On the Couch with Noelle Janaczewska

Noelle Janaczewska AAR On the CouchWho is Noelle Janaczewska?
I’m a Sydney-based playwright, poet, essayist and the author of The Book of Thistles (UWA Publishing, 2017).

What would you do differently to what you do now?
I gave up playing the clarinet in my late twenties. There are times I wish I hadn’t.

Who inspires you and why?
Caryl Churchill, Anne Carson, Dorothy Hewett – writers with bold, questing, inventive voices. Human rights champions like Behrouz Boochani, Gillian Triggs or Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I wish I could wave a magic wand and change many things. Halt the ever-increasing gap between rich and poor; achieve full equality for women wherever they live in the world; get real action on climate change happening; end offshore detention; foster a more compassionate and open Australia; get rid of Donald Trump … the list goes on …

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Pretty much anywhere cold. A winter city – ideally one with snow.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. It’s good on the eyes, good for the soul, and a beautiful place to walk and take in the wealth and diversity of plant life.

What are you currently reading?
The Oxford Latin Course (I’m learning Latin); Alice Oswald’s Memorial; Flying Saucers Over Australia (that’s research for a play-in-progress). I’m dipping into an old favourite: Charles Bernstein’s A Poetics. And always crime fiction.

What are you currently listening to?
Don Byron’s Ivey-Divey and various podcasts.

Happiness is?
A glass of wine on the balcony with my partner.

What does the future hold for you?
Who knows?

Noelle is the playwright of Yellow Yellow Sometimes Blue – which will be presented at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith: 15 – 24 November 2018. For more information, visit: www.thejoan.com.au for details.

Image: Noelle Janaczewska (supplied)