Woman Scream 2019-Australia-Perth

Weep. Scream. Laugh. Bond. The Perth Woman Scream event, held on the 9th of March 2019 at the Moon Café in Northbridge, Western Australia had it all.
 

Ably hosted by the young emerging poet Maddy Godfrey, the all-female five feature poets and two supporting poets covered a huge spectrum of age, class and experience, as it relates to gender. The poets were Tangoma Sendama, Chase Houghton, Luka Buchanan, Rose Van Son, Rashida Murphy and Georgia Hooper. Anne Norman offered an appeasing shakuhachi performance and haiku.  The poetry presented included topics such as family, power dynamics, identity, racism and solidarity. 

A spokesperson from one of Western Australia’s peak poetry bodies later stated, “It was a really great day and those poets who attended read to an appreciative audience.”

With sixty male and female audience members in attendance, an audience member was heard to say, “The windows into the lives of the poets were fascinating and it made me proud to be a woman.” 

The audience present showed their appreciation with donations. Leanne Baron, CEO of the women’s refuge Starick House, finished the event by accepting a sum for over $550 for the domestic violence shelter.

Woman Scream March 9th was full of screams for freedom.

Tineke Van der Eecken
Event co-ordinator, WA Poets Inc

Report submitted on behalf of the co-ordinating committee, including Christine Della Vedova and Zan Ross. Photos by Coral Carter