33-How One Scary Thing a Week Won a National Award (After a Decade Indoors), interviewing Krystle Herdy
Podcast: Download (Duration: 33 minutes)
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You can listen above or on your favourite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.
Subscribe: Spotify | Apple | RSS | More
You can listen above or on your favourite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.
ONE SCARY THING A WEEK (WHAT A POET TAUGHT ME ABOUT SHOWING UP)
Show notes
Krystle Herdy, a queer disabled poet and editor, discusses the emotional reality of writing poetry, navigating literary spaces as a queer and disabled writer, and the pressure of recognition. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, representation, and accessibility in the literary world. The conversation covers the journey of a poet and writer, Krystle, as she navigates the challenges and triumphs of her creative life. It delves into the themes of bravery, self-compassion, the value of poetry, and the importance of creating accessible spaces for disabled writers.
Takeaways
Chapters
Takeaways
- Authenticity and representation are crucial in the literary world.
- Accessibility and inclusion are essential for writers with disabilities. Bravery in creativity
- Kindness to oneself
- The value of poetry
- Creating accessible spaces for disabled writers
Chapters
- 00:00 Challenges of Accessibility and Inclusion in Literary Spaces
- 15:52 Impact of Recognition and Personal Journey
- 25:15 The Value of Poetry
- 30:25 Kindness to Oneself
Connect with Krystle Herdy
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Krystle Herdy, a queer, disabled poet and editor based on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. In 2025, Krystle won the June Shenfield National Poetry Award, and her work has appeared in Australian and international journals. Her first poetry collection, Mythology Mechanic, was published while she was still an undergraduate—an experience that shaped her early relationship with literary success, visibility, and voice.
Krystle describes poetry as a space where precision and ambiguity, structure and chaos, can exist at the same time—and I think that tension sits at the heart of both art and identity. In this conversation, we talk about the emotional reality of writing poetry, the pressure of recognition, navigating literary spaces as a queer and disabled writer, the tension between authenticity and expectation, and why poetry still matters in a world increasingly shaped by speed, algorithms, and certainty. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystle_jadeh/ |
Transcript of episode
Amra: Welcome to Amra's Armchair Anecdotes. Today's guest is Krystle Hurdy, a queer disabled poet and editor based on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. In 2025, Krystle won the June Shenfield National Poetry Award, and her work has appeared in Australian and international journals. Her first poetry collection, Mythology Mechanics, was published while she was still an undergraduate — an experience that shaped her early relationship with literary success, visibility and voice. Krystle describes poetry as a space where precision and ambiguity, structure and chaos can exist at the same time, and I think this tension sits at the heart of both art and identity. In this conversation we're going to talk about the emotional reality of writing poetry, the pressure of recognition, navigating literary spaces as a queer and disabled writer, and why poetry still matters in a world increasingly shaped by speed, algorithms and certainty. Krystle, welcome to Amra's Armchair Anecdotes.
Krystle: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Amra: Not a problem at all. I actually really like that part about a world shaped by speed, algorithms and certainty, because there's so much pressure now with all the different things we do — metrics, measuring our success, measuring our impact. I struggle with that as an artist, because, well, we don't know. That doesn't really give us an honest reflection.
Krystle: Yeah, I think it's really interesting how immediate everything is — we want to receive everything now. So that's my real love of poetry. We have to slow down and take our time. It's not as though we're presenting anything different or new, but maybe we're just taking that pause to concentrate on a moment, rather than quickly shifting into what's next.
Amra: I'm finding that the more I get into this creative journey and the more I try different things, the more I'm getting over those metrics — because it's the lovely surprises that really make you think, I'm doing something that matters. And you can't plan for those. It's not the number of views, or anything like that.
I wanted to start with identity, voice and being read publicly. You're very open in your bio about being queer and disabled. Was there ever any hesitation about making these identities publicly visible as part of your literary profile?
Krystle: Yeah, I don't think I ever felt any real hesitation about being open about living as a queer disabled writer. It's the lens through which I see the world. It shapes how I move through everything, so of course it shapes how I write. I think it's important to be open about those things, because I live at the intersection of two identities that are still quite underrepresented in literature. I like my work to hold that complexity and joy and humanity, rather than treating them as something that needs to be hidden.
Amra: And I think that's what we're crying out for these days. We really want that authenticity, that sense of hearing different perspectives and engaging with artists who are different from us. That's the whole point of art — I want to read something that's different from me, something that gives me something new.
Krystle: Yeah, I think that's where we're quite lucky now, because we are seeing a lot of different voices come out. You can walk out your front door and — people may not be upfront about it, but a lot of them will say, yeah, I write. There are so many different stories out there at the moment, and people want to tell them.
Amra: Even I just bought the book that won the Booker Prize — it's set in Albania. I haven't read it yet, but I saw it pop up on my feed, read the blurb, and thought, this is fascinating, this is what I want. I want more interesting stories, things I don't know, the world still surprising me.
Krystle: Exactly right. I haven't read it yet either, but I'm really excited to get hold of — I can't remember the author's name — the book that recently won the Stella.
Amra: I haven't heard about that one. What is it?
Krystle: It's a graphic novel, and I don't have a lot of experience with graphic novels, so I'm quite excited.
Amra: I get to see a lot of graphic novels because I'm a teacher, so I see a lot of my students reading and engaging with them. I've read a few. That's the other thing — reading different mediums gives you different ideas, different ways of looking at things.
I wanted to move into creative practice. One of the things happening now is that we talk a lot more about representation, and we see people trying to program literary festivals and other spaces for diversity. I was wondering whether you had something to offer in terms of advice — what do able-bodied literary spaces misunderstand about writers dealing with disability that you think is important to talk about?
Krystle: Yeah, we are definitely seeing steps made towards making these spaces more inclusive, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, it's still very slow, because a lot of able-bodied literary spaces really underestimate how much extra labour disabled writers are already doing. Accessibility is still treated as an accommodation rather than a basic requirement, so we're frequently the ones expected to identify the barriers and then advocate for all of the solutions.
Amra: And this isn't just something we see in person. Even social media call-outs for submissions and competitions — so many of them are lacking.
Krystle: Yeah — lacking image descriptions and alt text. It sends a message about who they expect to participate, and who they expect to have to ask for access.
Amra: That's a good point, because you get complacent. I remember at one point I was really making an effort with image descriptions, and then, as usual, you get complacent and start forgetting. But that's part of accessibility. As a publisher I'm seeing it now — when you upload to retail platforms, it asks about text being described, alt text for any text inside images, to make it more accessible.
Krystle: Yeah, I think it's really important. Writing is such a solitary act, and sharing writing — that's right there in the word, sharing. We want to be inclusive, to bring everyone into the fold.
Amra: There are so many things we can do individually. I'm going to start really focusing on my alt text, because it's also about modelling. If I do it, other people see it and do it too, and it becomes a way forward where everyone takes responsibility for the community.
Krystle: Exactly. I'm guilty of not using it as much as I should myself, but I'm trying to make a real effort — even on Instagram and Facebook, just to make them accessible. Then it becomes something you always do.
Amra: At one point I was really good at it, and then I dropped off. So it's a good reminder. This is exactly why it's important to talk to people who are different from us — to learn, and to keep being reminded.
I wanted to move on to the fact that you published young — your first poetry collection came out while you were an undergraduate. Can you talk a little about how that happened?
Krystle: Yeah, it was quite a different journey, in the sense that it was a startup imprint and they approached me looking to publish my collection. It was very cool — not something I expected. At the time I was very quiet, very shy; poetry was something I did in silence. I think that helped me, because I wasn't really expecting much from it. I didn't know what to expect.
More than surprises, it's about what I've learnt since then. In my mind — because I was 23 when that first book came out — I thought, okay, once the book's done, it's done, it's out in the world, the readers will come. That's not how it works.
Amra: No! Promotion is such a big part, and they expect us to do so much.
Krystle: Exactly. It's all about promotion, about advocating for your work and putting it out there. So many books come out every single day, every single week, and most come out to very little fanfare. So it's up to us to advocate and find the shelf space for our work.
Amra: How have you navigated that space? What are some things you've been doing that you enjoy, or that you've thought, hmm, maybe not?
Krystle: Again, I was very bad at it when I was young. I was very shy and didn't want to put myself out there, which is difficult, because it's a big part of being a writer. We all have this image of the solitary writer doing their thing, releasing their book — and it's not like that. We have to almost be our own biggest cheerleaders. So I'm slowly learning.
Amra: It's hard. I've had to take the pressure off and tell myself, I'm not promoting, I'm just sharing. I'm sharing what I'm doing and how I'm going. Because as soon as you put that "promoting," that "marketing" on it, you feel a bit sleazy.
Krystle: Yes, I think that's the perfect word for it — sleazy.
Amra: It's terrible. But it's also necessary. I've started thinking about it as building relationships and building community. How have you found that — finding community and connection in the poetry world?
Krystle: It's interesting, because finding those connections in the poetry world, again, I come up against accessibility barriers. A lot of poetry is about being in the community and going to open mic nights and, if you're lucky, getting offers for feature spots. As a disabled person, I can't take all of those opportunities. There are times when my body can't do those things, or an environment just doesn't suit my needs.
Amra: That's the thing, isn't it? Sometimes you might break yourself, psychologically, to make something work — but if you can't actually enjoy it and bring your passion and spirit to it, because you're not accommodated, it doesn't work. I'm learning to be kinder to myself. In the beginning it's "yes, yes, of course, yes," and now it's "hmm, let me get back to you." That's one of the key things I keep saying to myself: be kinder to yourself. The allowance and space you give other writers — why aren't you turning that in on yourself?
Krystle: That is one of the key things I keep saying to myself too: be kinder to yourself. The allowances and space you give other writers — why aren't you turning that in on yourself?
Amra: Yeah. When it comes to ourselves, we're much harder. I'm loving all these things on social media — therapy in one minute — where I watch and think, yes. There's one that's like: if you're showing empathy to everyone else but not to yourself, are you actually empathetic, or are you a people-pleaser?
Krystle: Oh my god. You've given me a lot to think about now.
Amra: It hit hard, I have to say. Not that I'm really a people-pleaser, but the way you talk to yourself is different to the way you talk to other people. So doing that self-talk... there's something about midlife, too, where you start having conversations with yourself, and they're the best conversations ever. I'm the best audience. Articulating it and going, no, let's be calm now. It's a process.
Do you think — because you were so young when you were published — there was pressure to prove yourself? Did it create friction, lessons learnt that you look back on and think, I wish I'd known?
Krystle: I wish at that time I'd had the confidence in myself as a writer to push the book more. That's the biggest thing. I was very proud — I still am very proud — of the book I produced. It was true to me and my journey at that stage. But the biggest thing I've learnt, especially because I've had quite a dramatic pause between collections, is to resist the idea that I need to be constantly performing at a certain level, a certain output, to justify the fact that I've been published.
Amra: There's that pressure of "what are you doing now? What are you up to?" And then we start doing that thing to ourselves: are you a writer? Are you really? These weird things we do to ourselves. It's like — yes, I am a writer, because I write. Therefore I am.
Do you think it's changed your writing since that first collection? I feel like when we write before we're published, it's a little different to after — there's a shift that happens.
Krystle: Yeah, what I find interesting is that I do think there was a shift in my brain that I'm only understanding now. It's been a positive shift, in the sense that I feel much more comfortable in my voice now. At the time I was worried — what makes me a poet? I don't sound like other poets, my stuff feels odd or different compared to what I'm reading or seeing performed. So there was some hesitation in sharing my voice. But now I think, hey, those differences are why I've had this journey, and why I continue to have these little successes.
Amra: And speaking of your successes — you won the 2025 June Shenfield National Poetry Award. What did that recognition mean to you personally? How did it impact you?
Krystle: The June Shenfield Award came at a really important time for me, as a writer and as a person. As you're aware, I identify as someone with a disability, both physically and — I have mental health issues that have impeded my writing journey. I'm agoraphobic, and I hadn't left my house in a decade prior to 2025. So I made a decision at the start of 2025 to start making small steps out of the house. Part of that was a deal I made with myself: I had to do one scary thing a week.
Amra: I love it.
Krystle: A friend of mine sent me the submission form for the June Shenfield, and I thought, I don't know what my scary thing is this week, so let's make it submitting a poem. And it worked.
Amra: That's the thing people underestimate. I play the lotto every week — the most I've won at one point was fifteen or sixteen hundred dollars, but I've also won twenty-five, thirty dollars — and I play every week. Sometimes you need to approach submitting with that same feeling of, you've got to be in it to win it. Got to give it a shot. I love that that's what happened for you. Have you gotten braver since then — started submitting more?
Krystle: Yes. I'm at a really nice balance at the moment. I try to jot down every submission window or competition I see but, again, being kind to myself, you can't enter everything. So I pick and choose, see where I might fit. Since then I've had a couple of publications and a couple of shortlistings. So, making those moves.
Amra: You've got to always have something on the go. When I was doing freelance writing, I always had pitches on the go, always something out there. Now I'm focusing on generating my own little ecosystem in my own little place — but there are other things I'm doing, like public speaking, where I think, okay, I'm going to be pitching to these people, this is what I'm going to do. That's the thing about being an artist — we have to generate our own workflows, our own momentum. And it's a lot. What keeps you recharged and keeps you going?
Krystle: I think what keeps me recharged is faith in the work itself. As long as I'm enjoying creating it, I'll put it out there and see what happens. As long as I'm happy and feeling positive, that's what matters most — not award titles. Those things are great, they're super appreciated and they feel amazing, but the work comes first.
Amra: And we can't depend on the awards. We have to make it about our own version of success — what we value about this — because you can't control what will connect and what won't. It's work to get it out there.
Krystle: Yeah. It's important to remember that literary recognition is so often about timing and subjectivity and opportunity — not just the merit of your work. Accepting that makes it easier to see validation as something meaningful, but not necessarily definitive.
Amra: It's a big journey to get there, isn't it? I think you learn that lesson, and then you start falling for things again, and you're like, don't do it. That's my journey — constantly, don't do it, stop it.
But you've also been an editor. You're a poet and an editor — has editing made you harsher or kinder towards your own work?
Krystle: I love editing poetry. I love poets of all levels — I want more people writing poetry, I think it's healthy. I'm really grateful to the poets who've trusted me with their voice. But I'm my own worst client when it comes to editing. When I'm looking at someone else's poetry, I can be patient and intuitive and really encouraging. With my own work, I'm over-analysing and second-guessing everything on the page.
Amra: That's the eternal artist thing. We can appreciate other people's work, but with our own... I'm getting to the point now where I'm like, no, just release, don't second-guess. I've been at it for a few decades, and there's always something new. Work on something new.
Krystle: That's the problem. If you focus on your own work for too long, you could be holding onto it for decades.
Amra: Yes — holding yourself back. So again, it comes back to kindness.
Krystle: So again, it comes back to kindness.
Amra: I think that's really the theme coming through. I wanted to shift to poetry and the way we live now — speed, algorithms, instant reactions. Why does poetry matter? I actually think it matters more than ever, but I'd love to hear your view.
Krystle: I definitely agree that poetry matters more. It's a form that gives space for complexity, and for those feelings we don't often get to explore, because our culture so easily rewards immediacy and simplicity. I think poetry creates connection, and it's not driven by speed or performance — it's that attention and care to detail. I like that poetry slows things down. The easiest way I like to look at it is that it's about reflection rather than reaction.
Amra: Whereas these days a lot of those spaces are about reaction. And the other thing about poetry: we've got AI tools now, and I do use AI tools to support some of the dead-boring admin parts of what I do. I was recently telling my daughter — everything I use AI for is still something I can do myself, it just speeds some things up. But poetry is the one thing where I'll make a claim: AI can never replicate a human poem, that expression, because of how original and in-the-moment it is. That's why I think it matters now — that genuine, original connection in the moment.
Krystle: Yeah, I like that way of looking at it too. AI is everywhere now, so it feels nice that poetry, as a form, is almost one of the things we can still trust.
Amra: Yes — we know it isn't AI-generated. Unless it's hallucinating, because AI does hallucinate, and it can be quite hysterical in the way it does.
I wanted to move into some lessons and advice. What lesson took you the longest to learn as a writer? You've touched on the promoting part — what are you doing better there, or any lessons in general?
Krystle: The biggest lesson I've learnt is to stop measuring myself against the output of other writers. There are writers who can sit down and pump out 10,000 words a day, submit to every magazine call-out and competition, get to every open mic night. But I'm not on the same journey they are. For too long I measured my own success through productivity benchmarks set by other people, and it left me feeling inadequate. So the biggest lesson is that writing isn't a race.
Amra: No, it's a marathon. And that's for the rest of our lives. I really relate to that, because of that saying: comparison is the thief of joy. It's so true. When we do that to ourselves, it doesn't matter what we're achieving — we just constantly go, not good enough, not good enough. We've got to be in competition only with ourselves.
Krystle: Exactly right. When you're comparing your voice and your output to the work of others, you're losing the authenticity of your own voice.
Amra: And that's what matters now more than ever — having your own voice, what you're doing that's different, that's unique, that represents you.
What would you say emerging poets waste too much energy worrying about?
Krystle: I think the biggest thing emerging poets — maybe emerging writers as a whole — waste too much energy on is: is the work ready? People say, no, I can't share this yet, it's not ready, whatever that means to them. There's this sense that their writing has to be at a certain level before it can be shared. That's certainly not how poetry works. Definitely get the poem as punchy and tight as you can, but share it in whatever way you can. If you've got a friend you trust, show them. If you've got the capacity, go to an open mic night — they're some of the most welcoming environments. And if you get up there and tell them it's your first time on stage, you'll walk out feeling like a rock star.
Amra: Writing spaces are very supportive, because we've all been there. We've all been the first-timer doing it.
What advice would you give to writers trying to build a creative life while navigating disability, burnout or instability?
Krystle: I think the best advice — and the advice I'm trying to follow myself — is to stay attuned to your needs, both physically and mentally. Output isn't everything; kindness to yourself is what matters. I've finally come to a stage with my writing where I've recognised that when I need to rest, it's not a failure. That's part of my process.
Amra: And what are you working on at the moment? Another collection? Is there something you wanted to share?
Krystle: My first collection, Mythology Mechanics, will be getting a re-release sometime this year with a new independent publisher, so I'm very excited about that. And I'm currently working on my second collection — at the stage where I'm editing, trying not to over-edit. I'm pretty bad at just finishing the work, putting it away and jumping onto the next project. So, a couple of other projects in the works as well.
Amra: For people who'd like to connect with you, what are some spaces they can find you?
Krystle: I'm most engaged on Instagram. My handle is krystle_jadeh — K-R-Y-S-T-L-E underscore J-A-D-E-H.
Amra: I'll put that in the show notes so people can connect with you there. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about that I haven't touched on, or that you'd like to use this space for?
Krystle: I think we need to keep creating spaces that are welcoming of disabled writers. This is the hill I'll die on. We have so many incredible writers who identify as living with disability. I was very fortunate to spend this month in a fellowship with a group of really talented writers who identify as living with a disability, and again, the vast majority of us said that accessibility to space was the biggest issue in sharing our work.
Amra: That's true. In my day job as a teacher, I work with a lot of students. I'm in a government school, and the students we have can cope, to a certain extent, with the whole machine that a school is. We accommodate, but there's really not enough — though we are learning. As teachers, I'm loving the conversations we're having now. Where before it was all about controlling students, now we're really thinking about how we make education accessible, how we provide resources that are accessible — in terms of images, in terms of bringing it to different levels and providing that differentiation. It's wonderful to see, because when I've written about being a teacher, so many people have written to me who had horrible experiences as students under the old regimes, where they were basically booted out — kindly encouraged to leave.
Krystle: Yeah, sometimes people still see pushing disabled people aside as the easier option. These are important stories that need to be told. If we start bringing more awareness to building accessibility in from the start, rather than adding it on afterwards, we can really ensure that every voice is being heard.
Amra: And we get to hear more interesting stories and interesting people, engaging with art, which is so important.
Krystle: Exactly right.
Amra: Wonderful. Thank you so much for joining me on my podcast and having this conversation. I'm so excited for you — that's such a wonderful achievement, to have your poetry collection re-released and given a new lease of life, and to have that follow-up collection. Fingers crossed. That's wonderful news.
Krystle: Thank you.
Amra: Thank you.
Krystle: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Amra: Not a problem at all. I actually really like that part about a world shaped by speed, algorithms and certainty, because there's so much pressure now with all the different things we do — metrics, measuring our success, measuring our impact. I struggle with that as an artist, because, well, we don't know. That doesn't really give us an honest reflection.
Krystle: Yeah, I think it's really interesting how immediate everything is — we want to receive everything now. So that's my real love of poetry. We have to slow down and take our time. It's not as though we're presenting anything different or new, but maybe we're just taking that pause to concentrate on a moment, rather than quickly shifting into what's next.
Amra: I'm finding that the more I get into this creative journey and the more I try different things, the more I'm getting over those metrics — because it's the lovely surprises that really make you think, I'm doing something that matters. And you can't plan for those. It's not the number of views, or anything like that.
I wanted to start with identity, voice and being read publicly. You're very open in your bio about being queer and disabled. Was there ever any hesitation about making these identities publicly visible as part of your literary profile?
Krystle: Yeah, I don't think I ever felt any real hesitation about being open about living as a queer disabled writer. It's the lens through which I see the world. It shapes how I move through everything, so of course it shapes how I write. I think it's important to be open about those things, because I live at the intersection of two identities that are still quite underrepresented in literature. I like my work to hold that complexity and joy and humanity, rather than treating them as something that needs to be hidden.
Amra: And I think that's what we're crying out for these days. We really want that authenticity, that sense of hearing different perspectives and engaging with artists who are different from us. That's the whole point of art — I want to read something that's different from me, something that gives me something new.
Krystle: Yeah, I think that's where we're quite lucky now, because we are seeing a lot of different voices come out. You can walk out your front door and — people may not be upfront about it, but a lot of them will say, yeah, I write. There are so many different stories out there at the moment, and people want to tell them.
Amra: Even I just bought the book that won the Booker Prize — it's set in Albania. I haven't read it yet, but I saw it pop up on my feed, read the blurb, and thought, this is fascinating, this is what I want. I want more interesting stories, things I don't know, the world still surprising me.
Krystle: Exactly right. I haven't read it yet either, but I'm really excited to get hold of — I can't remember the author's name — the book that recently won the Stella.
Amra: I haven't heard about that one. What is it?
Krystle: It's a graphic novel, and I don't have a lot of experience with graphic novels, so I'm quite excited.
Amra: I get to see a lot of graphic novels because I'm a teacher, so I see a lot of my students reading and engaging with them. I've read a few. That's the other thing — reading different mediums gives you different ideas, different ways of looking at things.
I wanted to move into creative practice. One of the things happening now is that we talk a lot more about representation, and we see people trying to program literary festivals and other spaces for diversity. I was wondering whether you had something to offer in terms of advice — what do able-bodied literary spaces misunderstand about writers dealing with disability that you think is important to talk about?
Krystle: Yeah, we are definitely seeing steps made towards making these spaces more inclusive, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, it's still very slow, because a lot of able-bodied literary spaces really underestimate how much extra labour disabled writers are already doing. Accessibility is still treated as an accommodation rather than a basic requirement, so we're frequently the ones expected to identify the barriers and then advocate for all of the solutions.
Amra: And this isn't just something we see in person. Even social media call-outs for submissions and competitions — so many of them are lacking.
Krystle: Yeah — lacking image descriptions and alt text. It sends a message about who they expect to participate, and who they expect to have to ask for access.
Amra: That's a good point, because you get complacent. I remember at one point I was really making an effort with image descriptions, and then, as usual, you get complacent and start forgetting. But that's part of accessibility. As a publisher I'm seeing it now — when you upload to retail platforms, it asks about text being described, alt text for any text inside images, to make it more accessible.
Krystle: Yeah, I think it's really important. Writing is such a solitary act, and sharing writing — that's right there in the word, sharing. We want to be inclusive, to bring everyone into the fold.
Amra: There are so many things we can do individually. I'm going to start really focusing on my alt text, because it's also about modelling. If I do it, other people see it and do it too, and it becomes a way forward where everyone takes responsibility for the community.
Krystle: Exactly. I'm guilty of not using it as much as I should myself, but I'm trying to make a real effort — even on Instagram and Facebook, just to make them accessible. Then it becomes something you always do.
Amra: At one point I was really good at it, and then I dropped off. So it's a good reminder. This is exactly why it's important to talk to people who are different from us — to learn, and to keep being reminded.
I wanted to move on to the fact that you published young — your first poetry collection came out while you were an undergraduate. Can you talk a little about how that happened?
Krystle: Yeah, it was quite a different journey, in the sense that it was a startup imprint and they approached me looking to publish my collection. It was very cool — not something I expected. At the time I was very quiet, very shy; poetry was something I did in silence. I think that helped me, because I wasn't really expecting much from it. I didn't know what to expect.
More than surprises, it's about what I've learnt since then. In my mind — because I was 23 when that first book came out — I thought, okay, once the book's done, it's done, it's out in the world, the readers will come. That's not how it works.
Amra: No! Promotion is such a big part, and they expect us to do so much.
Krystle: Exactly. It's all about promotion, about advocating for your work and putting it out there. So many books come out every single day, every single week, and most come out to very little fanfare. So it's up to us to advocate and find the shelf space for our work.
Amra: How have you navigated that space? What are some things you've been doing that you enjoy, or that you've thought, hmm, maybe not?
Krystle: Again, I was very bad at it when I was young. I was very shy and didn't want to put myself out there, which is difficult, because it's a big part of being a writer. We all have this image of the solitary writer doing their thing, releasing their book — and it's not like that. We have to almost be our own biggest cheerleaders. So I'm slowly learning.
Amra: It's hard. I've had to take the pressure off and tell myself, I'm not promoting, I'm just sharing. I'm sharing what I'm doing and how I'm going. Because as soon as you put that "promoting," that "marketing" on it, you feel a bit sleazy.
Krystle: Yes, I think that's the perfect word for it — sleazy.
Amra: It's terrible. But it's also necessary. I've started thinking about it as building relationships and building community. How have you found that — finding community and connection in the poetry world?
Krystle: It's interesting, because finding those connections in the poetry world, again, I come up against accessibility barriers. A lot of poetry is about being in the community and going to open mic nights and, if you're lucky, getting offers for feature spots. As a disabled person, I can't take all of those opportunities. There are times when my body can't do those things, or an environment just doesn't suit my needs.
Amra: That's the thing, isn't it? Sometimes you might break yourself, psychologically, to make something work — but if you can't actually enjoy it and bring your passion and spirit to it, because you're not accommodated, it doesn't work. I'm learning to be kinder to myself. In the beginning it's "yes, yes, of course, yes," and now it's "hmm, let me get back to you." That's one of the key things I keep saying to myself: be kinder to yourself. The allowance and space you give other writers — why aren't you turning that in on yourself?
Krystle: That is one of the key things I keep saying to myself too: be kinder to yourself. The allowances and space you give other writers — why aren't you turning that in on yourself?
Amra: Yeah. When it comes to ourselves, we're much harder. I'm loving all these things on social media — therapy in one minute — where I watch and think, yes. There's one that's like: if you're showing empathy to everyone else but not to yourself, are you actually empathetic, or are you a people-pleaser?
Krystle: Oh my god. You've given me a lot to think about now.
Amra: It hit hard, I have to say. Not that I'm really a people-pleaser, but the way you talk to yourself is different to the way you talk to other people. So doing that self-talk... there's something about midlife, too, where you start having conversations with yourself, and they're the best conversations ever. I'm the best audience. Articulating it and going, no, let's be calm now. It's a process.
Do you think — because you were so young when you were published — there was pressure to prove yourself? Did it create friction, lessons learnt that you look back on and think, I wish I'd known?
Krystle: I wish at that time I'd had the confidence in myself as a writer to push the book more. That's the biggest thing. I was very proud — I still am very proud — of the book I produced. It was true to me and my journey at that stage. But the biggest thing I've learnt, especially because I've had quite a dramatic pause between collections, is to resist the idea that I need to be constantly performing at a certain level, a certain output, to justify the fact that I've been published.
Amra: There's that pressure of "what are you doing now? What are you up to?" And then we start doing that thing to ourselves: are you a writer? Are you really? These weird things we do to ourselves. It's like — yes, I am a writer, because I write. Therefore I am.
Do you think it's changed your writing since that first collection? I feel like when we write before we're published, it's a little different to after — there's a shift that happens.
Krystle: Yeah, what I find interesting is that I do think there was a shift in my brain that I'm only understanding now. It's been a positive shift, in the sense that I feel much more comfortable in my voice now. At the time I was worried — what makes me a poet? I don't sound like other poets, my stuff feels odd or different compared to what I'm reading or seeing performed. So there was some hesitation in sharing my voice. But now I think, hey, those differences are why I've had this journey, and why I continue to have these little successes.
Amra: And speaking of your successes — you won the 2025 June Shenfield National Poetry Award. What did that recognition mean to you personally? How did it impact you?
Krystle: The June Shenfield Award came at a really important time for me, as a writer and as a person. As you're aware, I identify as someone with a disability, both physically and — I have mental health issues that have impeded my writing journey. I'm agoraphobic, and I hadn't left my house in a decade prior to 2025. So I made a decision at the start of 2025 to start making small steps out of the house. Part of that was a deal I made with myself: I had to do one scary thing a week.
Amra: I love it.
Krystle: A friend of mine sent me the submission form for the June Shenfield, and I thought, I don't know what my scary thing is this week, so let's make it submitting a poem. And it worked.
Amra: That's the thing people underestimate. I play the lotto every week — the most I've won at one point was fifteen or sixteen hundred dollars, but I've also won twenty-five, thirty dollars — and I play every week. Sometimes you need to approach submitting with that same feeling of, you've got to be in it to win it. Got to give it a shot. I love that that's what happened for you. Have you gotten braver since then — started submitting more?
Krystle: Yes. I'm at a really nice balance at the moment. I try to jot down every submission window or competition I see but, again, being kind to myself, you can't enter everything. So I pick and choose, see where I might fit. Since then I've had a couple of publications and a couple of shortlistings. So, making those moves.
Amra: You've got to always have something on the go. When I was doing freelance writing, I always had pitches on the go, always something out there. Now I'm focusing on generating my own little ecosystem in my own little place — but there are other things I'm doing, like public speaking, where I think, okay, I'm going to be pitching to these people, this is what I'm going to do. That's the thing about being an artist — we have to generate our own workflows, our own momentum. And it's a lot. What keeps you recharged and keeps you going?
Krystle: I think what keeps me recharged is faith in the work itself. As long as I'm enjoying creating it, I'll put it out there and see what happens. As long as I'm happy and feeling positive, that's what matters most — not award titles. Those things are great, they're super appreciated and they feel amazing, but the work comes first.
Amra: And we can't depend on the awards. We have to make it about our own version of success — what we value about this — because you can't control what will connect and what won't. It's work to get it out there.
Krystle: Yeah. It's important to remember that literary recognition is so often about timing and subjectivity and opportunity — not just the merit of your work. Accepting that makes it easier to see validation as something meaningful, but not necessarily definitive.
Amra: It's a big journey to get there, isn't it? I think you learn that lesson, and then you start falling for things again, and you're like, don't do it. That's my journey — constantly, don't do it, stop it.
But you've also been an editor. You're a poet and an editor — has editing made you harsher or kinder towards your own work?
Krystle: I love editing poetry. I love poets of all levels — I want more people writing poetry, I think it's healthy. I'm really grateful to the poets who've trusted me with their voice. But I'm my own worst client when it comes to editing. When I'm looking at someone else's poetry, I can be patient and intuitive and really encouraging. With my own work, I'm over-analysing and second-guessing everything on the page.
Amra: That's the eternal artist thing. We can appreciate other people's work, but with our own... I'm getting to the point now where I'm like, no, just release, don't second-guess. I've been at it for a few decades, and there's always something new. Work on something new.
Krystle: That's the problem. If you focus on your own work for too long, you could be holding onto it for decades.
Amra: Yes — holding yourself back. So again, it comes back to kindness.
Krystle: So again, it comes back to kindness.
Amra: I think that's really the theme coming through. I wanted to shift to poetry and the way we live now — speed, algorithms, instant reactions. Why does poetry matter? I actually think it matters more than ever, but I'd love to hear your view.
Krystle: I definitely agree that poetry matters more. It's a form that gives space for complexity, and for those feelings we don't often get to explore, because our culture so easily rewards immediacy and simplicity. I think poetry creates connection, and it's not driven by speed or performance — it's that attention and care to detail. I like that poetry slows things down. The easiest way I like to look at it is that it's about reflection rather than reaction.
Amra: Whereas these days a lot of those spaces are about reaction. And the other thing about poetry: we've got AI tools now, and I do use AI tools to support some of the dead-boring admin parts of what I do. I was recently telling my daughter — everything I use AI for is still something I can do myself, it just speeds some things up. But poetry is the one thing where I'll make a claim: AI can never replicate a human poem, that expression, because of how original and in-the-moment it is. That's why I think it matters now — that genuine, original connection in the moment.
Krystle: Yeah, I like that way of looking at it too. AI is everywhere now, so it feels nice that poetry, as a form, is almost one of the things we can still trust.
Amra: Yes — we know it isn't AI-generated. Unless it's hallucinating, because AI does hallucinate, and it can be quite hysterical in the way it does.
I wanted to move into some lessons and advice. What lesson took you the longest to learn as a writer? You've touched on the promoting part — what are you doing better there, or any lessons in general?
Krystle: The biggest lesson I've learnt is to stop measuring myself against the output of other writers. There are writers who can sit down and pump out 10,000 words a day, submit to every magazine call-out and competition, get to every open mic night. But I'm not on the same journey they are. For too long I measured my own success through productivity benchmarks set by other people, and it left me feeling inadequate. So the biggest lesson is that writing isn't a race.
Amra: No, it's a marathon. And that's for the rest of our lives. I really relate to that, because of that saying: comparison is the thief of joy. It's so true. When we do that to ourselves, it doesn't matter what we're achieving — we just constantly go, not good enough, not good enough. We've got to be in competition only with ourselves.
Krystle: Exactly right. When you're comparing your voice and your output to the work of others, you're losing the authenticity of your own voice.
Amra: And that's what matters now more than ever — having your own voice, what you're doing that's different, that's unique, that represents you.
What would you say emerging poets waste too much energy worrying about?
Krystle: I think the biggest thing emerging poets — maybe emerging writers as a whole — waste too much energy on is: is the work ready? People say, no, I can't share this yet, it's not ready, whatever that means to them. There's this sense that their writing has to be at a certain level before it can be shared. That's certainly not how poetry works. Definitely get the poem as punchy and tight as you can, but share it in whatever way you can. If you've got a friend you trust, show them. If you've got the capacity, go to an open mic night — they're some of the most welcoming environments. And if you get up there and tell them it's your first time on stage, you'll walk out feeling like a rock star.
Amra: Writing spaces are very supportive, because we've all been there. We've all been the first-timer doing it.
What advice would you give to writers trying to build a creative life while navigating disability, burnout or instability?
Krystle: I think the best advice — and the advice I'm trying to follow myself — is to stay attuned to your needs, both physically and mentally. Output isn't everything; kindness to yourself is what matters. I've finally come to a stage with my writing where I've recognised that when I need to rest, it's not a failure. That's part of my process.
Amra: And what are you working on at the moment? Another collection? Is there something you wanted to share?
Krystle: My first collection, Mythology Mechanics, will be getting a re-release sometime this year with a new independent publisher, so I'm very excited about that. And I'm currently working on my second collection — at the stage where I'm editing, trying not to over-edit. I'm pretty bad at just finishing the work, putting it away and jumping onto the next project. So, a couple of other projects in the works as well.
Amra: For people who'd like to connect with you, what are some spaces they can find you?
Krystle: I'm most engaged on Instagram. My handle is krystle_jadeh — K-R-Y-S-T-L-E underscore J-A-D-E-H.
Amra: I'll put that in the show notes so people can connect with you there. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about that I haven't touched on, or that you'd like to use this space for?
Krystle: I think we need to keep creating spaces that are welcoming of disabled writers. This is the hill I'll die on. We have so many incredible writers who identify as living with disability. I was very fortunate to spend this month in a fellowship with a group of really talented writers who identify as living with a disability, and again, the vast majority of us said that accessibility to space was the biggest issue in sharing our work.
Amra: That's true. In my day job as a teacher, I work with a lot of students. I'm in a government school, and the students we have can cope, to a certain extent, with the whole machine that a school is. We accommodate, but there's really not enough — though we are learning. As teachers, I'm loving the conversations we're having now. Where before it was all about controlling students, now we're really thinking about how we make education accessible, how we provide resources that are accessible — in terms of images, in terms of bringing it to different levels and providing that differentiation. It's wonderful to see, because when I've written about being a teacher, so many people have written to me who had horrible experiences as students under the old regimes, where they were basically booted out — kindly encouraged to leave.
Krystle: Yeah, sometimes people still see pushing disabled people aside as the easier option. These are important stories that need to be told. If we start bringing more awareness to building accessibility in from the start, rather than adding it on afterwards, we can really ensure that every voice is being heard.
Amra: And we get to hear more interesting stories and interesting people, engaging with art, which is so important.
Krystle: Exactly right.
Amra: Wonderful. Thank you so much for joining me on my podcast and having this conversation. I'm so excited for you — that's such a wonderful achievement, to have your poetry collection re-released and given a new lease of life, and to have that follow-up collection. Fingers crossed. That's wonderful news.
Krystle: Thank you.
Amra: Thank you.