In 1867, Irish political prisoners aboard the convict ship Hougoumont spent 89 days at sea traveling from from Portsmouth in the South of England to Walyalup (Fremantle, Western Australia) on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodjar During the journery, they created The Wild Goose - a handwritten newspaper produced across seven weekly editions. Each week, the men gathered below deck to read their single copy aloud and created a shared space for poetry, stories, songs, and satire.

 

Inspired by this act of collective creation, this workshop invites participants to encounter the stories of The Wild Goose before collaborating on a handwritten newspaper of their own. Through close reading and open conversation, we will explore what it means to create as a community through the lens of friendship and mutual care.

 

What to bring: If you would like, please bring a poem, song, or story centered on friendship or care.

*No previous experience is needed, and everyone is welcome.

 

About the Facilitators:

Enya Moore and Kate O'Shea share a creative research partnership that spans decades, starting with their roles as co-editors of their transition year newsletter. Today, their collaborative work continues with an ongoing project centered on The Wild Goose, alongside a community of collaborators. Mycelium, currently on display at VISUAL Carlow, features some of this work. Enya is a Visiting Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales on Gadigal Country (Sydney), where the original copies of The Wild Goose are held in the collection.

 

Image caption: Detail of a page from The Wild Goose newspaper (1867), at the State Library of New South Wales, Gadigal Country, Sydney, Australia.