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PUBLISHED WORK

Opinion pieces, poetry, articles

I carry within my soul bones the blood of all my grandmothers past. There is nothing but their strength and stories coursing through my veins. I hold their ancestral wisdom deep within my DNA, and it is their power that allows me to communicate with the moon. I write of love and loss, lust and passion, sex and anger, truth and lies. Stories are our medicine, and when I weave a tale of words crafting them into fresh meaning, I am creating ceremony...I am honouring my ancestors - after all, my existence is evidence of their resistance. I am here because of every one of their dreams. My words have always sat in paperbound booklets, away from sunlight, away from judgment, away from earthly eyes...but there comes a time when you must take a step out of the shadows, throw some light on your craft and perhaps someone will feel...feel what you have intended, and wouldn't that be a blessing! So, I am finally giving wings to my words to free the poetic soul of mine - to remove the shackles I have bound to my voice and pen in the hope that they may land upon crimson hearts.

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ARCHER MAGAZINE #18 - THE INCARCERATION ISSUE

Welcome to the INCARCERATION issue.

Guest edited by ME!

"There is a solidarity among those who have seen the inside of a cage that the non-criminalised will never understand," writes guest editor, Tabitha Lean.

"When I walked out of the gates of prison, I made it my mission to dedicate my life to abolition. I wanted to use my hands to tear the system apart – brick by brick, bar by bar, word by word, policy by policy."

Having spent almost two years in Adelaide Women’s Prison and a total of 18 months on Home Detention, Tabitha Lean uses her lived prison experience to argue that the criminal punishment system is a brutal, and too often deadly, colonial frontier for her people.

"Every inch of this edition will make your body surge with emotion – and, hopefully, rage. I hope this magazine compels you to act."

The edition features writing about the prison system and its impacts on First Nations people; how incarceration affects young people and the children of people with lived experience; a story from a writer who was locked in detention; an image essay from Haitian photographer Zarita  Zevallos; a Q&A with abolition activist Debbie Kilroy; a speech from Aunty Vickie Roach and more.

TESTIMONIALS

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I read your article with much delight.  You write So beautifully and lyrically.  Have you written a book as I so wanted to keep on reading.  Thank you for your beautiful spirit and respect.

Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO

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PUBLISHED WORK

CROAKEY

Calling for the release of women and children from prison

https://www.croakey.org/freeher-calling-for-the-release-of-women-and-children-from-prison/

Stand with us to clean out prisons

https://croakey.org/stand-with-us-and-clean-out-prisons/

Resources for decolonising education

https://croakey.org/for-parents-teachers-and-children-some-resources-for-decolonising-education/

Drawing a line in the sand, and speaking up for abolition of the prison industrial complex
https://www.croakey.org/drawing-a-line-in-the-sand-and-speaking-up-for-abolition-of-the-prison-industrial-complex/

State Sanctioned Sexual Assault: the injustice of strip searching women in prisons

https://www.croakey.org/state-sanctioned-sexual-assault-the-injustice-of-strip-searching-women-in-prisons/

When children's wellbeing becomes a political football, it's time to change the game 

https://www.croakey.org/when-childrens-wellbeing-becomes-a-political-football-its-time-to-change-the-game/

What will it take to stop disabled people in prison falling between the cracks of services and systems?

https://www.croakey.org/what-will-it-take-to-stop-disabled-people-in-prison-falling-between-the-cracks-of-services-and-systems/

ASCENSION MAGAZINE

JUNKEE MEDIA

20 Ways You Can Support Indigenous People

https://junkee.com/support-indigenous-people/238940

WOMAN SCREAM INTERNATIONAL ANTHOLOGY

MINDSHARE

Still Talkin' 'bout a Revolution: A reflection on Nancy Bates' show

https://mindshare.org.au/nancy-bates-talkin-bout-a-revolution-a-reflection/

Nancy Bates – A Review
https://mindshare.org.au/nancy-bates-a-review/

Review: Janet's Vagrant Love
https://mindshare.org.au/review-janets-vagrant-love/

Review: Kym's Overall Extravaganza Showcase
https://mindshare.org.au/review-kyms-overall-extravaganza-showcase-comedy/

Review: Teardrops on my dildo
https://mindshare.org.au/review-teardrops-on-my-dildo/

Review: Kevin Kropinyeri Goes Talkabout
https://mindshare.org.au/review-kevin-kropinyeri-goes-talkabout/

Review: Why can’t Mi goreng?
https://mindshare.org.au/review-why-cant-mi-goreng/

Review: I didn’t know I was drowning, till I saw the shore

https://mindshare.org.au/review-i-didnt-know-i-was-drowning-till-i-saw-the-shore/

Review: 7 Day Notice

https://mindshare.org.au/review-7-day-notice/

Review: The Twins

https://mindshare.org.au/review-the-twins/

Fringe Review: Leather Lungs – Shut Up and Sing

https://mindshare.org.au/fringe-review-leather-lungs-shut-up-and-sing/

Fringe Review: Brown Women Comedy

https://mindshare.org.au/fringe-review-brown-women-comedy/

HEAD EDITOR: BLAK OUT

I was absolutely honoured to be the Head Editor of the first Blak Out Magazine.

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AUSTRALIA

YWCA

ON THE RECORD

OLD WATER RAT PUBLISHING

JOURNAL OF PRISONERS ON PRISONS
'THE NOT SO EASY SIMPLE SOLUTION' - WRITTEN WITH DEBBIE KILROY

THE VIEW MAGAZINE UK

https://theviewmag.org.uk/cw-discusses-domestic-violence-abuse-and-carceral-violence/

SYDNEY REVIEW OF BOOKS

More Black than Blue: A confession

A review of Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie
https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/review/gorrie-black-and-blue/

ROSA PRESS

AUSTRALIAN MULTILINGUAL WRITING PROJECT

THE POWER TO PERSUADE

PEARLS & IRRITATIONS

Drawing a line in the sand, and speaking up for abolition of the prison industrial complex
https://johnmenadue.com/speaking-up-for-abolition-of-the-prison-industrial-complex/

When children’s wellbeing becomes a political football, it’s time to change the game

https://johnmenadue.com/when-childrens-wellbeing-becomes-a-political-football-its-time-to-change-the-game/

The unheard voices: how society silences women

https://johnmenadue.com/the-unheard-voices-how-society-silences-women/


Australia’s love affair with imprisonment
https://johnmenadue.com/australias-love-affair-with-imprisonment/

PUBLISHED WORK

CROAKEY

Calling for the release of women and children from prison

https://www.croakey.org/freeher-calling-for-the-release-of-women-and-children-from-prison/

Stand with us to clean out prisons

https://croakey.org/stand-with-us-and-clean-out-prisons/

Resources for decolonising education

https://croakey.org/for-parents-teachers-and-children-some-resources-for-decolonising-education/

Drawing a line in the sand, and speaking up for abolition of the prison industrial complex
https://www.croakey.org/drawing-a-line-in-the-sand-and-speaking-up-for-abolition-of-the-prison-industrial-complex/

State Sanctioned Sexual Assault: the injustice of strip searching women in prisons

https://www.croakey.org/state-sanctioned-sexual-assault-the-injustice-of-strip-searching-women-in-prisons/

When children's wellbeing becomes a political football, it's time to change the game 

https://www.croakey.org/when-childrens-wellbeing-becomes-a-political-football-its-time-to-change-the-game/

What will it take to stop disabled people in prison falling between the cracks of services and systems?

https://www.croakey.org/what-will-it-take-to-stop-disabled-people-in-prison-falling-between-the-cracks-of-services-and-systems/

ASCENSION MAGAZINE

JUNKEE MEDIA

20 Ways You Can Support Indigenous People

https://junkee.com/support-indigenous-people/238940

WOMAN SCREAM INTERNATIONAL ANTHOLOGY

MINDSHARE

Still Talkin' 'bout a Revolution: A reflection on Nancy Bates' show

https://mindshare.org.au/nancy-bates-talkin-bout-a-revolution-a-reflection/

Nancy Bates – A Review
https://mindshare.org.au/nancy-bates-a-review/

Review: Janet's Vagrant Love
https://mindshare.org.au/review-janets-vagrant-love/

Review: Kym's Overall Extravaganza Showcase
https://mindshare.org.au/review-kyms-overall-extravaganza-showcase-comedy/

Review: Teardrops on my dildo
https://mindshare.org.au/review-teardrops-on-my-dildo/

Review: Kevin Kropinyeri Goes Talkabout
https://mindshare.org.au/review-kevin-kropinyeri-goes-talkabout/

Review: Why can’t Mi goreng?
https://mindshare.org.au/review-why-cant-mi-goreng/

Review: I didn’t know I was drowning, till I saw the shore

https://mindshare.org.au/review-i-didnt-know-i-was-drowning-till-i-saw-the-shore/

Review: 7 Day Notice

https://mindshare.org.au/review-7-day-notice/

Review: The Twins

https://mindshare.org.au/review-the-twins/

Fringe Review: Leather Lungs – Shut Up and Sing

https://mindshare.org.au/fringe-review-leather-lungs-shut-up-and-sing/

Fringe Review: Brown Women Comedy

https://mindshare.org.au/fringe-review-brown-women-comedy/

HEAD EDITOR: BLAK OUT

I was absolutely honoured to be the Head Editor of the first Blak Out Magazine.

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AUSTRALIA

YWCA

ON THE RECORD

OLD WATER RAT PUBLISHING

JOURNAL OF PRISONERS ON PRISONS
'THE NOT SO EASY SIMPLE SOLUTION' - WRITTEN WITH DEBBIE KILROY

THE VIEW MAGAZINE UK

https://theviewmag.org.uk/cw-discusses-domestic-violence-abuse-and-carceral-violence/

SYDNEY REVIEW OF BOOKS

More Black than Blue: A confession

A review of Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie
https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/review/gorrie-black-and-blue/

ROSA PRESS

AUSTRALIAN MULTILINGUAL WRITING PROJECT

THE POWER TO PERSUADE

PEARLS & IRRITATIONS

Drawing a line in the sand, and speaking up for abolition of the prison industrial complex
https://johnmenadue.com/speaking-up-for-abolition-of-the-prison-industrial-complex/

When children’s wellbeing becomes a political football, it’s time to change the game

https://johnmenadue.com/when-childrens-wellbeing-becomes-a-political-football-its-time-to-change-the-game/

The unheard voices: how society silences women

https://johnmenadue.com/the-unheard-voices-how-society-silences-women/


Australia’s love affair with imprisonment
https://johnmenadue.com/australias-love-affair-with-imprisonment/

Academic 
Papers

Making visible the invisibalised voices of criminalised women in Australia

By:  Debbie Kilroy & Tabitha Lean

Book : The Routledge Handbook of Women's Experiences of Criminal Justice

Papers

Abolition Feminisms Vol. 1

Organizing, Survival, and Transformative Practice

Edited by Alisa BierriaJakeya Caruthers, and Brooke LoberForeword by Dean Spade

Papers

Neither Seen Nor Heard: State-Sanctioned Violence Against Women Prisoners in Australia

by Debbie Kilroy, Suzie Quixley & Tabitha Lean

In : Geographies of Gender-Based Violence (pp.183-199)

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PODCASTS

featuring Tabitha

BLAK OUT 2020

Head Editor

I was honoured to be the Head Editor of the very first Blak Out magazine

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