Christopher (Kit) Kelen
Biography and short CV
Christopher
(Kit) Kelen is an Australian-Hungarian poet and painter, resident on Worimi
lands, in the Myall Lakes of NSW, Australia. Published widely since the
seventies, he has more than a dozen full length collections in English as well
as translated books of poetry in Chinese (several), Portuguese (several),
French, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Swedish, Norwegian, Filipino, in Greek
– his bilingual (Greek and English)
volume a postcard from the fires, a
picture of the rains, published by Kaleidoscope in Athens, in 2022. Also in
2022, his bilingual Esperanto-English volume Rompitaj Labirintoj – Bung Mazes was published by the Australian
Esperanto Association, to coincide with a painting exhibition of that title
held at the Shop Gallery in Sydney. A large scale collection of Kit’s – Swimming in the Storm – appeared in
Romanian in 2023. Another volume is currently in preparation by Romanian
translators. Kit’s latest volume of poetry in English is Book of Mother,
published by Puncher & Wattmann in 2022.
An
Anne Elder and ABC/ Bicentennial Award winner in the distant past, in 2017, Kit
was shortlisted twice for the Montreal Poetry Prize and won the Local Award in
the Newcastle Poetry Prize. In 2019 and 2020 Kit won the Hunter Writers' Centre
award in the NPP. He was also shortlisted for the ACU prize in 2020. In 2021 he
won the bronze medal in the Newcastle Poetry Prize. In 2022 he won the second
prize silver medal. In 2023, he won the Members’ Prize.
Kit
has been writer/artist in Residence in many parts of the world – in Australia,
Italy, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Iceland, Finland and Cyprus. A number of these
residencies have led to book publications, sometimes multiple – for instance
Bundanon Residency time produced his books Time
with the Sky and To the Single Man’s
Hut. Time at the Messen residency on the Hardanger Fjord produced Poor Man’s Coat and a book in Norwegian
entitled Glasfjorden (the glass
fjord).
As
a visual artist, over the last fifteen years, Kit has had ten solo painting and
drawing exhibitions in Australia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Macao. His most
recent exhibition Palimpspectre (in
2023, at the Manning Regional Gallery, NSW) featured a ten square meter work on
paper, along with a projected ‘slidewell’ and a one hour soundscape of songs
and music composed by Kit, on keyboard and various fretted stringed instruments.
Emeritus
Professor of English at the University of Macau, where he taught for many
years, Kit Kelen is also a Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle.
In
his scholarly writing, Kit has produced a string of books about poetry, the
most recent of which is Poetics and
Ethics of Anthropomorphism – Children, animals and poetry, published by
Routledge in 2022. Kit has also published two novels (Punk’s Travels and A Wager
with the Gods), books of short stories and books for children, including The Boy Who Went Under the Border, The Magic
Door in the Forest and The Everywhere
Animal is Us.
In
2017, Kit was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Malmo, in
Sweden.
Series Editor for Flying Islands Pocket
Poets Series (now one hundred volumes), Kit has mentored many poets and
translators from various parts of the world, and run a number of on-line
communities of practice in poetry (most notably Project 366 [from 2016-2020]).
Kit is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. You can follow Kit's
work-in-progress at the Daily Kit – https://thedailykitkelen.blogspot.com/
Christopher (Kit)
Kelen 客遠文
Born: Sydney, Australia,
1958.
Titles: Doctor of
Philosophy, Doctor of Education
Emeritus Professor (English Dept,
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Macau)
Conjoint Professor (School of
Hunanities & Social Science, University of Newcastle
Justice of the Peace
in New South Wales
(#160524)
Fellow of the Royal
Society of New South Wales
Academic Qualifications:
B.A. (Double English Literature
major), University of Sydney, 1979.
Dip.Ed. (Teaching Methods:
English, ESL), University of Sydney, 1980.
Dip Communications, University
of Technology, Sydney, 1986.
M.A. (Applied Linguistics
TESOL), University of Sydney, 1987.
Ph.D. (Poetry and Poetics),
University of Western Sydney, 1998.
Ed.D. (Critical Pedagogy for
Creative Writing), University of Western Sydney, 2009.
Full-length Poetry Collections in English:
2022. Book of Mother. Puncher and Wattmann.
2018. Poor Man's Coat – Hardanger Poems – University of Western Australia Press.
2014. Scavengers'
Season. Sydney: Puncher and Wattmann.
2011. A Pocket Kit. Macao/Markwell, ASM/Flying Island Books. (2nd edition 2014)
2010. To the
Single Man’s Hut [Volume of poems and pictures and exhibition of
paintings at Fantasia Galleries, Tap Seac, Macao]. Macao: ASM.
2010. In
Conversation with the River [Volume of poems].
Chicago: Virtual Artists’ Collective.
2010. China
Years – Selected and New Poems. Macao: ASM.
2009. God
Preserve Me from Those Who Want What’s Best for Me—Homage to
the Romanian Poets. Newcastle: Picaro Press
2008. After
Meng Jiao—Responses to the Tang Poet. Chicago: VAC
Publishing.
2008. As
From the Living page: One Hundred Poems for Yao Feng [Trilingual
volume of poetry]. Macao: ASM.
2007. (with
Agnes Vong).Spring Wind Brings the Fireworks—Translations,
Variations and Responses to the Poetry of Xin Qiji. Chicago: VAC
Publishing.
2007. Dredging
the Delta [volume of Macao poems and sketches]. UK:
Cinnamon Press.
2006. Eight
Days in Lhasa. [Volume of Poetry]. Chicago: VAC Publishing.
2003. New Territories, Hong Kong:
Loudest Place on Earth. [Volume of
poems and photographs]. Assisted by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
2000. Republics.
[Poetry Collection]. Wollongong: Five Islands Press, University of Wollongong.
1998. Mobius.
[Poetry Collection]. Nepean: University of Western Sydney.
1997. Green
Lizard Manifesto. [Poetry Collection]. Sydney: Cerberus Press.
1992. The
Naming of the Harbour and the Trees. Sydney: Hale and
Iremonger.
Solo Painting/Drawing Exhibitions:
2024. (upcoming) Word & Unword. Word X Image Gallery,
Maitland, NSW.
2023. Palimpspectre. Manning Regional Gallery, Taree, NSW.
2022. Rompitaj Labirintoj/Bung Mazes. The Shop Gallery. Glebe, NSW.
2021. Whack & Blight. The Shop Gallery, Glebe, NSW.
2017. Up Through Branches –
Por Árvores Acima – SNBA (National Society of Fine Arts) Gallery, Lisbon.
2016. Dotze Pinturas, Estudio
Nomada, Barcelona.
2015. Next Stop is the
Stars, Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery, Macao.
2014. Pictures of Nothing at
All. Painting and poetry exhibition, Macao Art Window, Macau Museum of Art.
2014. Last Patch of Blue.
Butcher Gallery. Malmö, Sweden
2013. Imagens de Nada. Galeria do Salao
Medieval, University of Minho, Braga, Portugual.
2012. First Rungs on the Ladders of Whichway. H.R. Gallop Gallery,
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.
2010. To the Single Man's Hut — Exhibition of Watercolour and Ink
Paintings to Accompany a Volume of Paintings and Poems of the Same Title, Fantasia
Galleries, in Tap Seac, Macao.
2009. (with Carol Archer). Near and Far and Mainly Macao – in the
Anthony S.W. Lau Exhibition Hall, University of Macau Library.
2008. PALIMPS-ink – Exhibition of Abstract Watercolour Paintings at the
Albergue Gallery, Macao.
2007. Boats and Bridges- A Calendar in Sketches
– Exhibition of (35) Paintings at CCI (Creative Macau), Macau Cultural Centre.
2006. Sketches of Macao: Some Views for the Island
of Taipa – Exhibition of Watercolour Landscape Paintings at the Gallery of
the International Library, University of Macau.
Translated Volumes of Kelen’s Poetry:
2022. Rompitaj Labirintoj – Bung Mazes. Written in Esperanto and English
by the author.
2022. Swimming in the Storm. Translated into Romanian by Daniel Ionita
and Adriana Paul.
2021. A Postcard from the Fires/A Picture of the Rains. Translated into
Greek by Theodora Arampatzi.
2019 Glasfjorden (The Glass Fjord), Translated into Norwegian by Odveig
Klyve.
2015 Kidung Alam Terbuka (A Song out of Doors).
Translated into Indonesian by Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang. Yogyakarta: Gita
Dananjaya.
2014 Arbres et Etoiles
(Trees and Stars). Translated into French by Béatrice Machet-Franke. Paris:
L'Harmattan.
2014 梯間迷途 (As to the Ladders of
Whichway). Translated into Chinese by Chris Song Zijiang. Macao: ASM
2013 Idolatria
dos Antepassados. Translated into Portuguese by Andreia Sarabando. Lisbon: Centre for English Translation (CETAPS), New
University of Lisbon.
2013 Sacred
to the Memory and Secret of the Rain – in two Filipino languages
(Kapampangan and Tagalog) plus English. Translated by Oscar Balajadia (Papa
Osumbal). Published by The Center for Capampangan Studies – Holy Angel
University.
2011 Snow – in Swedish monolingual edition. Genarp:
Munart.
2010 The Whole
Forest Dancing – in separate Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and
English editions. New South Wales: PressPress Books.
2010 中國歲月:詩選及新作China Years: Selected and New Poems. Translated by Iris Fan Xing. Macao:
ASM
2008 As From
the Living Page – in Portuguese, Chinese and English. Macao:
ASM
2007 客遠文看澳門 – Kit
Kelen’s Macao – in Chinese and English. Various
translators. Macao: ASM
Scholarly Books about
Poetry:
2022.
with You Chengcheng. Poetics and Ethics
of Anthropomorphism – Children, Animals and Poetry. New York: Routledge.
2015.
Anthem Quality – National Songs, A
Theoretical Survey. Chicago: University of Chicago Press/ Intellect.
2009.
City of Poets – Exploring Macao Poetry Today. Macao: ASM.
2009.
Poetry,
Consciousness and Community. Vol. 23 in the series Consciousness,
Literature and the Arts. Amsterdam: Rodopi Press.
Poetry/Art Catalogues:
2017. Up Through Branches –
Por Árvores Acima – Painting and Poetry Exhbition Catalogue (in three
languages: English, Chinese and Portuguese), SNBA (National Society of Fine
Arts) Gallery, Lisbon.
2014. Pictures of Nothing at
All. Catalogue [in three languages (English, Chinese, Portuguese) of
painting and poetry exhibition held at Macau Museum of Art.
2010.
(with Carol Archer). Time with the Sky [Poetry/Painting
Exhibition Catalogue]. Hong Kong: Loudest Place on Earth.
2009. The
River Considered as Sea - Ten Sketches of Macao [Ten
part poem, in three languages (English, Chinese, Portuguese) with
accompanying paintings]. Macau:
University of Macau.
2006.
Sketches of Macao. Macao: ASM.
Novels and Stories:
2007. The
Boy Who Went Under the Border and Other Stories. Macao: Macao
Closer.
2006. Macao:
A
Map of the Seasons [Volume of Stories and
Poems]. Macao: ASM (Association of Stories in Macao).
2006. A
Wager With the Gods [novel]. Macao: ASM (Association of
Stories in Macao).
1980. Punks
travels. [Novel]. Sydney: Backdoor Press. ISBN: 095944310X
Prizes for writing
2023. Members’ award
for the Newcastle Poetry Prize, for ‘Bukovina’.
2022. Second Prize for
the Newcastle Poetry Prize, for ‘A Letter to the Judges’.
2021. Third Prize for
the Newcastle Poetry Prize, for ‘Ataraxia’.
2020. Shortlisted
for the ACU Poetry Prize.
2019 – 2023.
Shortlisted for the Newcastle Poetry Prize.
2017. Winner of
Local Award, Newcastle Poetry Prize, for the long poem 'A Field Guide to
Australian Clouds – Prolegomenon'.
2017. Shortlisted
twice for the Montreal Poetry Prize
2013. Winner of
Local Award, Newcastle Poetry Prize, for the long poem 'Shed'.
2012. Shortlisted
(Highly Commended) for the Blake Prize for Religious Poetry.
2010. Second Place
in the Newcastle Poetry Prize for the long poem 'Time with the Sky'.
2009. Shortlisted for PressPress Poetry Chapbook
Award.
2008. Winner of the
Patricia Hackett prize (Westerly -- literary journal of the University
of Western Australia)
2005. Shortlisted,
Newcastle Poetry Prize.
1999. Winner,
Blundstone National Essay Competition (Island Magazine) for the essay 'Waltzing
Matilda'.
1999. Second Prize
Winner, Gwen Harwood Poetry Award.
1993. Anne Elder
Award - Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers – for The Naming of the
Harbour and the Trees.
1991. Second Prize
Winner, Printed Matter International Poetry Award, Tokyo.
1988. First Prize
Winner, Poems to 80 lines ABC/ABA Bicentennial Poetry Competition.
1988. Second Prize
Winner, Poetry Australia/UTA Bicentennial Poetry Award.
Writing and Artist's Residencies:
2023 Casa de Creatie Gavril Cacina, Vatra Dornei, Bukovina,
Romania
2022 Vanha Paukku Artists’
Residency, Lapua, Finland
2021
NERAM (New England Regional Art Museum), Armidale
2018 and 2019 – Visiting Research Fellow at the
International Youth Library, Munich
2019
Kunstnahuset Messen, Norway
2017 Hafnarborg
Gallery, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
2016
Estudio Nomada, Barcelona, Spain
2015
ARNA, Skåne, Sweden
Kunstahuset Messen, Ålvik, Norway
Boubouki, Mesana, Paphos, Cyprus
2014
Kunstahuset Messen, Ålvik, Norway
2012
Booranga Writer's Centre, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga,
Australia
2009, 2010, 2011 Bundanon, NSW.
1997 B.R. Whiting Library in Rome (Australia
Council).
.jpg)
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.