Richard James Allen
Richard James Allen’s most recent book, Text Messages from the Universe (Flying Island Books, 2023), reflects a lifelong engagement with Buddhist and Yogic philosophies.
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Richard James Allen
Richard James Allen is an Australian poet, currently living in Sydney on the unceded lands of the Gadigal People. His writing has appeared widely in journals, anthologies, and online, and he has been a popular reader at multiple performing arts venues, over many years. His latest book, Text Messages from the Universe (Flying Island Books, 2023), reflects a lifelong engagement with Buddhist and Yogic philosophies. A film adaptation, which he directed, won six awards, including Best Screenwriter of the Year Award at the Mumbai International Film Awards, and was a finalist for Best Narrative Feature Film at the ATOM Awards in Melbourne. Earlier critically acclaimed volumes include: More Lies (Interactive Press, 2021), The short story of you and I (UWAP, 2019), Fixing the Broken Nightingale (Flying Island Books, 2014), The Kamikaze Mind (Brandl & Schlesinger, 2006) and Thursday’s Fictions (Five Islands Press, 1999), shortlisted for the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry. Richard is well-known for his multi-award-winning career as a filmmaker and choreographer with The Physical TV Company, and as a performer in a range of media. A first-class honours graduate from Sydney University, he won the Chancellor’s Award for best doctoral thesis at the University of Technology, Sydney.