Brian Purcell

Brian’s first poems were published in Poetry and Audience (Leeds, UK) in the early eighties. In 1984 he featured in Poetry Australia’s young writers’ issue, New Pressings, and since been published in many Australian magazines such as Meanjin, Imago, Scarp, Cordite, Plumwood Mountain and Southerly.
He was the singer/lyricist for the alternative band Distant Locust 1985-95 with whom he toured Europe in 1991. That year Contempo International (Italy) released their well-received CD, Chemical Wedding Feast. The publication, Lovely Infestation, was released in 1995, and contains lyrics, collages and poems associated with Distant Locust.
He’s had poems in textbooks such as Top Lines, and Look What I’ve Written, and in anthologies such as Notes for the Translators, Ten Years Live, UTS anthologies and Australian Love Poems. Brian worked for the Australian Society of Authors, the Poets Union and the Literature Board, and in 2010 founded the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival.

He was the singer/lyricist for the alternative band Distant Locust 1985-95 with whom he toured Europe in 1991. That year Contempo International (Italy) released their well-received CD, Chemical Wedding Feast.

His only publication, Lovely Infestation, was released in 1995, and contains lyrics, collages and poems associated with Distant Locust.

After a hiatus, he has a poem in the forthcoming Notes for the Translators: from 142 New Zealand and Australian poets - ASM and Cerberus Press.

He has worked for the Australian Society of Authors and the Literature Board of the Australia Council, and in 2010 founded the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival.