Arlea Whelan

Arlea Whelan is a poet, playwright and mental health advocate who creates on Dharawal Country. Her debut poetry collection was published in 2020 by Story Factory; since then, her poems have found homes with Red Room Poetry and Upswell Publishing, among others. Her playscript, published by Lane Cove Literary Awards, was awarded the Be Your Own Boss Youth Prize. Between 2022 and 2024, Arlea worked with diverse communities delivering poetry workshops, and is now focused on her work with the Please Stay Foundation, a suicide-prevention charity. She recently finished writing the manuscript for her second full-length poetry collection.