Kris Hemensley
Encyclopedia
Kris Alan Hemensley is a poet
, who was born on The Isle of Wight, and spent his early childhood in Alexandria
, the son of an Egypt
ian mother and an English
father who was stationed in Egypt with the Royal Air Force
. He visited Australia
at the age of 18, and emigrated there in 1966. He was awarded the Christopher Brennan Award
in 2005, which recognizes poetry of "sustained quality and distinction".
Hemensley has published around 20 collections of poetry, most of which are currently out of print. Through the late 60's and 70's he was involved in poetry workshops at La Mama
, and edited the cheaply produced literary magazines Our Glass, and The Ear in a Wheatfield, amongst others. The Ear played an important role in providing a place where poets — such as Jennifer Maiden
—who were writing outside what was then the mainstream could publish their work. In 1969 and 1970 he presented the program Kris Hemensley's Melbourne on ABC Radio. In the 1970s he was poetry editor for Meanjin
He currently manages Collected Works, a specialist poetry bookshop in Melbourne, Australia.
[with Ken Taylor] Two Poets ([s.l.: s.n., [1968]).
The Going and Other Poems (Heidelberg West, Vic: Michael Dugan, 1969).
Dreams (London: Edible Magazine, 1971).
The Soft Poems: For Timothy (Bexleyheath, UK: Prison Clothes/Joe DiMaggio Press, 1972).
Rocky Mountains and Tired Indians (Bexleyheath, UK: Joe DiMaggio Press, 1973).
Love’s Voyages (St Lucia, Qld: Makar Press, 1974).
Domestications: A Selection of Poems 1968–1972 (Melbourne: Sun Books, 1974).
Sulking in the Seventies (Clifton Hill, Vic: Ragman Productions, 1975).
The Poem of the Clear Eye (Carlton, Vic: Paper Castle, 1975).
Beginning Again: Poems 1976 (Sydney: Sea Cruise Books, 1978).
The Moths (Carlton, Vic: Paper Castle, 1978).
The Miro Poems (Alverstoke, UK: Stingy Artist, 1979).
A Mile From Poetry (Sydney: Island Press, 1979).
Trace (Port Melbourne, Vic: Ingles St Press, 1984).
Sit(e) ([Weymouth], UK: Stingy Artist/Last Straw, 1987).
Suggested Further Reading
Martin Duwell, ‘Kris Hemensley,’ in A Possible Contemporary Poetry: Interviews with Thirteen Poets from the New Australian Poetry (St Lucia, Qld: Makar Press, 1982), pp. 50–66.
Carl Harrison-Ford, ‘Poetics before Politics: A Note on Kris Hemensley’s “New Australian Poetry”,’ Meanjin Quarterly 29.2 (1970), pp. 226–31.
Kris Hemensley, ‘First Look at “The New Australian Poetry”,’ Meanjin Quarterly 29.1 (1970), pp. 118–21.
Kris Hemensley, Introduction, The Best of the Ear: The Ear in a Wheatfield, 1973–1976: A Portrait of a Magazine (Clifton Hill, Vic: Rigmorale Books, 1985).
Kris Hemensley, ‘ “…The Wild Assertion of Vitality” ’ Australian Literary Studies 8.2 (1977), pp. 226–39.
Marcus O’Donnell, ‘Kris Hemensley: Reflections on Three Generations,’ The Small Press Times (1992), p. 1.
Ken Taylor, ‘Kris Hemensley’s Melbourne,’ Melbourne On My Mind (Melbourne: ABC, 1976), pp. 49–63.
Jim Tulip, ‘Towards an Australian Modernism: New Writings of Kris Hemensley,’ Southerly 37.2 (1977), pp. 142–51.
(List of works from the Australian Poetry Library)
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, who was born on The Isle of Wight, and spent his early childhood in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, the son of an Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian mother and an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
father who was stationed in Egypt with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He visited Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the age of 18, and emigrated there in 1966. He was awarded the Christopher Brennan Award
Christopher Brennan Award
The Christopher Brennan Award is an Australian award given for lifetime achievement in poetry. The award, established circa 1976, takes the form of a bronze plaque; it recognizes a poet who produces work of "sustained quality and distinction"...
in 2005, which recognizes poetry of "sustained quality and distinction".
Hemensley has published around 20 collections of poetry, most of which are currently out of print. Through the late 60's and 70's he was involved in poetry workshops at La Mama
La Mama Theatre (Melbourne)
The La Mama Theatre is a theatrical venue located at 205 Faraday St, Carlton, Victoria. It opened in a former factory building on 30 July 1967 and still operates today under the direction of Liz Jones....
, and edited the cheaply produced literary magazines Our Glass, and The Ear in a Wheatfield, amongst others. The Ear played an important role in providing a place where poets — such as Jennifer Maiden
Jennifer Maiden
Jennifer Maiden is a contemporary Australian poet.Jennifer Maiden was born in Penrith, New South Wales. She began publishing professionally in the late 1960s and has been active in Sydney's literary scene since then. She took a BA at Macquarie University in the early 1970s...
—who were writing outside what was then the mainstream could publish their work. In 1969 and 1970 he presented the program Kris Hemensley's Melbourne on ABC Radio. In the 1970s he was poetry editor for Meanjin
Meanjin
Meanjin is an Australian literary journal. The name - pronounced Mee-AN-jin - is derived from an Aboriginal word for the land where the city Brisbane is located.It was founded in December 1940, in Brisbane, by Clem Christesen...
He currently manages Collected Works, a specialist poetry bookshop in Melbourne, Australia.
Poetry
Poetry Collections[with Ken Taylor] Two Poets ([s.l.: s.n., [1968]).
The Going and Other Poems (Heidelberg West, Vic: Michael Dugan, 1969).
Dreams (London: Edible Magazine, 1971).
The Soft Poems: For Timothy (Bexleyheath, UK: Prison Clothes/Joe DiMaggio Press, 1972).
Rocky Mountains and Tired Indians (Bexleyheath, UK: Joe DiMaggio Press, 1973).
Love’s Voyages (St Lucia, Qld: Makar Press, 1974).
Domestications: A Selection of Poems 1968–1972 (Melbourne: Sun Books, 1974).
Sulking in the Seventies (Clifton Hill, Vic: Ragman Productions, 1975).
The Poem of the Clear Eye (Carlton, Vic: Paper Castle, 1975).
Beginning Again: Poems 1976 (Sydney: Sea Cruise Books, 1978).
The Moths (Carlton, Vic: Paper Castle, 1978).
The Miro Poems (Alverstoke, UK: Stingy Artist, 1979).
A Mile From Poetry (Sydney: Island Press, 1979).
Trace (Port Melbourne, Vic: Ingles St Press, 1984).
Sit(e) ([Weymouth], UK: Stingy Artist/Last Straw, 1987).
Suggested Further Reading
Martin Duwell, ‘Kris Hemensley,’ in A Possible Contemporary Poetry: Interviews with Thirteen Poets from the New Australian Poetry (St Lucia, Qld: Makar Press, 1982), pp. 50–66.
Carl Harrison-Ford, ‘Poetics before Politics: A Note on Kris Hemensley’s “New Australian Poetry”,’ Meanjin Quarterly 29.2 (1970), pp. 226–31.
Kris Hemensley, ‘First Look at “The New Australian Poetry”,’ Meanjin Quarterly 29.1 (1970), pp. 118–21.
Kris Hemensley, Introduction, The Best of the Ear: The Ear in a Wheatfield, 1973–1976: A Portrait of a Magazine (Clifton Hill, Vic: Rigmorale Books, 1985).
Kris Hemensley, ‘ “…The Wild Assertion of Vitality” ’ Australian Literary Studies 8.2 (1977), pp. 226–39.
Marcus O’Donnell, ‘Kris Hemensley: Reflections on Three Generations,’ The Small Press Times (1992), p. 1.
Ken Taylor, ‘Kris Hemensley’s Melbourne,’ Melbourne On My Mind (Melbourne: ABC, 1976), pp. 49–63.
Jim Tulip, ‘Towards an Australian Modernism: New Writings of Kris Hemensley,’ Southerly 37.2 (1977), pp. 142–51.
(List of works from the Australian Poetry Library)