SHERYL PERSSON
BOOKS BY SHERYL:
© Sheryl Persson 2012
ABN: 69 780 799 883
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SHERYL PERSSON — Poet, Writer, Educator
Poet Laureate of Auburn, NSW, July-December 2011
Poet: Sheryl Persson’s poems, children’s poems, short stories and articles have been published widely in literary journals, e-zines, anthologies and educational publications in Australia, New Zealand and abroad and read on community radio stations. Scarcely Random, a collection of Sheryl’s poems, was published by Ginninderra Press in 2007. Les Murray says that in her work, Sheryl Persson makes ‘fine discoveries’, describing her poetry as ‘experimental’.
From July to December 2011, working with Auburn Community Development Network (ACDN) as Auburn’s first Poet Laureate, a position funded by Arts NSW, Sheryl lyrically mapped the social and cultural life of Auburn through poetry and creative writing. She visited schools, businesses, community agencies and iconic monuments and spaces around Auburn to develop a body of new work that speaks to the cultural and linguistic diversity of Auburn communities. Key to her work was the engagement of young people with low levels of language and literacy to develop confidence in creative expression.
Experienced in public performance, Sheryl reads her work with the Walter Street Poets and with DiVerse, a group of poets who write ‘ekphrasis’ — transcribing visual art into poetry. DiVerse performs at galleries such as the National Gallery, the Art Gallery of NSW and are regularly featured at the S H Ervin Gallery. DiVerse has given performances during the Sydney Writers’ Festival. Sheryl has also been a featured guest poet at festivals and readings.
Writer: Sheryl is the author of two works of non-fiction and two commissioned family memoirs. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (2007), Smallpox Syphilis and Salvation – Medical Breakthroughs that Changed the World published by Exisle in 2009, May — the memoir of a family’s matriarch, self-published by the family in 2008 and Carmel — a story of family and faith, 2011.
Educator: Sheryl has a Master of Arts degree in English Literature and Diploma of Education from Sydney University. She worked for many years as a Senior Research and Assessment Officer (English) for Educational Assessment Australia (formerly Educational Testing Centre) at the University of New South Wales. Sheryl’s poetry and prose have been used as stimulus material in numerous English testing programmes in schools in Australia and abroad and she is a highly experienced test item writer and reviewer. She is currently working in this field and has most recently been involved in writing and reviewing parallel NAPLAN tests.
Tutor and Poetry Workshop Facilitator: with a background in teaching, educational measurement and writing, Sheryl works as an English tutor for students from Year 3 to Year 12, teaching gifted children and those with special needs. She is able to prepare students for Selective and Scholarship tests.
Sheryl also conducts:
- Poetry and Creative Writing Workshops for children and adults and tailors each workshop to the needs and experience of the group.
- English Item Writing Workshops for teachers — the technical aspects of writing multiple-choice and short-answer questions which function and discriminate.
- Unpacking Multiple Choice Testing Workshops — analysing how tests measure literacy skills and cognitive levels.
