MOHAMMAD ALI MALEKI

​"There is so much in these poems...a powerful..potent collection"  Limelight Magazine

"Yet for all their gentleness, these are steely poems, refusing silence and namelessness" Rochford Press

Mohammad Ali Maleki is an award-winning Iranian refugee poet based in Brisbane. He was the victim of Australia's brutal refugee detention policies and was imprisoned for 7 years on Manus Island, and 2 years in a Brisbane detention centre, without charge or trial. Mohammad's work is featured in Verity La, Rochford Street Review, Red Room Company, Other Terrain Journal, Blue Pepper, Southerly Journal. Michelle Seminara has been a pivotal force in supporting Mohammad by editting and publishing through Verity La numerous times since 2016 when he was held on Manus Island. His work has been included in the "Dear Prime Minister" project at The Denmark Festival of Voice. In 2023 his poem "Brother" won the Ballina Region for Refugees Poetry Prize. His poem "Tears of Stone" was short-listed for The Red Room Company's New Shoots Poetry Prize 2016 and received special commendation for extraordinary work in extreme circumstances. His poem "Silence Land" was performed at the 2017 Queensland Poetry Festival as part of Writing Through The Fences project. As essay about his work was published in Jacket2Jacket magazine, Extreme Texts issue. In 2022 Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre presented a large exhibition of his framed poems. In 2023 World-renowned Australian composer based in Berlin, Chloe Charody, has set his poetry "Truth In A Cage" to music in her latest album featuring soprano Caitlin Redding and pianist Kunal Lahiry, with performances planned around Australia and Germany. Mohammad collaborates regularly with Australian/British composer-musician Keyna Wilkins, on live performances of his poetry, including one made while he was held in detention via zoom. They are currently working on an opera "Dark Genesis" which has received NSW Arts Grant development funding. Keyna composed a solo cello piece "Exit" to his poem which will be performed around Spain in 2024 by Kathleen Balfe. Keyna regularly performs their poetry and music collaborations in her solo show around Australia and USA. Venues include Churches Des Artistes New York, Foundry 616 Sydney, MONA Tasmania and many more. 
 
​​"I have doubts about my sanity:
not everyone can bear this much.
They stole all my feelings;
there’s no wisdom left in my mind.
I am just a walking dead man.
I am just a walking dead man."

(excerpt from "Silence Land" 2019)

"There was a seed,
fresh and beautiful –
it knew nothing
of the outside world.
This beautiful seed
was stuck between
two walls in a village.
The sun and the moon,
the rain, the white snow
and the blue sky were unknown to it.
Because this seed was living
in darkness."

(excerpt from "Hope" 2016)
COLLABORATIONS WITH MUSICIANS, COMPOSERS AND FILMMAKERS

Mohammad has collaborated with composers, musicians and filmmakers such as Chloe Charody, Rose Turtle Ertler, Keyna Wilkins and Siân Darling.