Karyn Sassella Bio
Karyn Sassella is an Australian, Italian, and British Poet and (retired) International Humanitarian Aid Worker based in Melbourne (Naarm), Australia. She writes poetry in English and Italian.
Her main interest is in the ‘poetry of people and place.’ Her work is inspired by the people and places that she has lived and worked in.
Karyn’s last artistic collaboration (2026) was with the Arafura Music Collective (AMC), a small Chamber Music Orchestra in Darwin, Australia, for the new work “Simple Gifts”, Music of Joy and Renewal, which she performed with AMC at the Palmerston Community Hall and the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia.
Karyn’s musical collaborations are a hybrid form of poetry/libretti where the music or contemporary dance and her poetry are woven playfully together.
Residencies
Writer in Residencies awarded at Tracks Dance Company, Darwin Theatre Company, Arafura Music Collective, Palmerston Secondary School, and the Northern Territory Writers Centre, all funded by the Australia Council of the Arts (now Creative Australia).
On these residencies she wrote and performed poetry, plays and cross-artform works as well as facilitated poetry workshops.
Karyn was accepted in a writers’ residency with Marina Merli Arte Studio Ginestrelle and Writing Residency, Assisi, Italy, 2024
Karyn has been accepted in a writer’s residency at 2027 Eutopia Artists Residency, Kavala Greece.
Karyn has been accepted in a writer’s residency with Marina Merli Arte Studio Ginestrelle and Writing Residency, Assisi, Italy, 2027
Awards
Karyn has won five Northern Territory of Australia Government Literary Awards (poetry) and the Dunant Award from the British Red Cross for her Humanitarian work.
Exhibitions
Karyn’s poetry was exhibited at Darwin Contemporary Art Gallery Darwin Australia 1996, 1997 and 1998 and the Assisi International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Art Gallery Le Logge, Assisi, Italy, 2024
Karyn’s poetry appeared in PEACE CAMP, (Online and Installation) which was projected on the White Cliffs of Dover U.K. (A coastal installation celebrating Love, Poetry and Landscape, produced by Artichoke, U.K).
Plays
“Textures” A play and cross-art form production about love, distance and war was produced by Corrugated Iron Youth Arts Inc. and performed at Browns Mart Theatre, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, 2001
“How I met her” A short monologue in two parts, was read at the Canberra Repertory Theatre, Canberra Repertory Society, Canberra, Australia, 2026
In print
Karyn’s poetry has appeared in various anthologies and literary magazines including ‘La Mama Poetica’, Melbourne University of Australia Press; ‘a short story about getting lost’, Blurb Books Canada; Northern Perspective, Northern Territory of Australia University Press; Children Australia, Cambridge University Press; ‘Textures 11’, Textures Publishing USA; ‘Landmark’ N.T Writers Centre and Northern Territory of Australia University Press and ‘Overland’ literary magazine, Sydney Australia.
Memberships
Karyn is a full member of the Society of Authors (U.K), The Royal Society of Literature (U.K) The Australian Society of Authors (Au.) and Ascolta (Listen) Women Inc.
Ascolta Women is a collective of creative multigenerational Italian, Italian-Australian and Italian-affiliated women from across Australia, Italy, Canada and London.
Karyn is a Member of the Australian Red Cross Society and a Board Member of Arafura Music Collective (AMC) Darwin, NT, Australia.
Karyn is listed as an Australian Author on Aus.Lit.