Peter Bladen, poet and adventurer
Exploring the faces and names of our literary past. By Susan Cullen
Fellowship of Aust Writers WA
Oct 16, 2024
It’s early August. Tom Collins House in Swanbourne is freezing cold. There are three heaters going and our intern, Sophie Ephette, is poised on a ladder holding a portrait of Peter Bladen, readying him for measurement and description for our digitisation project.
We are in the midst of describing and listing photographs of past members to digitise our Tom Collins House museum collection. Our goal is to prepare the images so they can be put online and accessed by researchers and any member of the public who may have an interest in our literary past.
Sophie places the picture of Peter Bladen on the table. His handsome, chiseled features are reminiscent of a film star of the black and white era, and his surname is the same as that of our President, Emma Bladen.
I call Emma.
‘Any relation?’ I ask.
‘Yes,’ she replies. ‘I'm distantly related to the poet Yusuf Peter Bladen-Pryor. I think he was my father's cousin - but I'll check with Mum. I do remember Mum and Dad telling me that he came to visit Dad here in Perth not long before he died.’
Investigation through Trove and the National Library of Australia reveal that Peter Bladen Pryor was born in Perth in 1922. He published poetry and in that serendipitous way that family history often works, he was a journalist, just like his descendant, Emma Bladen.
He won a prize in the Commonwealth Jubilee Literary Competition Long-Poem Section in 1951 for his first major work The Old Ladies at Newington: a Poem or Several Voices.
Peter Bladen-Pryor had a collection of poetry, Selected Poems, published in 1945, and in the midst of creating poetry and working in journalism, he also wrote for the Mavis Brampton Show. Then this adventurous show writer and poet journeyed to Türkiye and converted to Islam. He became Yusuf Peter Louis Bladen-Pryor.
Bladen-Pryor was to publish more poetry, a collection of a thousand sonnets Millefleurs, written between 1944 and 1999.
Yusuf Peter Louis Bladen-Pryor died in 2001 and was buried here in Western Australia. He is one of many connected to Western Australia’s literary past, honoured by the Fellowship of Australian Writers WA.
We look forward to the next photograph that Sophie lifts down from the wall so that we may examine another literary life and celebrate their contribution to the culture of our state.
Getting Published
Rachel Hanson Senior Editor from Fremantle Press will be at FAWWA in November presenting a workshop on Getting Published.
Come on 9th November to Mattie Furphy House at 10am. Before you come, buy your ticket on Humanitix. Click on: Rachel Hanson. Senior Editor. Fremantle Press - Workshop
Building Your Author Brand
By Susan Cullen
‘Be authentic.’
‘Engage in conversations.’
‘Mix it up’.
Holly Craig’s workshop on Building Your Brand was rich with ideas. Emerging Writers (pictured with Holly Craig above) joined FAWWA members and friends at the workshop and we were all keen to learn about building our author brand.
Holly asked us to think about why we wanted to do social media. Was it to get attention? Was it an opportunity to be creative? Was it because we want to sell our books?
Our hands were flying across our computer keys as we took notes on making our social media reflect the books we write. Disjointed and disturbing for the horror writers, beautiful and candle lit for the romance writers, compelling landscapes for the thriller writers. We were learning to bring our creativity and love of genre to our social media.
How do we get a following? Holly had great suggestions on that too. For more of Holly’s thoughts on writing and for an understanding of developing your author brand, think about joining her Write Club, or keep an eye out for another Holly Craig workshop with FAWWA.
Congratulations Emily Tsokos-Purtill
Congratulations to FAWWA member, Emily Tsokos Purtill on the publication of her debut novel, Matia, UWA Press.
Emily’s book is about Sia, a young Greek woman who arrives in WA in 1945. She brings with her four matia, jewellery that protects its wearer from evil. Emily’s book is described as ‘utterly captivating and deeply moving’ (UWA Press).
Annual General Meeting Sunday, November 3, 2pm
The Fellowship of Australian Writers WA Annual General Meeting will be on Sunday, November 3 at 2pm. Please save the date. We look forward to seeing you!
Formal notice of the AGM will be coming shortly by email inviting you to RSVP by obtaining your free ticket on Humanitix. It will also include nomination forms for the committee to be elected on the day.
Please consider nominating for one of the varied and interesting roles on the Committee.
Expressions of Interest for Committee Membership
The FAWWA Committee has two current vacancies for ordinary committee members and is calling for expressions of interest.
Our friendly team works to support FAWWA by providing studio spaces, organising workshops and events, and maintaining our two historic cottages and museum collection.
We meet once a month at Tom Collins House.
We welcome enquiries from members who have an interest in social media and promotions, events and workshop planning, and who would like to be involved in caring for our museum and houses.
The time commitment is approximately two hours a month for meetings, plus time for any projects that committee members may choose to take up to support the organisation.
To find out more please email fellowshipaustralianwriterswa@gmail.com
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