Poetry is, and always has been, central to my life.

Not a story or play or libretto I’ve written has been unaffected by the poetry in my life.

As a small child I loved my parents’ reading of poetry from Australian bush ballads to the English Romantics; and later, I explored voices translated from cultures all round the world.

The magnificence of the word of poets of quality still inspires; at the same time I encourage mere mortals to try their hand at writing poetry to express the whole gamut of human emotions.

Poetry, to my mind, is the most effective and satisfying way to do this.