June Paisa Perkins
Author and Educator empowering multicultural community through multi-arts and intercultural stories especially for young people and their parents.
Dr June Kathleen Paisa Perkins is a multi-arts creative born to a Papua New Guinean Indigenous mother (Mekeo) and Australian father. She was raised in Australia as a Bahá’i and combines poetry, blogging, photography, story and more to explore: peace, ecology, spirituality, cultural diversity, healing from natural disasters, resilience, empowerment and more . . .
Other works poetry collections, spirituality and environment
June Perkins aka gumbootspearlz
Devoted to Writing for and with community
250 +
Publications – Poems, Non-fiction articles, Photographs, Flash Fiction, Short Stories
14 +
Collaborations – Artists Collectives, Galleries, Libraries, First Nations Radio
11 panels
Genre Con, Edith Chamberlin Oration, AFTS Conference (2), Comic Con (2), Diaspora QLD Writers Centre, Ink of Light, Sandcliffe Writers Festival, Poetry for Children Panel – QLD Poetry Festival, Tropical Writers Festival
4 & 1
4 Books Produced Topics: Creativity and Resilience, Cyclone Recovery, Poetry and 1 magazine guest edit Diaspora
25 years
Dedication to Creativity, Community, Connection, Intercultural learning
Strengths
Creative
Collaborative
Cultivating a Growth Mindset
Challenge resolving
“Collaboration and Writing Mentor”
This has been an amazing collaboration which has fanned the flame in me to let my writing take me to places yet to be reached.
Sharon – Diaspora Participant (2021)
“More testimonials on their way“
Happy to receive your testimonials for past projects.
“Working in community”
June is a joy to work and collaborate with, she is organized and has consistently shown solid dedication to her projects at the gallery. June is also a captivating storyteller, she has a careful and considered style of communicating and genuine interest in exploring ways to engage the listener.
QAGOMA Staff (2019)
Storytelling is empowerment
Projects
- Genre Con Opening NightIt was an enthusiastic and joyful opening night last Friday, when the first Genrecon (themed Forbidden Doors) in person for three years, happened in Brisbane on the Terrace of the State Library QLD after having to be online during theContinue reading “Genre Con Opening Night”
- Writing Partnerships & CollaborationsIt was inspirational to discuss the ins and outs of how to create successful writing collaborations, with award winning authors Geneve Flynn, Jay Kristoff, and Mykaela Saunders at Genre Con 2023. Most of the audience had little experience of this,Continue reading “Writing Partnerships & Collaborations”
- I see you 2#Working on some ideas. This is a simple map, a beginning, leading into deeper metaphorical terrain.
Commissions Story Factory, QLD Writers Centre, QAGOMA, Mana Pasifika, QLD Poetry Festival, QLDMusicFestival, Creative Arts Recovery, La Luna Youth Theatre
Collaborations AFTS conference Taskforce Brisbane 2022, Diaspora Fairy Tales panel, Ancestry as Fossil conversation, Diaspora Collective, Illumine team, Children’s Poetry Panel collective, Illuminations Collective, Ink of Light Writing Festival, Helene Magisson, Magic Fish Dreaming Team, Malanbarra Women’s Health and Housing, ABC Open, Licuala Writers, Nell Arnold, Daphne Cazalet, BushTV
Mentorships Diaspora Sisters, QPF, Michelle Worthington, ASA, ABC Open, Nell Arnold, Interplay 94, Mr Kidd, Mrs DellAmico
Mentoring others Diaspora panels (3), Diverse Writers, Book Week CYA Team zoom to PNG School, Youth Endeavour 2 years, ALEA Literature Festival, Library and school based workshops for poetry, (Brisbane, and Cassowary Coast),World Literacy Day Philippines, Licuala Writers, Tutoring First Nations University Students (Deakin QUT, University of Southern QLD, James Cook University), First Year Uni (New England University, and James Cook University), ITAS tutoring (Wollongong)
24+ contributions to anthologies.
The latest one being South of the Sun.
For Children, For Queensland, For Writers’ Groups, For Pasifika, For Indigenous, For Bravery, For Hope, For Forests, For Faith, For Australian Fairy Tales.
Now published by Southerly
This Anthology out NOW featuring two of my new poems, ‘Selkie Girl’ and ‘Grand Guinea Pig of Herston.’
WQ 275 Diaspora
See response to the project article by Contributor – Dimity Powell
I acknowledge the Jagera and Turrbal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which I live, tell stories, photograph and write, and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging – Brisbane, Australia.
Gumboootspearlz 