Experimental: Ren Alessandra

You’ve heard of Wog Boy, but where are the girls?

Somewhere beneath the lasagne sheets of stereotypes are the untold stories of every European woman who lives in Australia.

Discover the power of spoken word poetry with Italo-Australian poet and Australian Poetry Slam Champion, Ren Alessandra, as she reclaims her heritage, celebrates identity and brings their herstory out from under the rug.

This will be a night of thoughtful reflection that can’t be missed.

About Experimental

Immerse yourself in the unconventional with a showcase of Melbourne’s fringe arts scene. Join us for a series of intimate performances from local icons and up-and-coming voices inside the Library’s exhibition, The Rest Is Up To You, celebrating 40 years of Melbourne Fringe.

Presented by State Library Victoria, the Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Melbourne Fringe, these weekly shows push the boundaries of performance and explore new ideas. Book your seat now!

About Ren Alessandra

Ren Alessandra is an Italo-Australian poet and educator based in Narrm. Our 2020 Australian Poetry Slam Champion, Ren recently supported platinum artist, Agnes Obel at the Melbourne Recital Centre and has been commissioned by Rotary International, Federation Square, the City of Melbourne, the Victorian Government and Sustainability Victoria among others.

She shares the power of spoken word through schools, council programs and monthly events in her venture, Wordcraft. She was a judge for the 2022 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Poetry and will be performing her debut show 'Wog Girl,' with State Library Victoria in April 2023.

Her poetry explores womanhood, heritage, pilgrimage and love in all its colours.