Over nibbles and around a fire, Luisa will read a selection of poems from her debut collection of poetry, ‘Song of the Shadow of a Seed’ (Fremantle Press 2026), with ‘guest’ readings from her parents, Robyn Wells and Peter Mitchell. Luisa is happy to answer any questions about her publishing and storytelling journey. Come for the poems, stay for the conversation – there may even be a collaborative writing prompt to end the night. Luisa will be selling signed copies of ‘Song of the Shadow of the Seed’ – cash or bank transfer accepted ($29.99).

About the book:

Seeds are sacred. They are the minutiae of all life, along with Boodjar (Country), Beeliar (rivers), women, and all bodies and vessels that carry living things. Mitchell’s debut collection is divided into different cycles around the life of a seed – elders, memory, language, hunger, burning, flowering, flight – and the poems within reflect the ways in which a seed, a person and a nation can contain the long history of what has been, as well as the promise of what is to come. These poems open conversations about connection to Country, the resilience of culture, and the complex articulation of identity as a First Nations descendant.

About the author:

Luisa Mitchell (Shaw) is a storyteller and artist of Whadjuk Nyungar, English, Irish and Swedish heritage. Born and raised on Yawuru and Djugun country in Broome, Luisa now lives on Whadjuk Boodjar in Perth, working at Centre for Stories in community arts and truth-telling projects. She was awarded the Best Emerging Poet Prize by Liquid Amber Press in 2022 and shortlisted for The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers in 2023. Her debut poetry collection, Song of the Shadow of a Seed, was released by Fremantle Press in 2026.