Rae White - How Poetry and Queer Storytelling Are Changing Australia’s Literary Scene

Andrew Horner - Poetry Is a Friend in the Dark

Join the Slam Fam on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ittis⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/ittis] Check out the I Think, Therefore I Slam Merch Store: ⁠https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/⁠ [https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/] Andrew Horner - also known as Drew Horner - is an actor, poet, voice over artist and a host on a popular movie podcast Rage Whale. He has played many characters both on stage and screen as well as voicing characters for video games such as Divinity Original Sin 2 and Augmented Empire. He uses his voice to perform spoken word pieces, and has published 2 poetry collections the first being My Life in Pieces and more recently Drunk on Lies Sober on Truth. He has a spoken word album out called Strong Enough To Break under the name Creative Tales with his creative-partner and music producer/composer Tomàs Almeida. With his poetry he aims to break stigmas on important topics like mental health, suicide awareness and phone addiction. As a poet he tries to right/write the wrongs that society may choose to ignore! Follow Andrew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesofthenook [https://www.instagram.com/talesofthenook] Rage Whale Podcast: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ragewhalepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/ragewhalepodcast] Find all of Andrew's works: https://linktr.ee/TalesoftheNook [https://linktr.ee/TalesoftheNook] Follow ITTIS on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislam [https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislam] Find Melbourne spoken word events: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://melbournepoetry.com/⁠ [https://melbournepoetry.com/] Podcast art by Doane Stuart School

Paris Rosemont - Banana Girl Conquers the World

Join the Slam Fam on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ittis⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/ittis] Check out the I Think, Therefore I Slam Merch Store: ⁠https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/⁠ [https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/] Paris Rosemont is a multi-disciplinary, multi-award-winning Thai Australian writer and author of poetry collections "Banana Girl" and "Barefoot Poetess", shortlisted for awards in Australia, Greece, UK and USA. The latter was awarded Distinguished Favorite in the NYC Big Book Awards 2025. Paris has also recently released a chapbook ">>glitch<<". Paris’s poetry has been published in over one hundred literary journals and anthologies worldwide, including Australian Poetry Journal, Rabbit, Splinter, and Sky Island Journal. Winner of the Matthew Rocca Poetry Prize 2025 and longlisted for the Blake Poetry Prize 2026, Paris is also a critic for Mascara Literary Journal, Guest Editor for Written Off Literary Journal, sits on the Hunter Writers’ Centre Board, and is Chair of the Poetry Books Judging Panel for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards 2026. Her niche is in performance poetry, and she has performed on festival stages nationwide and internationally. One producer hailed Paris as ‘the wildest of wildcards’. Follow Paris on Her Website: https://www.parisrosemont.com/ [https://www.parisrosemont.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msparisrose [https://www.instagram.com/msparisrose] Follow ITTIS on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislam [https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislam] Find Melbourne spoken word events: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://melbournepoetry.com/⁠ [https://melbournepoetry.com/] Podcast art by Doane Stuart School

Brandon Leake - The Slam Poet Who Won "America's Got Talent"

Join the Slam Fam on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ittis⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/ittis] Check out the I Think, Therefore I Slam Merch Store: ⁠https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/⁠ [https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/] THIS IS THE SEASON 2 FINALE OF ITTIS, THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING! Brandon Leake is the season 15 winner of America’s Got Talent, a 7x Telly Award Winner, 1x SOVAS Award Winner, and 1x Emmy Award Winner. Brandon has been a Poetic Performer, Keynote Speaker, and Workshop leader for over a decade, traveling locations such as: New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and 42 States. Brandon has collaborated with companies such as Meta, CBS, California Hospital Association, Good Morning America, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and many others. Brandon’s use of personal narrative with his gifting in poetic prose allows him to speak not merely to crowds, but to their inner being, to connect one soul to another, to connect people to an intrinsic sense of communal humanity that is at times severely lacking in our world. Brandon Leake is a visionary, whose words, but most importantly actions reflect his love of Christ, people, and the world. Check out Brandon's short film "Complexity": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjEuLC7Ove8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjEuLC7Ove8] Follow Brandon on Their Website: https://brandonleake.com/ [https://brandonleake.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandon_leake_ctm [https://www.instagram.com/brandon_leake_ctm] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Brandon_Leake_CTM [https://www.youtube.com/@Brandon_Leake_CTM] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calledtomove/ [https://www.facebook.com/calledtomove/] Follow ITTIS on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast] Find Melbourne spoken word events: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://melbournepoetry.com/⁠ [https://melbournepoetry.com/] Podcast art by Doane Stuart School

Patreon Preview: Megan J Riedl - The Voice Of A City

Join the Slam Fam on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ittis⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/ittis] Check out the I Think, Therefore I Slam Merch Store: ⁠https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/⁠ [https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/] Megan J Riedl is a nationally recognised spoken word performer, collaborative theatre-maker, expert world-builder and master facilitator. Megan was awarded Queensland Poetry’s 2021 XYZ Innovation in Spoken Word Prize, and the Bob McKinnon Memorial Prize at Clunes Booktown Poetry Slam, 2025. Megan was an Australian Poetry Slam Victorian State Finalist for three years running, and a finalist for the 2019 Melbourne Spoken Word Prize. Megan’s poetry has been commissioned by Creative City Ballarat, CresFEST, the Ballarat Greens and Let’s Talk Peace, Ballarat and was one of two chosen artists for the inaugural Seedpod Ballarat residency program with Punctum Inc. Megan has performed spoken word across the state, from Eureka Centre to Fed Square and exhibited work from the Immigration Museum to a vending machine at Geelong Library. She has writing, directing and producing credits with independent and community theatre companies across Victoria and is a regular dramaturg and facilitator for Melbourne Writer’s Theatre. An Arts Management graduate and alumni of Leadership Ballarat’s Leaders Program 2017, Megan was the Executive Assistant for Ballarat Arts Foundation for two years and has previously held board positions with Ballarat National Theatre, Ballarat Writers Inc and Spark Theatre. Before focusing on her creative practice, Megan worked as a creative health promotion facilitator, an administrator at a circus training institution, an actor’s agency receptionist, and a Secondary school teacher. Megan lives on stolen Wadawurrung land in Ballarat, VIC, Australia, with her two children, cat Mishka and dog Mook. Follow Megan on Their Website: https://www.meganjriedl.com/ [https://www.meganjriedl.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjriedl [https://www.instagram.com/meganjriedl] The Ballarat Poetess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theballaratpoetess [https://www.instagram.com/theballaratpoetess] Follow ITTIS on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast] Find Melbourne spoken word events: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://melbournepoetry.com/⁠ [https://melbournepoetry.com/] Podcast art by Doane Stuart School

Rae White - How Poetry and Queer Storytelling Are Changing Australia’s Literary Scene

Join the Slam Fam on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ittis⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/ittis] Check out the I Think, Therefore I Slam Merch Store: ⁠https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/⁠ [https://ittis.deco-apparel.com/] Rae White is a non-binary transgender writer, educator and zine maker. Their poetry collection "Milk Teeth" won the 2017 Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize and their second poetry collection, "Exactly As I Am", was shortlisted for the 2023 Prime Minister's Literary Awards and the 2023 Judith Wright Calanthe Award in the Queensland Literary Awards. This year, they've branched out into the world of children's picture books with their debut title, "All the Colours of the Rainbow". Their poetry has been published in Australian Poetry Journal, Cordite Poetry Review, Mianjin Quarterly, Overland, Rabbit, and many others. They're also the creative director and founder of the community poetry initiative Uplift Poetry and the founding editor of #EnbyLife, a journal for non-binary and gender diverse creatives. Buy "All the Colours of the Rainbow" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fIF8J4 [https://amzn.to/4fIF8J4] Buy "Exactly As I Am" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mwAhNU [https://amzn.to/4mwAhNU] Follow Rae on Their Website: https://raewhite.net/ [https://raewhite.net/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rae.elliot.white [https://www.instagram.com/rae.elliot.white] Follow ITTIS on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ithinkthereforeislampodcast] Find Melbourne spoken word events: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://melbournepoetry.com/⁠ [https://melbournepoetry.com/] Podcast art by Doane Stuart School