Dates and Times
30 April 2026
12:30 - 13:30
Event for
Location
Organiser
Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Art and Design
Speakers
Owen Bullock
Enquiry
Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR)
Event about:
Culture and Creativity Seminar – The Path to Speaking: Poetry and Wellbeing at UC Hospital
Speaker: Owen Bullock
Date\Time: Thursday 30 April 2026, 12:30-13:30
Location: Building 1 Level A Room 1A21, University of Canberra (NB Room 1a21 is accessed from the foyer joining Building 1 and Mizzuna café);
or Zoom: http://zoom.us/j/95029077504
This paper reports on the Poetry for Wellbeing and Recovery program at the University of Canberra Hospital. Patients in rehab have been attending weekly sessions focused on reading and writing poetry. Reading poetry often evokes powerful memories and strong emotions, as poems seem to open outwards when the reader’s own experience is engaged, and events from the distant past are revisited and articulated. But for some participants memory is less accessible and writing about present lived experience becomes more important. Some participants have difficulty in writing, for various reasons, sometimes physical, sometimes cognitive; we often scribe for them and create ‘dictation poems’, with fascinating results. This presentation shares anecdotes and findings from the program, including examples of participant writing.
All are welcome!
Bio
Owen Bullock has published four collections of poetry, five books of haiku, a bilingual edition of tanka and a novella. A new book of haiku, titled The Scuppered Lily, will be launched in August 2026, and an academic book, How to Write Haiku, in 2027. His research interests include creative arts and wellbeing; haikai literature; poetry and process; semiotics and poetry; prose poetry; and collaboration. He is Discipline Lead for Creative Writing and Literary Studies at the University of Canberra. His other interests include music, juggling and chess.
The Culture and Creativity Seminar Series is hosted by the Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. To discover upcoming seminars, please follow us on Facebook @uccccr, or Instagram and Twitter @uc_cccr. Alternatively, join our mailing list by emailing cccr@canberra.edu.au.
Any questions and accessibility requests please contact: cccr@canberra.edu.au.
UC acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where Bruce campus is situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.