Words on Art and Life with Ronald Araña Atilano

Don’t miss the chance to hear from Filipino-born poet and artist Ronald Araña Atilano, who lives in Awabakal land in Lake Macquarie, NSW. Join him in conversation as he shares insights about his work, life and creative passion that bridges language, landscape and medium. Ronald was awarded the Katharine Sussanah Prichard (KSP) Writers Centre’s Emerging Writer In Residence for 2026 and his poetry has been widely published in Cordite, Westerly, Rabbit Poetry Journal, and Island Magazine. A bilingual writer, his recent collections include New Ordinance for the Dead (Flying Islands) and Paghimbing sa Templo (Librong LIRA). Also a visual artist, his artworks and poems have been featured at Nobbys-Whibayganba Lighthouse, Newcastle Art Space, and Leda Gallery. His poems in Filipino have been widely published by universities in the Philippines and he won first prize for poetry at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines’ Saranggola Awards in 2022. In 2025, he won first prize for poetry in Filipino at the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards and his first book in Filipino, ‘Landas sa Ilang’, won the National Book Award. ‘Paghimbing sa Templo’, his second book of poetry in Filipino, has recently been published by Librong LIRA. He also recently co-edited ‘Walang Pahimakas’, a multilingual anthology of poems on the Duterte regime’s ‘war on drugs’, a collaborative project of Amesty International-Philippines and Mountain Beacon. Both of these poetry books were recently launched at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) in September 2026. A regular at reader at local poetry events and festivals across the country, Ronald also serves as a Board Member for the Hunter Writers’ Centre. Host: Danny Gardner: prolific poet, seasoned presenter and passionate advocate for poetry and storytelling. With decades of experience showcasing some of Sydney’s creative voices, Danny brings a wealth of insight to this inspiring discussion. Following the talk, a Q&A session will delve deeper into Ronald’s creative journey. This is a free event open to all ages. We aim to present inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs, please contact our cultural programs coordinator on 02 9265 9333 or pinestreet@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.