Jena Woodhouse

Jena Woodhouse is a Brisbane-based Australian novelist and poet.

Career

Born Jennifer May Spurway, in Rockhampton in 1949, Woodhouse is a graduate of the University of Queensland obtaining a B.A.Hons in Russian language and literature. Later Woodhouse completed an M.A. in creative writing at Queensland University of Technology. AustLit lists 562 published works by Woodhouse[1] that include the domestic fiction ‘Farming Ghosts’ (2009),[2] and the short story collection ‘Dreams of Flight’ (2014).[3]

Woodhouse's published poetry collections include 'Eros in Landscape' (1989),[4] 'Passenger on a Ferry' (1994)[5] and 'Green Dance: Tamborine Mountain Poems' (2018).[6]

Woodhouse's poetry has been recognised both in Australia and internationally. Amongst Woodhouse's awards is a High Commendation for ‘The Termitary’ in the 2007 Fellowship of Australian Writers Tom Collins Poetry Prize (Western Australia)[7] and second place for ‘Galahs near Booranga’ in the 2017 Henry Kendall Poetry Award (Victoria).[8] Woodhouse has been short-listed three times for the Montreal International Poetry Prize for ‘A Bird and the River ‘ (2013),[9] ‘Evening Stroll by the Canal’ (2015),[10] and more recently for ‘Lament for a Daughter’ (2020).[11]

Woodhouse's poems have also been set to music. Woodhouse's poem sequence 'The River’ formed the basis of Betty Beath’s song cycle ‘River Songs’ (1991) for soprano[12] and her poems 'Turquoise Lullaby', ' Every Shadow‘ and 'When Evie Dances’ (2018) forms the text for Beath's song cycle 'Evie Dances’ for mezzo-soprano.[13] Woodhouse's poem 'The She Wolf' is the text of one of five songs in Beath's song cycle ’Points in a Journey’ (1987) for soprano.[14]

Prose

  • Jena Woodhouse (2009) Farming Ghosts, Port Adelaide: Ginninderra Press.
  • Christina Houen and Jena Woodhouse (eds) (2006) Hidden Desires: Australian Women Writing, Ginninderra Press.
  • Jena Woodhouse (1993) Metis, The Octopus and the Olive Tree, Nundah: Jam Roll Press.

Poetry

  • Jena Woodhouse, Larisa Chen (illustrator) (1989) Eros in Landscape Brisbane: Jacaranda Press.
  • Jena Woodhouse (1994) Passenger on a Ferry, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
  • Jena Woodhouse (2018) Green Dance: Tamborine Mountain Poems Calanthe Press.

References

  1. ^ Austlit. "Jena Woodhouse | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  2. ^ Woodhouse, Jena (2009). Farming ghosts. Port Adelaide, S.A: Ginninderra Press. ISBN 978-1-74027-556-9.
  3. ^ Woodhouse, Jena (2014). Dreams of flight. Port Adelaide, SA: Ginninderra Press. ISBN 978-1-74027-726-6. OCLC 878935878.
  4. ^ Woodhouse, Jena (1989). Eros in landscape. Jacaranda poets series. Milton, Qld: Jacaranda. ISBN 978-0-7016-2640-2.
  5. ^ Woodhouse, Jena (1994). Passenger on a ferry. St. Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press. ISBN 978-0-7022-2642-7.
  6. ^ "Green Dance: Tamborine Mountain Poems". StylusLit. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Jena Woodhouse - Griffith Review". test.griffithreview.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Henry Kendall Poetry Award 2017 Winners". Central Coast Poets Inc. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  9. ^ "A Bird and the River by Jena Woodhouse". Montreal International Poetry Prize. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Evening Stroll by the Canal by Jena Woodhouse". Montreal International Poetry Prize. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Lament for a Daughter". Montreal International Poetry Prize. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  12. ^ Beath, Betty; Woodhouse, Jena (2007). River songs: a cycle for soprano voice and piano. Wollongong, N.S.W: Publications by Wirripang.
  13. ^ "Evie Dances: A cycle of three songs for voice and piano by Betty Beath". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  14. ^ Beath, Betty (1996). The she-wolf: piano solo. Sydney, N.S.W: Australian Music Centre.