Team Announcements

 

Peril is People

As I sit down to write this, I am surrounded by an extensive library of books on organisational development, corporate best practice and human resource management. It’s hard to explain exactly why I’m in this place, but let’s all just make the leap and go there.

Titles like “Redefining Corporate Soul”, “The Seven Cultures of Capitalism”, and “Corporations: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power” operate like neon beacons on the shelves, reminding me that big business is also often big font, and there’s no such thing as too much alliteration when it comes to a book title.

Yet, at that core of many of these texts, or at least the few that I have managed to flip through with a curious attention to the pull quotes, graphs and pictures – is the overriding mantra that “People Matter”.

If there is any insight that I have gained in the time that I have been with Peril it is indeed that people matter, which is why I am delighted and partly sad and somewhat wistful to make the following announcements. Because, since 2006, Peril has sought to be many things: magazine, blog, portal, social media platform, library, archive, spotlight, platform, showcase, mirror, mirrorball, treasure trove, story whisperer, magician, unsettler, spectator, activist, agitator, critic, cheerleader and – above all – community.

And that takes people. So it is only fitting to recognise and farewell/transition/welcome two important Peril team members into new places in our community: Jarni Blakkarly and Lia Incognita.

Jarring Blakkarly is a Melbourne based journalist and free-lancer who has been our incredible Politics and Arts Editor, bringing us everything from commentary on West Papua, Australia’s enduing tolerance for brown-face, and why changes to 18C failed to sell. In addition to his writing with us, Jarni has lead the way to supporting a range of new writers and bloggers to share their current affairs coverage on matters related to Asian Australian culture, arts and politics. Jarni’s taking a step back from this role to focus on his freelance work, which is already being featured in various online publications in Australia, including Crikey, Overland, Al Jazeera English, The Diplomat and The Conversation. Luckily for us, we’re going to be staying in touch with Jarni and hope to see his by-line again in the future, for the thoughtful, critical and engaged viewpoint on Australian politics and culture that we have valued so much these past months. Follow him on Twitter so you don’t miss out.

Also stepping back from stepping up is Lia Incognita, who was acting Prose Editor, since August 2014, who will be returning to our board. For those who don’t know Lia, ey is a Shanghai-born cultural commentator living in Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri country. Lia has written for Overland, performed at La Mama Poetica and The Famous Spiegeltent, and spoken on panels for Cherchez La Femme, Beyond Borders and Colourfest. Ey also broadcasts incredible content for Queering the Air on 3CR Community Radio. We’re delighted to be able to retain Lia’s insight and experience on the Peril team and thank her for bringing us stories like Eugenia Flynn’s A Survivor and a Fighter, and Extracts from Nila and Mrs Hettiarchie by Su Dharmapala, which – among all the contributions – gave so much beauty to the Elderspeak edition.

What this also means, however, folks, is that we’re going to be make a call out for EOIs for new people to come and join us at PERIL. So if you think your face looks good in a thumbnail gallery like this, start plotting.

 

 

Author: Eleanor Jackson

Eleanor Jackson is a Filipino Australian poet, performer, arts producer and community radio broadcaster. Eleanor Jackson is a former Editor in Chief and Poetry Editor of Peril and currently Chair of the Board.