The FIGHT initiative concludes – in two parts! FIGHT: Round 4.1 features work by L. Ashby, Penny Blake, Sahib J. Chandnani, Cat Cotsell, Sara Crane, Joel Ephraims, and Rodney Wilder.
Round 4 part 1 Poets
L. Ashby
Ashby is an award winning poet and short-story writer in Australia with recent work published in Cagibi, and the anthologies Solace and Kaleidoscope.
Penny Blake
From rough sleeper to community worker, educator and activist, Penny Blake has developed her unique style as Punk Writer, Chomskyan-Anarchist and Drabarni-Street-Witch, bringing her rich Romani storytelling culture to clash with 21st century experience of Life As Other. Through mythpunk, spoken word and immersive / collaborative storytelling, she is committed to carving sacred spaces for the Monstrous and Unacceptable in all of us to be heard. She has performed at festivals, events, on street corners and in living rooms across the UK and Latvia. Her printed work has been published online in various places including Quail Bell Magazine and Vocal and in several anthologies including her own collection – Mahrime: Mythpunk For Monsters.
Sahib J. Chandnani
Sahib Jagdish Chandnani was born in Houston, Texas. He is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned the title of “Gut-Buster Funny Poet” for his poem “Bollywood Boys” at the 2019 College Union Poetry Slam Invitational as a part of the UT Spitshine team. His poetry appears or is forthcoming in publications such as Track//Four Magazine, Breadcrumbs Magazine, Apricity Magazine, and Hothouse Magazine.
Cat Cotsell
Cat is a Canberra-based creative generalist. Their work has previously appeared in FIVE:2:ONE, Everyday Fiction, Hashtag Queer volume 2, Bent Street volume 3, and Cicerone Journal’s These Strange Outcrops.
Sara Crane
Sara Crane is a poet who delicately balances a rawness and grace in her performance and writing. A Triple J Unearthed feature artist, AFTRS screenwriting graduate and 2015 Hilltop Hoods/APRAAMCOS Initiative winner. She has had work published in Grieve anthology and Fe*mzine. She was the Kempsey heat winner and a NSW State finalist in the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam. She published a book of poetry ‘Only Skin Separates Us’ with Girls on Key press.
Joel Ephraims
Joel Ephraims is a NSW South-coast poet who is currently working on his first full-length poetry collection. His poems have appeared in Overland, Cordite, Otoliths, The Weekend Australian’s Review and other places. He recently guest-edited issue six of The Marrickville Pause.
Rodney Wilder
Rodney Wilder is a biracial nerd who bellows death-metal verse in Throne of Awful Splendor and writes poetry, with previous work appearing in places like FIYAH, FreezeRay, TRACK//FOUR and Poets Reading the News, as well as Stiltzkin’s Quill, his most recent attempt at grimoiring all the geeky incense left lit in his ribcage. When not fawning over his poet-friends at various Portland open mics, he likes analogizing things to Pokémon and getting lost in Oregonian forests with his co-meanderer. Find him on Instagram at @thebardofhousewilder.