elsewhere.

Rachel Yeo
Contributor
Ruminator and playlist junkie, Rachel is an advocate for all things sentient – not to mention, a very indecisive being at that. You’ll usually find her lost in introspection, or within the joys of music. She finds comfort in chai lattes, band tees, greenery and existential debate. It’s safe to say though: Out of all the things in life, the simple luxury of words reaps her the most repose.

Spencer Adika
Contributor
Author,Motivation For You,Poet,Simple Guy,Happy to be Alive,Human Rights Activist,With love I represent Kenya,Thank you / Ahsante.Say No To Racism.Strong believer of Social Justice. I have the ability to work out with different personalities so as to achieve good results in a perfect workforce.*I believe everyone has the opportunity to put whatever idea she/he has into reality.*I am passionate to working with with everyone so that I get exposed to different ideas.Ideas are worth millions if executed,you got to believe you are capable of something.*Life comes to life when you live it right.Its the little things that make you a unique brand from the rest.*I am very sure that exposure is a breakthrough to success. Successful people need others to prosper.The fact remains that if you are human you need one another. *This is an opportunity to interact with you and make the best of what we have in mind.*Although am ART based that doesn’t mean am not a professional in other Fields.*Definitely committed to inspire and motivate people globally.*Feel free to contact me so that we can engineer a change to the next generation, that is,leaving a legacy.”Creativity is expressing out your real you.”-Spencer Adika

Diane Mills
Contributor

Madison Manning
Contributor
Madison Manning; the creative writer, the literature scholar, the photographer.

Claire Fitzpatrick
Contributor
Claire Fitzpatrick is a journalist, author, and poet. She has over 40 publications in magazines, journals, and online. Claire is completing a bachelor of Government and International Relations. She has previously studied Business, HR, and Psychology. She writes horror, science fiction, and historical fiction. Her debut novel will be released soon.

Jaime Salcedo
Contributor
kanwal kaur
Contributor

Philomena Van Huyen
Contributor
Welcome to correspond through social media links below or philomena.vanhuyen@theaustraliatimes.com.au for as long as available.
Murray Alfredson
Contributor

Kathy Figueroa
Contributor
Kathy Figueroa likes to create the old-fashioned style of poetry that tells a story and was popular in another era, when the recitation of poems served to entertain audiences at social gatherings, particularly during the pioneer days. In a continuation of this tradition, Kathy also gives poetry readings in and around the Bancroft area. Since 2012, her work has appeared in ten self-published chapbooks, dozens of anthologies, over one hundred editions of The Bancroft Times and Bancroft This Week newspapers, and her four books: Paudash Poems, Flowertopia, The Cathedral of the Eternal Blue Sky, and The Ballad of the PoeTrain Poeteer: Winnipeg to Vancouver. A fifth collection is slated to be published in 2016. Numerous international blogs and websites also contain her work. Born in a mountainous region of southern British Columbia, Kathy Figueroa resides in a rugged rural area near Bancroft, Ontario, Canada.

Al McCartan
Contributor
Former broadcaster and journalist – now retired – enjoys the opportunity to ‘scribble’ poetry and short stories.
Tejandeep Singh
Contributor

Perrie Massouras
Contributor
Meet Perrie Massouras, freelance writer and student naturopath. Writing since she could hold a pen, Perrie has time after time pushed the limits of her readers through limericks, poetry, short stories, thought provoking essays and scientifically fuelled research articles. Using her explosive imagination: she aims to provoke thought, emotion and respect for the naturopathic industry as it moves into the twenty-first century. Perrie has always been motivated by health and medicine, whether it was sorting out her grandparents weekly pill boxes or attempting home grown penicillin cultivation from her wardrobe; the drive was always there. It wasn’t until a modelling scout introduced her to the world of holism, did her dreams start to manifest. After spending years dissatisfied and moving between meaningless jobs, she bit the bullet and enrolled in university. Once she started to understand the naturopathic healing paradigm, she started focussing on how she could convert this amazing knowledge into relevant, scientifically supported information for everyone not just scientists. A self-confessed nomad, crazy cat lady and one eyed Collingwood supporter with a thirst for knowledge, Perrie will not disappoint.

Clive Sanders
Contributor
I served with the British Army from 1965-2002 and served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Ascension Island, Bosnia, Canada, Holland and Denmark. I then joined Westland Helicopters and eventually became Configuration Manager of the EH101 helicopter programme. I began writing poems based on my military experiences while still a young soldier, but when I retired in 2012 I felt compelled to write more serious poems. I am now retired and live in Chard, Somerset, England and enjoy sea fishing and watching Somerset play cricket, while enjoying a glass or two of cider.

Diana Mcdonald
Contributor
I was born in the Caribbean and attended College in the USA. I am the eldest of 12 siblings. I have always been interested in writing anything, I am currently in the process of writing a Children’s book, My life story “Per Ardua Ad Astra”, and of course my poetry. I admire works by Maya Angelou, Phyllis Wheatley, Edgar Allan Poe and Langston Hughes to name a few. I love to travel, and although I have not made it to Australia, It is on my bucket list for destinations to visit.

Shawn Chang
Contributor
Shawn Chang is a 16-year-old writer based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. His works have been published in The Literary Hatchet issues #14, #15, and #16; Shot Glass Journal issue #19; Black Candy: A Halloween Anthology of Horror; Ygdrasil: October 2016 issue; Poetry Quarterly #27; Under the Bed Vol. 05 No. 02; and The Australia Times Poetry Magazine 422 and 424. He may be reached @sad_cypr3ss.
