Express Media is excited to welcome our new Communications, Marketing & Admin Coordinator, August Moulang!

August is a writer, editor and arts worker living on Wurundjeri Country. They write poetry and creative nonfiction that interrogates the relationships between queerness, disability, and place using experimental approaches and form. They are also a gaming content producer and community manager, the majority of their work sitting at the intersection between communal digital spheres and literary craft.

1) What part about being the Communications & Admin Coordinator are you most excited about?

One aspect that really drew me to this role was the versatility – I’m getting to exercise my knowledge of marketing and comms while also learning new skills on the administration side. I’ve never been very good at sticking to one thing so a position like this suits me perfectly; every day looks different and I’m getting my fingers in lots of pies around arts facilitation and operations.

I’m also stoked to be working within such a brilliant team of like-minded and creative people! The collaborative aspect of the Express Media office makes me so excited to come to work and bounce ideas related to Voiceworks, events, programs and the future that the current team envisions for the org.

2) Are you a writer/artist yourself? What do you like to create, and what do you like to read?

I primarily write poetry, but am attempting to delve more into creative nonfiction at the moment (I am a big fan of the lyric essay as a form to interweave personal and analytical concepts). I like to draw lines between the gritty mundane and cosmic/magical, centering mainly on themes related to gender, place, intimacy, and health. I’m also super intrigued by digi lit of late and am hoping to explore interactive storytelling more this year.

I read a lot and across form – I will always be a lover of thicc fantasy novels (give me a map on the inside cover or give me death!!) and the escapism they provide. I like when poetry is experimental, in a way that acknowledges that poetry is actually everywhere and as writers it’s our job to just capture and distil that in the silliest and most unexpected ways possible.

And of course I love to read Voiceworks – Australia’s premier literary journal for young people that can be found online or at a local stockist near you! (For real though some of the most insightful and profound pieces I’ve read have been first-time published work from teens and young adults in this mag, get amongst it if you haven’t already).

3) What is something you’re hoping to see from Express Media during your time as part of the team?

A big part of what I’ll be doing as Comms Coordinator is organising outreach and getting young people across the country connected with what we do as an organisation. I think there’s a tendency for the literary scene to become a little insular and hyper-focused on the east coast, particularly within Sydney and Melbourne, but we know there is a far-reaching and rich community of writers and artists all across the country that we’d like to engage and work with. Focusing on this, I’ll be collaborating with our Creative Producer Mia, and Voiceworks editor Selina to strengthen our connection with broader and more remote areas through livestreamed events, online programs, and accessible opportunities for emerging creatives.