LARSEN | KEYS – Page 5 – writer | rabble-rouser

Happy first birthday, Public. Open. Space.

It’s been a year since the good folk at Fremantle Press released my debut poetry collection, Public. Open. Space., into the world. And what a year its been…

And another thing: organisational ethics and deficit areas

It’s unsurprising that these polycrisis times have led to lots of conversations about how organisations are coping and responding: what we do, how we do it, and how we behave when doing so.

My latest ‘and another thing’ vlog ties together three key themes or deficit areas that have come out some of these recent conversations, observations and my ongoing governance reading.

ABR reviews The Relationship is the Project

Many thanks to Astrid Edwards, whose ‘Difficult questions: an iterative collaboration’ review of The Relationship is the Project was published in the Australian Book Review (ABR) no. 465 in June 2024.

And another thing: the golden rule of governance

Pulling all my governance reading together for my move back to Naarm reminded me of the golden rule of arts, cultural and non-profit governance (spoiler: there is no golden rule).

Take on Board podcast on Palestine as a governance issue

Failure is the status quo at the moment when it comes to Australian arts, cultural and non-profit organisation’s response (or lack of response) to Palestine as a governance, risk and crisis management, duty of care and financial issue.

My conversation with Helga Svendsen for the Take on Board podcast is online today with more.

Building your author brand

No matter where you are in your publishing journey, it’s more important than ever for writers to think about their profile, reach and brand.

However, building your author profile is a marathon, not a sprint. So, in the lead-up to next month’s Writers SA workshop, I’ve put together some top tips for getting started.

And another thing: on cultural safety

Arts boards and organisations, stop using cultural safety as an excuse to make your programs, spaces and business practices less culturally safe.

The RITP on The Garret podcast

“If we, as writers, as publishers and literary workers, want rights for ourselves, we have an obligation as individuals and as literary gatekeepers and organisations to insist upon those rights for others too.”

I’m back on The Garret Podcast this month talking about community-engaged practice, duty of care, our monocultural literary sector, the politics of publishing, arts orgs in crisis, and why the relationship is the project.

And another thing: how to chair a meeting

Just finished reading How to Chair a Meeting by MI Puregger, an endearing Australian governance artefact from the 1950s with a lot to teach us about how much still needs to change.

Palestine governance resources in The Commons

The rushed and fumbled public statements made by Australian arts and cultural organisations in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine have made failure the status quo on matters of risk and crisis management, financial sustainability and duty of care – including the statements many have made with their silence.

A collection of my provocations on Palestine as a governance issue have been collated and republished The Commons Social Change Library.