A poem about the desolation of female infertility by a 麻豆直播 of Technology creative writing graduate will appear in a prestigious Australian poetry anthology.
Kelly Pilgrim-Byrne鈥檚 poem, 鈥淭he Venus of Willendorf,鈥� will be published in The Best Australian Poetry 2009 anthology.
鈥淎s a relative newcomer, I feel very privileged to be included in the anthology which is a 鈥榃ho’s who鈥� of Australian poetry,鈥� said Ms Pilgrim-Byrne, of Southern River.
鈥淭his poem is one of a few I鈥檝e written about infertility, which is something I鈥檝e personally experienced over several years.
鈥淚t was inspired by the actual Venus of Willendorf, an ancient goddess of fertility.
鈥淢otivated by my own struggles with infertility, the poem uses the voluptuous female form of the Venus of Willendorf as a stark contrast to the desolation of infertility.鈥�
Ms Pilgrim-Byrne said she had written poetry and short fiction from a very young age.
鈥淢y great love is to write poetry that is evocative and erudite, while maintaining its accessibility for the average person,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t means a great deal to me to have my work selected for the anthology as it will be read by a wide audience which is important as a budding poet and writer.鈥�
Ms Pilgrim-Byrne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) with Distinction in 2004 and聽 completed a Postgraduate Diploma (Communication and Cultural Studies) in Creative Writing with Distinction in 2006.
At Curtin, she studied under award-winning writers and experienced lecturers such as Brian Dibble, Alan Wearne, Elizabeth Jolley, Tracy Ryan and Liz Bryski.
鈥淭hey not only gave me a solid foundation in theory and practice, but pushed me to grow and improve as a poet and writer,鈥� she said.
Ms Pilgrim-Byrne鈥檚 first collection of poetry, People from Bones (with co-author Bron Bateman), was published in 2002 by UK publisher, Ragged Raven Press. Her poem 鈥淛uvenescence鈥� was selected for the 2001 Newcastle Poetry Prize Anthology.
The Best Australian Poetry 2009, produced by the University of Queensland Press, is due out in October.
