Richard James Allen

Richard James Allen
Born	1960 (age 64–65) Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Poet, dancer, actor and filmmaker

Richard James Allen (born 1960) is a contemporary Australian poet, dancer, actor and filmmaker. ^[1] The former artistic director of the Poets Union Inc, and founding director of the Australian Poetry Festival, Allen was co-artistic director with Karen Pearlman of That Was Fast (New York City) and Tasdance (Launceston), and now at The Physical TV Company (Sydney). ^[2]

Allen has published thirteen books of poetry, fiction or performance texts, most recently Text Messages from the Universe (2023), More Lies (2021), The short story of you and I (2019), Fixing the Broken Nightingale (2014), The Kamikaze Mind (2006), and Performing the Unnameable: An Anthology of Australian Performance Texts (1999), co-edited with Karen Pearlman. He received the 2005 University of Technology, Sydney, Chancellor's Award for Best Doctoral Thesis. A multi-award-winning film adaptation of his Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry-nominated book, Thursday's Fictions (1999), was first broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2007. This surreal dance fantasy also has a Second Life presence, Thursday's Fictions in Second Life. ^[3]

He is the grandson of World War II Major General Arthur Samuel "Tubby" Allen, son of novelist and short story writer Robert Allen, and the brother of art critic Christopher Allen. ^[4]

Books

• Allen, Richard James (c. 2023). Text Messages from the Universe. ASM: Macau & Cerberus Press: Markwell, N.S.W., Australia: Flying Island Books. ISBN   978-0-6455503-1-3.
• — (c. 2021). More Lies. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: Interactive Press. ISBN   978-19223-32-64-6.
• — (c. 2019). The short story of you and I. Perth, Western Australia, Australia: UWA Publishing. ISBN   978-17608-00-21-5.
• — (c. 2014). Fixing the broken nightingale. ASM: Macau & Cerberus Press: Markwell, N.S.W., Australia: Flying Island Books. ISBN   978-99965-42-58-9.
• — (c. 2006). The kamikaze mind. Blackheath, N.S.W., Australia: Brandl & Schlesinger. ISBN   1-876040-71-8.
• — (c. 1999). Thursday's fictions. Wollongong, N.S.W., Australia: Five Islands Press. ISBN   0-86418-596-0.
• with Karen Pearlman (c. 1999). Performing the Unnameable: An Anthology of Australian Performance Texts. Sydney, N.S.W., Australia: Currency Press in association with RealTime. ISBN   0-86819-420-4.
• with Karen Pearlman (c. 1996). New Life on the 2nd Floor. Launceston, TAS, Australia: Tasdance. ISBN   0-9586795-0-9.
• — (c. 1995). The air dolphin brigade. Brooklyn, N.S.W., Australia, and Launceston, TAS, Australia: Paper Bark Press in association with Tasdance. ISBN   0-646-26678-0.
• — (c. 1995). What to name your baby. Brooklyn, N.S.W., Australia, and Launceston, TAS, Australia: Paper Bark Press in association with Tasdance. ISBN   0-646-23747-0.
• — (c. 1993). Hope for a man named Jimmie; &, Grand illusion Joe. Wollongong, N.S.W., Australia: Five Islands Press Associates. ISBN   1-875604-07-3.
• — (c. 1989). To the ocean; &, Scheherazade. Sydney, N.S.W., Australia: Hale & Iremonger. ISBN   0-86806-396-7.
• — (c. 1986). The way out at last & other poems. Sydney, N.S.W., Australia: Hale & Iremonger. ISBN   0-86806-248-0.

Further reading

• "The Exhilaration and Anxiety of Free Fall" ^[5] Dr Mark Seton reviews The Kamikaze Mind by Richard James Allen

External links

Creative Websites:

• The Physical TV Channel on YouTube ^[6]
• #RichardReads - an online compendium of Global Poetry, Read Aloud
• Performing The Unnameable: An Anthology of Australian Performance Texts
• Out Of The Labyrinth Of The Mind: Manifesting A Spiritual Art Beyond Dualism (Abstract for Doctorate of Creative Arts)

Interviews:

• TASA Media Voices Series, interview on creativity across various artforms (7 October, 2021)
• Tony Messenger, Verity La, interview on poetry, spirituality and the arts (24 February, 2020)
• Paul Brookes, The Wombwell Rainbow, interview on writing history and practice (7 August, 2019)
• Magdalena Ball, Compulsive Reader, interview on poetry and creativity (24 June, 2019)
• Samuel Elliott, Backstory Journal, interview on poetic form (16 June, 2019)
• Eddy Diamond, FBi Radio, interview on poetry (2 February, 2019)
• Interactive Media Innovation (imi) industry leader interview (April, 2012)
• Andrew Mikkelsen interview on yoga, creativity, philosophy and personal history (21 February, 2012)
• Josef Brown interview on dance film and creativity (30 May, 2011)
• Orion Mitchell interview on dance film and the internet, as part of Dancing Through YouTube (April 26, 2011)
• SPIKE Magazine interview on dance for film and virtual worlds (6 April 2011)
• Transmedia Victoria – Meet transmedia artist: Richard James Allen (20 December, 2010)
• RealTime interview on mixed reality dance film (Issue #99, October–November 2010)
• RealTime interview on dance film (Issue #80, August–September 2007)
• RealTime interview on dance and poetry (Issue #10, December–January 1995)

Archives:

• Richard James Allen at Red Room Poetry ^[7]
• Richard James Allen at Australia Dancing, National Library of Australia ^[8]
• Richard James Allen at IMDb
• Richard James Allen at the Manuscripts Collection, the State Library of New South Wales ^[9]
• The Physical TV Company Website selected for preservation by Pandora, Australia's Web Archive, at the National Library of Australia ^[10]

References

1. "Austlit — Richard James Allen". Austlit. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
2. ""The Physical TV Company"". Physical TV. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
3. ""Writing for Second Life: Richard James Allen"". ABC Radio. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
4. "Austlit — Christopher Allen". Austlit. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
5. ""The Exhilaration and Anxiety of Free Fall" Dr Mark Seton". Jacket 33, July 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
6. ""The Physical TV Channel on YouTube"". YouTube. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
7. ""Richard James Allen"". Red Room Poetry. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
8. ""Richard James Allen at Australia Dancing"". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
9. ""Richard James allen"". State Libraray of NSW. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
10. ""The Physical TV Company Website on Pandora"". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 September 2025.