Robyn Rowland, Australian-Irish citizen, lived between Ireland and Australia for over 30 years, working, teaching and reading; and in Turkey since 2009. In December 2019 she returned to Victoria, Australia, living in NSW from 2019 until late 2022, caring for her father, who died, aged 102. She now lives in Jan Juc.
Her 12th book of poetry, Steep Curve (Five Islands Press), is forthcoming in September 2024. She has eleven previous poetry books (Australia, Ireland and Türkiye), including Mosaics from The Map (Doire, Ireland, 2018) and two bilingual books, Turkish translations by Mehmet Ali Çelikel: Under This Saffron Sun—Safran Güneşin Altında (Knocknarone, Ireland 2019) and This Intimate War. Gallipoli/Çanakkale 1915—İçli Dışlı Bir Savaş: Gelibolu/Çanakkale 1915 (Five Islands Press, Australia and Bilge Kültür Sanat, Türkiye, 2015. Republished, Spinifex Press, 2018).
Robyn has been awarded Australia Council and Copyright Agency grants, and various writing residencies. Robyn has won or been listed for many prizes e.g shortlisted for the ACU Poetry Prize, Newcastle Poetry Prize, Peter Porter Poetry Prize, Lane Cove Poetry Prize, Society of Women Writers National Poetry Prize, Antipodes: Journal of Australian and New Zealand Literature International Poetry prize, Liquid Amber Poetry Prize.
Robyn has published book reviews, journal articles, book chapters on literature and poetry. Her poetry appears in national/international journals in nine countries, fifty anthologies, and eight editions of Best Australian Poems. She has read at major literary festivals in India, Portugal, Ireland, UK, USA, Greece, Austria, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey and Italy, and is published in translation in a number of these. She is filmed reading for the National Irish Poetry Reading Archive, James Joyce Library, UCD, on YouTube.
Extensive interviews: with Denise O’Hagan in The Blue Nib https://denise-ohagan.com/robyn-rowland-in-conversation-with-denise-ohagan/and in Helezon: https://helezondergisi.com/an-interview-on-poetry-with-the-poet-robyn-rowland-talha-ercevikbas/
Previously, Deputy Chair, Australian Poetry Centre; Curator of various readings, in 1996 (Professor) Dr. Rowland AO was made an Officer in the Order of Australia by the Governor General, for her national and international contributions to women’s health and higher education.
PUBLICATIONS
In addition to those above:
- Mosaics from the Map, Doire Press, Ireland, 2018
- Line of Drift, Doire Press, Galway, Ireland, 2015
- Seasons of doubt & burning. New & Selected Poems, Five Islands Press, Melbourne, 2010
- Silence & Its Tongues, Five Islands Press, 2006 (Reprinted 2008, 2009)
- Shadows at the Gate, Five Islands Press, Wollongong, 2004 (Reprinted 2009)