Publications

Creative Non-fiction

Numerous creative non-fiction pieces for: The Sunday Age, The Big Issue, Eureka Street and, most recently, in Dumbo Feather. See below for detailed listings.

New book, 2020 a prayer, a plea, a bird

December 2020, prayers and stories that have emerged from this year of bushfire, pandemic, and lockdown . Prayers that call out care for creatures, humans and creation, stories that bear witness in sorrow and celebration. A prayer, a plea, a bird can be purchased direct from MediaCom here.

Tender, stories that lean into kindness

Launched May 11, 2019 by Pádraig Ó Tuama, Tender is a collection of 60 non-fiction stories by Julie Perrin and published by MediaCom.
Read reviews in Eureka Street here and The Melbourne Anglican here.

Current Publications 2017 – 2020

click on the links below to go to Julie Perrin’s recent essays and stories

The Saturday Age

• Compassion call: shift in thinking to ensure quality of aged care (12 September 2020)
• How a long walk helped me understand our rubbish problem (28 December 2019)

The Sunday Age and Sydney Morning Herald

• Unconditional love in a state of grace (9 Feb 2020)
• ‘There’s a passion’: Encountering Extinction Rebellion (17 November 2019)
• Gleaning, a lesson at the margins (20 October 2019)
• Face to face with a loss of trust (1 September 2019)
• Love doesn’t come in specific shapes and sizes (5 August 2019)
• No lights, no linen: How Alex survived for six years on Newstart (20 July 2019)
• Leaving space to find meaning (5 May 2019)
• Environmental debate is dying on the inside (3 March 2019)
• How to be Both a Helper and a Basker (23 December 2018)
• Drowning in a Flood of Conversation (25 November 2018)
• It is Easy to Overlook Another’s Sorrow (1 June 2018)
• Be Awake to the Real Bearers of Good News (18 March 2018)
• Light is Constant (13 January 2018)
• Mary at Christmas (16 December 2017)
• Farewell for a Man so Hidden from View (21 October 2017)
• The Less that is More (30 June 2017)

Dumbo Feather

• Dying alone in the age of COVID-19 (May 2020)
• Finding wonder in a crisis (April 2020)
• Staying with the Trouble (January 2020)
• Interview with Thom van Dooren (November 2019)
• Interview with Mark Tredinnick (August 2019)
• Interview with Pádraig Ó Tuama (May 2019)
• Boy with the belt of a lion’s tail (May 2019)
• Shining (December 2018)

Eureka Street

• The Art of Storytelling (18 August 2020)
• Telling Aurelia (11 May 2020)
• Keeping Vigil (6 April 2020)
• Paul Kelly and the lighthouse in the sky (15 October 2019) re-published in Stereo Stories (4 February 2020)
• Jack baptised himself (16 July 2019)
• This bus is a Tardis (19 May 2019)
• Journalist learns the power of accompanying (17 April 2019)
• The Man in the Pork Pie Hat (19 March 2019)
• James and the Four Eggs (5 December 2018)
• Mending Man (2 November 2018)
• The Rosella’s Last Walk (An Eco Parable) (30 April 2018)
• Books Saved from Waste Extend the Story Cycle (3 April 2018)
• Silent Jack’s Birthday Grace (13 February 2018)
• Finding Grace amidst Difference of Marriage Equality Opinion (25 September 2017)

The Big Issue

• The Funeral and the Lion Suit Onesie #545 (8-21 September 2017)

Crosslight

• Not just a boy from the bush (August 2019)
• Show Us a Sign (April 2018)
• The Seduction of Cyberspace (March 2018)
• People Power, Book review, with Andy Calder (February 2018)

Tellingwords

• Hyacinth Blue: Stories of Grace and Vulnerability in Ageing, 2018

Art/s and Theology Australia Blog

• Art and meaning making during the time of COVID-19 (2020)
• Dying alone in the age of COVID-19 (2020)
• Telling Aurelia (2020)
• Keeping Vigil (2020)
• Collects in the time of virus V (2020)
• Collects in the time of virus IV (2020)
• Collects in the time of virus III (2020)
• Collects in the time of virus II (2020)
• Collects in the time of virus I (2020)
• Paul Kelly and the Lighthouse in the sky (2019)
• Love doesn’t come in specific shapes and sizes (2019)
• Kindness in the modern spiritual mode (2019)
• Before Good Friday (April 2019)
• Mary at Christmas (December 2018)
• The Diggers’ Requiem, Tears and Blood (November 2018)

The Sunday Age, Weekend Magazine

• In the Hot Seat: Joelle’s Journey from the Dole to a Global Role

Previously Published Creative non-Fiction (pre-2017)

• Spinifex Blessing, Vols 1-3, Tellingwords (2016)
• All I Have to Do is Dream in The Big Issue #495, (9-15 October 2015)
• The Lore of Candle Care, runner-up, Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers non-fiction prize in The Victorian Writer, (September-October 2015), Magazine of Writers Victoria
• Oscar-the-Ten-Dollar-Dog, Tellingwords (2014)
• On Doubt, Unravelled, On Creatures in Inklings Doubt, Faith and Everyday Life, ed. Mac Nicoll (2014)

• The Lost Dog is Home in Award Winning Bush Verse & Stories, Melbourne Books, (2013) winner of the Pat Glover Memorial Storytelling Award (2011)
• Lowitja O’Donoghue’s Gaze in Earthsong, Vol. 2 Issue 5 (Spring 2013)
• My Grandparents’ Garden in The Big Issue #376 (15-28 March 2011)
• The Lemon Scented Gum in Stamping Ground: Stories of the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne, Clouds of Magellan (2009)
• Declaration of Purpose in 29 Neatly Bound Escapades, Visible Ink Anthology (2007)
• Let God be God in Lacuna: Space for God, Uniting Church in Australia (2003)

Journals

• ‘Once There was …: Reclaiming Storytelling in the Middle Years,’ co-written with Jane Kirkby and Julie Faulkner, in Australian Literacy Educators Journal (June 2014)
• ‘The Siev X Memorial’ in Pen Melbourne Quarterly Issue 1 (May 2014)
• ‘Oral Culture in the Classroom’ in Practically Primary, Vol. 19, No. 1 (February 2014)
• ‘Narrating the Everyday Stories of Our Experience’ in Primarily English, Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, Vol. 3, No.1 (2014)
• ‘Mirrors and Windows: Finding God in Human Experience’ in Ministry Society Theology, Vol 14 (2001)
• ‘Storying our Faith’ in Contemporary Music Network, 8th issue (August 1999)
• ‘Reflection on the Camel Dancer’ in Zadok Perspectives, Summer No. 51 (1996)
• ‘Time Warp’ in Community Quarterly, No. 39 (1996)
• ‘The Tree Planters’ in Community Quarterly, No. 40 (1996)
• ‘On Becoming a Warrior’ in Zadok Perspectives (Winter 1995)
• ‘The Gesture’ in Women Church: Australian Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion (Spring 1992)

Recordings

• Before There Were Books There Were Stories with City of Hume bilingual storytellers and primary schools, DVD published by Broadmeadows Uniting Care (2010)
• To the Heartland and Other Tales,self-published storytelling CD (1997)
• ‘Keeping the Faith’ Big things little things, Uniting Education (1996)
• ‘Once upon Your Birthday’, lead storyteller for Community Arts Project funded by the Australia Council, Video (1996)

Reports and Organisational Writing

• Pathways to the River, commissioned by Brunswick Uniting Church (2013)
• A New Conversation about Ageing study guide, Uniting Agewell (2012)
• Annual Reports and Newsletter, Uniting Care Sunshine Broadmeadows (2008- 2012)
• Share Appeal, fundraising letters and brochures and Annual Report Stories (2007-2009)

Poetry

• Kick Footy’ in Reflections on Melbourne, Poetica Christi Press (2009)
• ‘Meeting Ruby’ in Learning to Breastfeed, Ormond Press (2004)
• ‘A Love Poem for another Human’ in Tattle Tales, Visible Ink (2006)

Lyrics

• ‘Deep Stillness’ is a blessing Julie wrote using images from the Australian landscape, set to music by Lutheran songwriter, Robin Mann.

‘Deep Stillness’ has been published multiple times and sung by thousands of people. ‘For You Deep Stillness,’ (CCLI) published with Robin Mann, (1997), NCYC (1999, 2001), Open Book (2000), Seasons of the Spirit (2005), Iona publications (2006).