Piri joined us for a chat at our favourite neighbours Dokeo.
Writers can often be described as flexible and agile creatures, however many also boast incredibly multi-faceted artistic practices.
That’s certainly the case for Piri Eddy, The Mill’s 2022 Writer in Residence.
At this point, I would usually introduce my subject as a ‘writer’, however with Piri that title feels wildly inept for someone with such a range of talent.
“I’m a writer in terms of prose, fiction, and nonfiction, but also a playwright and a screenwriter,” he says.
“I like to be agile in the way that I think about my writing practice.”
It should be noted that Piri is not only all of those things, he’s also award-winning - winning the 2020 Jill Blewett Playwrights Award for his one-act play Forgiveness - and has been successfully published in the likes of Westerly Magazine, Island, and Australian Book Review.
So, why apply for the Writer in Residence program at The Mill with so many accolades? The answer is simple and sage advice for any budding writers.
“It was a no-brainer, I like to throw myself at as many opportunities as possible. It was time and space and I think that’s a real key to what you need as an artist to think deeply and critically,” Piri says.
During his residency, Piri’s stories covered issues close to his interests such as Daniel Riley becoming the first First Nations Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre, the artistic responsibility for theatre to engage with the climate crisis and the undervalued nature of authors in Australia’s literature machine.
We always look forward to the post-residency chat (and coffee!)
However, he found having a studio at The Mill encouraged his However, he found having a studio at The Mill encouraged his natural curiosity for other people’s artistic practices and ultimately provided access to a creative environment.
“I think being in proximity to people who think differently about the world, you kind of fold that into your own practice subconsciously or consciously,” he says.
“The Mill just has a wealth of really interesting, unique artistic personalities and it’s great for a residency that’s geared towards arts and culture writing.”
While time, space and creative environment are all important factors in this residency, the real attraction lies in the ability to get published.
As we were chatting, Piri mentioned that the media industry can often feel shady to navigate. This brought flashbacks to my own teenage years sending emails to magazines thinking my paragraphs of fan-girling with no clear story pitch would attract a response.
If that sounds like you, avid reader, you are not alone. However, that’s where residencies like this come into play.
“I think any opportunity that you have to work with someone [this goes out to outgoing Citymag editor Johnny von Einem] who’s incredibly experienced, giving and genuine with their time and support, you just learn so much,” Piri says.
“Especially the little things like how you should format those sorts of works, how you might approach particular people and how to interview.
“If you didn’t have someone there to go ‘this is how you do it’ to take away the mystery of it, you might find it difficult to feel confident enough to step into that.”
As we continue to chat away, we both lament how important it is to get those runs on the board in terms of published articles and how this residency relieves that pressure.
“It gives you that momentum that you’re working towards things and the space to put your ideas out there,” Piri says. “And to come away from the residency feeling like there was a connection to that community that can be ongoing as well.”
As we finish up our chat, I conclude with a question I like to ask all residency recipients ‘what advice would you give to creatives considering applying?’ as there’s always a different perspective and Piri’s answer was just that.
“Think really deliberately about what it is that this opportunity would open up for you - what is it about wanting to write or trying to write in this different mode that would excite your curious mind? If you can be clear with that in yourself, then that will come through for whoever is looking at your application,” he says.
While Piri’s residency has long since ended, we’ve been lucky enough to have him re-join our studio community in our upstairs desk space. As you would imagine, he’s been keeping himself busy, taking every opportunity that comes his way.
That includes a two-month WriteSPACE Residency with Adelaide Festival Centre working on a new play, and while not an opportunity but an important life role, taking care of little humans.
Applications for the 2024 Writer in Residence program are open now and will close on December 11, 9:30am. Visit our call-out page to read more about the residency and apply.
The Mill’s Writer in Residence program is delivered in partnership with Citymag
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Words and photos: Chloe Metcalfe
