Invisible Walls: Poetry as a Doorway to Intercultural Understanding

01 Feb Invisible Walls: Poetry as a Doorway to Intercultural Understanding

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

Throughout the coming two years, we are pairing 10 Australian poets with 10 Korean poets, asking them to write a series of collaborative responses (poems, letters, ephemera, etc.), so as to exchange thoughts relating to land, place, culture, and history (and the manner in which these exert force over the emergence of contemporary modes).

We are pleased to announce Stage One of this project is now open, and seek a representative cross-section of Australian poetry in all its complex diversity. We are calling for five Australian poets, in order to pair them with five Korean poets. Any poet aged 18 years or over, who is currently residing in Australia or who holds Australian citizenship, is eligible and encouraged to apply.

Between April and September 2022, six hour-long Zoom-based conversations will take place between each of the five pairs of poets. These conversations will be professionally interpreted. Participants are expected to prepare for these six online engagements, and to follow up by writing a suite of texts based on their exchanges. Each poet in the project will commit to writing approximately 10 poems (or poem-equivalents), delivering these by the end of September 2022.

Each of the five Australian poets selected will receive an honorarium (AU$600).
Applications must include the following:
(a)    Cover letters with:

1. your contact details;
2. a statement of intention regarding your objectives and anticipated outcomes generated as part of your participation in this project (250 words max);
3. a statement of position regarding your identity in relation to the notion of Australia, in whichever contexts and capacities (250 words max);
4. an explanation of your writing (published, unpublished, in development) in relation to land, place, culture, and history (250 words max); and
5. a statement of your expectations regarding engaging with a Korean poet (250 words max).

(b)  A sample of your poetry (up to 5 pages).
(c)  Your Curriculum Vitae, including details relating to previous publications, projects, collaborations (up to five pages).
(d)  A completed application form (please contact Amelia Walker [email protected] or Dan Disney [email protected] for a copy of the application form).

Please submit parts (a), (b) and (c) as a single PDF or Word document, named ‘1. DOCS’ followed by your name (for example 1.DOCS FirstName_Surname.pdf).
Part (d), the completed application form, should be submitted as a separate file, named ‘2. FORM’ followed by your name (for example 2.FORM FirstName_Surname.pdf).

‘Invisible Walls’ is funded by the Australia-Korea Foundation, with support from the University of South Australia, Sogang University, and the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. For further details, and regular updates, please contact Amelia Walker via the email address below.

Please email your application to Amelia Walker [email protected] and Dan Disney [email protected]

Applications are to be emailed by midnight (AEST) on Thursday 17 February 2022.