June Paisa Perkins
Author and Educator empowering multicultural community through multi-arts and intercultural stories especially for young people and their parents.

Dr June Paisa Perkins is a multi-arts creative born to a Papua New Guinean Indigenous mother 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
11 +
Collaborations – Artists Collectives, Galleries, Libraries, First Nations Radio
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
“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)
“Diaspora Project Vision”
Thank you to Dr June Perkins for embracing our vision, adding your own and working with us to create something truly unique. Your knowledge, thoughtfulness and commitment to this project was more than I could ever have imagined
Lori-Jay Ellis – CEO, QWC (2021)
“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
- Folio Reel
- Tree PlantingOriginally posted on Ripple Poetry :
Let’s take our souls for a day in the bush And gather our planters in the open spaces so they can ‘dig’ Let’s bring water and trowels as signs of care And when we’re done… - You are Invited!Conference Details HERE

Commissions QWC, QAGOMA, Mana Pasifika, QPF, QMF, Creative Arts Recovery, La Luna Youth Theatre
Collaborations 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 Amazing Teacher Mentors, QPF, Michelle Worthington, ASA, ABC Open, Nell Arnold, Interplay 94

Mentoring others 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.
WQ 275 Diaspora
See response to the project article by Contributor – Dimity Powell
This Anthology out NOW featuring two of my new poems, ‘Selkie Girl’ and ‘Grand Guinea Pig of Herston.’

