Elemental. An extra show announced!!

Elemental, the show I'm performing in for the Melbourne International Arts Festival quickly sold out three dates. Which was brilliant news. But disappointing to those who were caught flat footed.
So I'm now very happy to announce that a fourth show and final show has been announced. This one will be on Sunday 11th April, 7.30pm.
Tickets are on sale right now!!
Hitch a ride to the cosmos on the back of a poet right here to book yourself a ticket and witness the unfolding of the universe as explained by four poets with some amazing help from video and sound artists galore.

In Between Words tonight!

Tonight is my third gig in a week! I've been too busy to blog on the previous gigs but once tonight is over I'll be posting a retrospective on Liner Notes 8, Softly and Suddenly (my new band project) and See What I'm Talking About.
But first tonight!
In Between Words is a double book launch for Beautiful Waste and Vagabond Holes, both published by Fremantle Press.
Beautiful Waste is a collection of poetry written by the late, great David McComb formerly of amazing Australian band, The Triffids. Vagabond Holes is a collection of essays and articles written about The Triffids.
This should be a very special evening indeed as performing will be Evil Graham Lee and Rob McComb, both former Triffids members. As well as Judith Lucy, The Blackeyed Susans Trio, The Single Mens Drinking Club, Kieran Carroll and myself! There's also a rumour that Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds might even perform as well.
This is a free gig. Held at Bar Open, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Kicks off at 8. And both books will be available for sale on the night too.

Looking up from the Walker Street Tram Stop

Ghost Poetry Project Melbourne Launch in Pictures.

Here's some pics from the Melbourne Launch of the Ghost Project Poetry by Nathan Curnow at the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Angela Meyer has a done a terrific job of capturing the event in words so scoot over to Literary Minded if you'd like to read the lowdown on the night.





Emerging Writers Festival director David Ryding and Nathan Curnow.


The fabulous Emilie Zoey Baker


Angela Meyer and Nathan Curnow


Nathan reading in the Old Melb Gaol


Launcher Kevin Brophy.

The Ghost Poetry Project

Tonight I'll be attending the book launch of one of my favourite poets, Nathan Curnow. Nathan spent a year visiting Australia's most haunted sites, and then he wrote a book of poetry about it.
Nathan is a wonderful writer and performer, whose dedication to his craft I am in total awe of.
My friend Emilie Zoey Baker and I will be pouring the wine!
The venue is the Old Melb Gaol. Deets below.
Check it out.

Ten nights. Ten haunted locations. One terrifying adventure across Australia.

From a gaol cell to a lunatic asylum to a night in a haunted hearse, The Ghost Poetry Project is one poet’s attempt to find a language of guts and daring. A unique exploration of fear, courage, and the power of mystery and myth.

Launched by Kevin Brophy.
Published by Puncher & Wattmann.

Reading/Performance from Nathan Curnow
(assisted by Geoff Lemon)

The ten haunted sites:

The Chifley Suite, Old Adelaide Gaol, Picton, Monte Cristo Homestead, Fremantle Arts Centre, Richmond Bridge, Elvira The Haunted Hearse, Norfolk Island, The Quarantine Station and Port Arthur.

"This book must have the strangest-ever provenance of any collection of poetry in Australia. Only a vampire or a Nathan Curnow could have done this… These poems come drenched with the bloody and violent deaths central to the history of European occupation in this country. But they are not ghoulish or sensational. They are the real thing, both ‘transparent and completely solid’."

- Kevin Brophy

Words in Winter

I'm performing in gorgeous Hepburn Springs this weekend at the lush Palais theatre. Be good to get out of the city for the day.

TWO POETS AND ONE GUITAR

The poets: gifted local performers, Sean M Whelan and Lauren Williams

The Guitar: Internationally acclaimed gypsy guitarist Lulo Reinhard, has established himself as an outstanding reputation as a composer and guitarist. Lulo expresses his artistic personality in his gypsy influences,flamenco and latin jazz

Time: 8pm Venue: The Palais,111 Main Road Hepburn Springs. Cost: $25 Dinner/show $60.00 $25 Bookings essential 5348 4849

Jasmine Morning Bathroom Window

They flowered yesterday. Had to document. Now the bathroom smells of Jasmine every morning.

Under the West Gate Dreaming

Tram View

Never, ever

He knew their love
was born from literature
the day he realised
they had never, ever
spoken
on the phone.

Going Down Swinging # 28 launched tonight!!

I'm pretty excited to be performing at the launch of the latest issue of Going Down Swinging tonight. GDS is in my humble opinion the greatest lit mag in Australia. Always great content and edited by two of my favourite people, Lisa Greenaway and Klare Lanson. I'll be reprising my 'Static' piece especially commissioned by GDS. I'll be taking on the role of myself, the heart eating lion and Harvey Keitel!
Also performing is Chloe Wilmott Jackson, Quinn Stacpoole and the irrepressible Nathan Curnow.
The whole shebang is hosted by Melbourne's greatest MC, Mr Michael Nolan.

Last Tuesday Society

artwork by the lovely Tai Snaith.


I'm very pleased to be part of the psychedelic carnival that is The Last Tuesday society tonight!
I'll be performing a poem that involves a heart eating Lion, Harvey Keitel and Larry Emdur.
Also appearing is...
2009 Golden Gibbo Winners The List Operators
Tek Tek Movement
Captain Ruin from The Caravan of Doom
Dance Master Di Reid
Fresh from the oven of the Melbourne Comedy Festival A Lot of Bread
Poet Laureate Telia Nevile
Bron Batten’s Welcome to the Jungle
Hosted by Baron Richard Von Higgins

7.30pm.
Yah-Yah's.
99 Smith St, Collingwood.

North American Tour Dates!!

I leave on Tuesday afternoon for our amazing tour of Canada and the U.S. with my poetry posse, the super wonderful Alicia Sometimes and Emilie Zoey Baker.
What an amazing adventure this will be.
All the dates below for my North American Peeps or for any poetry groupies who simple want to follow us on tour. Come on, there must be some of you out there?!

Vancouver
Wednesday Feb 4 2pm Wax Poetic 102.7FM
Co-op radio
Then at 7.45pm
The Spillious Speak n Sing
Cottage Bistro 4468 Main street

Ottawa
Friday February 6
11:30am
An invitation from The Australian High Commissioner! His Excellency Justin Brown
the High Commissioner's Residence, 407 Wilbrod Street.

Then the next night:
06 Feb 2009, 7:30PM, Hear from Melbourne - National Arts Centre - Fourth Stage
53 Elgin Street Ottawa, Ontario Hear from Melbourne.
Four of Australia’s Hottest Performance Poets!
The A B Series in association with Kevin Matthews presents four acclaimed Australian performance poets,
Alicia Sometimes,
Emilie Zoey Baker,
Justin Ashworth and
Sean M Whelan,
on The National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage.
The evening’s program will be hosted by CBC Radio’s Alan Neal. Cash bar Reception and book/CD signing to follow
Tickets $18 available at The National Arts Centre Box Office and online through Ticketmaster http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=42371229108&h=H4tjO&u=O8XB0
also check the website here at
http://abseries.org/node/63

Toronto
Feb 7th, 08:00 PM @ Cervejaria 842 College. Toronto, Ontario Cost:$5
:A night of Poetry and Poets slammin, reading and jazzin Emilie Zoey Baker, Sean M Whelan and Alicia Sometimes along with Toronoians David Silverberg and crew plus American poet Christian Drake $5

Montreal
February 8-13, 2009 Festival Voix d’Amériques FVA showcase February 10, 8.30pm
MEL versus YUL ou Melbourne meets Montréal Casa Del Popolo
4873, Boulevard Saint-Laurent
with Emilie Zoey Baker, Sean M Whelan, Justin Ashworth and Montrealers Corey Frost, Puggy Hammer and The Capital of Plastic Daffodils. Hosted by David McGimpsey

Going Down Swinging #27 launch
Lancement de la revue
Wednesday February 11, 5 – 7pm Casa Del Popolo
4873, Boulevard Saint-Laurent with Emilie Zoey Baker, Sean M Whelan, Justin Ashworth, David Prater and Montrealers Ian Ferrier, Victoria Stanton and Fortner Anderson.

New York City
15 Feb 2009, 06:00 PM - The Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery Street (Between Houston and Bleecker) New York City, New York Emilie Zoey Baker, Cristin Aptowitz O’keefe, Shappy, Sean M Whelan and Justin Ashworth Three of Australia’s top performance poets battle it out with New York’s finest, a night of spoken word, sass, vagina’s, spacemen, music and the word moist. mail@bowerypoetry.com
212-614-0505

Chicago
22 Feb 2009, 08:00 PM - The Green Mill Bar in Chicago. Green Mill Jazz Club 4802 N. Broadway Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60640,
Best Slam in Illinois! the Uptown Poetry Slam. Sean M Whelan and Emilie Zoey Baker book: 773.878.5552
email: greenmill@comcast.net
web: http://www.greenmilljazz.com/poetryslam.html

Postcard Poetry No. 6.

Featured at Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast

On the cusp of my impending tour of North America I'm pretty damn thrilled to be featured at Indiefeed's Performance Poetry Podcast, straight outta New York!
Alongside my buddies alicia sometimes and Emilie Zoey Baker.

Thank you Mongo and Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz for making this happen.
Have a listen here!

Interviewed at Literary Minded

An interview with myself and my very good friend (and amazing poet) Nathan Curnow appears today at Literary Minded. A freaking incredible Literature blog run by Angela Meyer. I am blessed to be amongst its pages. Thank you Angela, you are wonderful.

postcard poetry no. 5. come back when it's cold

A Walk Through Westgarth

Woodford and Online Interview.

Okay, one of my New Years resolutions is definitely to be a better blogger.
In the meantime I'm about to get on a plane and fly to Queensland to perform at the Woodford Folk Festival! I'm doing two shows with The Mime Set and Emilie Zoey Baker. And a solo spoken word set. These are my last shows with The Mime Set! Which is quite sad.
Also Graham Nunn has started a new blog for which he interviewed me. You can see the interview here.
http://grahamnunn.wordpress.com/

See you in the new year, a better blogger I will be!

smw.

Melbourne launch of my new collection of poetry.

Tomorrow night (Thurs 6th Nov) I'm very proud to say I'll be launching my new collection of poetry titled 'Tattooing The Surface of the Moon'. It's published by Small Change Press. This will also be a very special (and slightly sad occasion) because this will be my very last gig in Melbourne with musical act The Mime Set. We have been collaborating since 2005 and have done many amazing and rewarding shows together. If you've never seen us perform together and have been curious then tomorrow night in Melbourne is your last chance! (Our ultra last gig together will be at the Woodford Folk Festival in QLD over New Years.)
Below is the details of the gig. Hope to see you there.

SEAN WHELAN BOOK LAUNCH
Launch of Tattooing the Surface of the Moon
A new book of poetry by
Sean M Whelan
With special guests THE MIME SET
Small Change Press is excited to launch it's final title for 2008, Tattooing the Surface of the Moon by acclaimed Melbourne spoken word artist, Sean M Whelan.
Whelan is a writer of poetry, prose, visual poetry and works for performance. His work has been widely published in the likes of Going Down Swinging & Best Australian Poems 2008. In 2007 he was a special guest of the Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale in Indonesia.

Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz - New York City Slam Poet Champion - says:
"Haunting, provocative and lavishly surreal, Sean M. Whelan's latest collection of poetry is a glittering stand out."
Special guests: The Mime Set (last Melbourne performance ever!)
Small Change Poets: Graham Nunn & Pascalle Burton
hosted by David Stavanger
Launched by Steve Grimwade (Melbourne Writers Festival, Triple R FM)
8.30pm free entry
Thurs 6th November.
Bar Open, 317 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.