AustLit

'Diversity Arts Australia developed I Am Not A Virus, an artist-led initiative to confront xenophobia and racism through creativity. Making art and sharing stories are powerful ways to engage people in these discussions and provide counter-narratives. Sixty eight Asian-identifying creatives from all States and Territories in Australia have been commissioned to create new works in development, across a range of practice areas including visual arts, writing, poetry, performance, screen, audio-visual, music, comedy, and more. This edition of Peril features 10 of these works. For more information on the initiative visit the I Am Not A Virus website.'

Source : publication summary

'The 7th Asian Australian Identities biennial conference Genealogies of Identity Politics, held at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, 7-8 November 2019, marked the 20th vibrant year of the Asian Australian Studies Research Network, acronymically known as AASRN. Even as we celebrated and commemorated two decades of camaraderie, catch-ups, collaborations, community activism and collegial support, we also took the opportunity to reflect, reminisce and ruminate over the changing profiles, positions and perspectives of, on, and by, Asian Australian identities. Given the rich chronicles and conversations unfolding at the conference, our task was accompanied by anticipating and forecasting what Asian Australia might look like in the future and what its animating preoccupations may be.' (Mridula Nath Chakraborty  and Anoma Pieris , Editorial introduction)

'Taking on and breaking open the idea of racialised masculinity in one short edition is almost impossible. And, yet, bringing this edition together feels like nothing less than a rare privilege: ‘right now / it all comes down / to being unprepared for what takes root /’ (Chris Tse, ‘Pedestal Triptych’). Thank you to the many writers, thinkers and creatives who sent their responses to our Man Up edition, which will be coming to you over the next month.' (Editorial introduction)

'We are delighted to collaborate once again with Queensland Poetry Festival to present in part this special poetry edition, ‘I Can’t Speak to You’.  This year’s theme at QPF, ‘Distant Voices’, asks us to consider how we connect to ourselves and to others when language dissolves, is disappeared.' (Editorial)