Jeltje - Poet/Performance Artist
Jeltje was born in Amsterdam, Holland and then migrated to Australia with her parents and two sisters in 1963. She has been writing and editing with Collective Effort Press (Melbourne) since 1978. She is perhaps best known for her poems that mention her (now deceased) cat Sefi (Persephone).
Jeltje’s poetry has evolved from Performance Poetry about work to bridging the gaps between the various artforms and combining Performance Poetry with other performance art expressions.
Her publications include: Living in Aboriginal Australia, (poetry), Collective Effort Press, 1988, Catching Worms, (poetry), Collective Effort Press, 1993, Dark into Light (performance/cd with musical improvisations by Unamunos Quorum (voice) and saxophonist Robert Calvert), Collective Effort Press, 1998.
Currently, she is working on another collection of her poems and a CD, as well as, working on a CD with Collective Effort Press on the late poet, JAS H. DUKE. Jeltje will be organising readings for Poets for Peace in the near future. If anyone is interested in participating or attending please email her at yelchee@bigpond.com.