Brendan Ryan

About Brendan Ryan

Brendan Ryan grew up on a dairy farm at Panmure in Western Victoria. One of ten children, the themes of farming and family have influenced his poetry for over twenty years. His first chapbook, Mungo Poems was published by Soup publications in 1997. His first collection of poems, Why I Am Not a Farmer, was published as part of the New Poets’ series by Five Islands Press in 2000. A Paddock in his Head was published by Five Islands Press in 2007 and A Tight Circle was published by Whitmore Press in 2008. His latest collection of poems is Travelling through the Family, which will be published by Hunter Publishers in 2012. He has had poems and essays published in newspapers and journals such as The Age, Australian Book Review, Meanjin and Heat. He has had poems published in the Best Australian Poetry series (Black Inc.) and The Best Australian Poems series (U.Q.P). He has been awarded three Australia Council grants and in 2008 was awarded a Varuna Longlines residency. A Paddock in his Head was shortlisted for the 2008 ACT Poetry Prize. He teaches English at a secondary college in Geelong and lives in Geelong.