Dr Vanessa Berry
Discipline of English and Writing
Vanessa Berry is an award-winning writer and artist who works with autobiography, history, memory and archives. Her work centres around autobiography and its formal and experimental possibilities, arising from her background in zine making and DIY literary practices. She is the author of Gentle and Fierce (Giramondo 2021) an essay collection about human and animal interrelationships, and Mirror Sydney: an atlas of reflections (Giramondo 2017), a collection of essays and hand-drawn maps that investigate the city’s marginal places and undercurrents, based on the popular blog Mirror Sydney. She is also the author of the memoirs Ninety 9 (Giramondo 2013) and Strawberry Hills Forever (Local Consumption Publications 2007). Her zines and artworks have been exhibited at galleries such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and National Gallery of Australia.
- literary nonfiction, memoir and autobiography
- place writing
- experimental and hybrid memoir
- zines and comics
- objects and material culture
- visual and reference forms in literature
- visual methods in creative writing pedagogy
- creative cartography
- urban history
- DIY and subcultural creative practices
- literary geography
Creative Writing
Calendar: an object-memoir examining the relationship of temporal structures and material objects in autobiography.
24 Hour Autobiography: a study of the work of writers and artists who capture accounts of one full day of their lives, as a feminist practice of attention and representation.
Australian Association of Writing Programs (member)
Australasian Universities Languages and Literature Association (member)
Association for the Study of Literature, Environment and Culture, Australia and New Zealand (member)
Exhibition Program Review Group, Chau Chak Wing Museum (member)
Denmark | (University of Copenhagen) Professor Christina Lupton: visiting scholar, April 2024 |
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| Writing Material Lives: art and object writing as creative practice | Johanna ELLERSDORFER |
| “To Feed Such Hunger”: A Case for the Female Food Memoir | Lucy O'CONNOR |
| Song, Place and Psychogeography: The Expression of Landscape in Australia and Aotearoa Pop Music | Barnaby SMITH |
Selected publications
(Giramondo Publishing Company, 2021)
(Giramondo Publishing Company, 2017)
(Giramondo Publishing Company, 2013)
(Local Consumption Publications, 2007)
Publications
Book Chapters
- Berry, V. (2024). Self Extension: Material Agency, Intimacy, and Chance in Sophie Calle's Object Relationships. In Alex Burchmore (Eds.), Material Selves: Object Biographies and Identities in Motion, (pp. 42-60). London: Bloomsbury. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). Urban Pattern: Cressida Campbell in Sydney. In Sarina Noordhuis-Fairfax (Eds.), Cressida Campbell, (pp. 135-141). Parkes, ACT: National Gallery of Australia. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2021). Conversations across time: the joyous stage production of 'Playing Beattie Bow'. In Kate Mulvany (Eds.), Playing Beatie Bow. Sydney: Currency Press.
Journals
- Berry, V. (2024). In Kandos: Reciprocal relations of art and place. Artlink, 44(2). [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). Book Review: 'From Catastrophe' Danielle Celermajer, 'Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Future'. Southerly, 79(3), 73-75. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). Scraps and Maps: Handwriting and Drawing as Early-Stage Process Methods for Autobiography. Auto/Biography Studies, 37(3), 411-418. [More Information]
Visual Art
- Berry, V. (2024). Visitor's Map. In: Cementa 24. Cementa. Community Charity Shop, Kandos, Kandos, Australia.
Textual Creative Works
- Berry, V. (2023). Invisible Trace. Traces, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Monash University. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2023). The Mallee. Zahalkaworld: an artist's archive, Wheelers Hill, Victoria, Australia: Museum of Australian Photography.
- Berry, V. (2022). Mason Kimber: Lustre, Richmond, Victoria, Australia: Sophie Gannon Gallery. [More Information]
Other Works
- Berry, V. (2021). Perec's Cat. Sydney Review of Books, Jul. 2021, Sydney, Australia, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Writing and Society Research Centre. [More Information]
Live Performance - Interarts
- Berry, V. (2023). From Walter B to Kim K: Sara Cwynar x Vanessa Berry. Projections #12. Domain Theatre, Australia: Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Magazine / Newspaper Articles
- Berry, V. (2024). 'Some of us wanted to smash imperialism': Cher Tan honed her defiant creativity in Singapore’s DIY punk scene. The Conversation. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). How did Sydney become the extroverted city of sensuality and grit? The Sydney Morning Herald. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2021). Playing Beatie Bow is brought to thundering life in a joyous stage production (Review: Playing Beatie Bow, directed by Kip Williams). The Conversation. [More Information]
2024
- Berry, V. (2024). 'Some of us wanted to smash imperialism': Cher Tan honed her defiant creativity in Singapore’s DIY punk scene. The Conversation. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2024). In Kandos: Reciprocal relations of art and place. Artlink, 44(2). [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2024). Self Extension: Material Agency, Intimacy, and Chance in Sophie Calle's Object Relationships. In Alex Burchmore (Eds.), Material Selves: Object Biographies and Identities in Motion, (pp. 42-60). London: Bloomsbury. [More Information]
2023
- Berry, V. (2023). From Walter B to Kim K: Sara Cwynar x Vanessa Berry. Projections #12. Domain Theatre, Australia: Art Gallery of New South Wales.
- Berry, V. (2023). Invisible Trace. Traces, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Monash University. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2023). The Mallee. Zahalkaworld: an artist's archive, Wheelers Hill, Victoria, Australia: Museum of Australian Photography.
2022
- Berry, V. (2022). Mason Kimber: Lustre, Richmond, Victoria, Australia: Sophie Gannon Gallery. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). Sydney Buries Its Past, Sydney, Australia: Tin Sheds Gallery. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2022). Book Review: 'From Catastrophe' Danielle Celermajer, 'Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Future'. Southerly, 79(3), 73-75. [More Information]
2021
- Berry, V. (2021). Gentle and Fierce, (pp. 1 - 182). Sydney, Australia: Giramondo Publishing Company. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2021). 1977-1982. HiLoBrow, 02/05/2022, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2021). A day with things: using object encounters to write the present and the daily. Text, 61(25), 1-13. [More Information]
2020
- Berry, V. (2020). d. KURT NEUMANN | 1958. HiLoBrow, 25/03/2020, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2020). In the Catalogue. Sydney Review of Books, November 16, 2020, (pp. 1 - 14). Sydney, NSW, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Writing and Society Research Centre. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2020). LOVE SERENADE | d. SHIRLEY BARRETT | 1996. HiLoBrow, 01/05/2020, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
2019
- Berry, V. (2019). Future, past, present. The National 2019: new Australian art, (pp. 1 - 6). Sydney, Australia: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Carriageworks & Contemporary Art Australia. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2019). Seriocomic (29): MEAT CAKE. HiLoBrow, 17/07/2019, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2019). Spatial Experiments: Autobiographical Cartography. In Jo Parnell (Eds.), New and Experimental Approaches to Writing Lives, (pp. 114-132). London: Red Globe Press.
2018
- Berry, V. (2018). ROWLAND S. HOWARD | 1999. HiLoBrow, 11/07/2018, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2018). Time Machines. In Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Eds.), Time and Memory, (pp. 132-149). Sydney: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).
2017
- Berry, V. (2017). Mirror Sydney: An Atlas of Reflections, (pp. 1 - 320). Sydney, Australia: Giramondo Publishing Company. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2017). Hermenautic Tarot (66): DARK MATTER. HiLoBrow, 16/11/2017, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America: King Mixer, LLC. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2017). Speculative space: Artists working with data. Artlink, 37(1), 52-57. [More Information]
2016
- Berry, V. (2016). Excavating St Peters. Sydney Review of Books, September 28, 2016, (pp. 1 - 27). Sydney, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Writing and Society Research Centre. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2016). Field of Mars: Remains of the Commons. Unlikely: Journal for Creative Arts, 2. [More Information]
- Berry, V. (2016). The Excess and Potential of the Movie Theatre Ruin: The Midnight Star. Transformations, 28, 1-14.
2013
- Berry, V. (2013). Ninety9. Sydney, Australia: Giramondo Publishing Company. [More Information]
2011
- Berry, V. (2011). Hanniver. Penguin Plays Rough Book of Short Stories, (pp. 261 - 268). Woollahra, NSW, Australia: Pip Smith.
2010
- Berry, V. (2010). My Own Private Underground: Discovery and Adventure in the Zine World. Artlink, 30(2), 36-41. [More Information]
2009
- Berry, V. (2009). Silence: Three Acts. The Words we Found: The best writing from 21 years of Voiceworks magazine, (pp. 88 - 91). Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Express Media.
2008
- Berry, V. (2008). Lights Out. Herding Kites, (pp. 238 - 239). Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Affirm Press.
2007
- Berry, V. (2007). Strawberry Hills Forever. Sydney, Australia: Local Consumption Publications.
In the media
27/04/2024 - Panel discussion for EDGE Inner West Festival: Hidden Histories of the Inner West.
29/11/2023 Conversations and Connections Documentary Festival, Panel Discussion: What is Self-Narrative? Text and Beyond, State Library of NSW/Macquarie University.
03/03/2023 - Interview on ABC Sydney on Morningsto discuss NSW governments plans for the St James tunnels (from 39:00)
21/02/2023 - Feature guest on Expanded Thinking podcast, discussing creative practice and Gentle and Fierce.
10/02/2023 - Interview on 4ZZZ Paradigm Shift, discussing psychogeography.
29/09/2022 - Interview on ABC Radio National's Blueprint for Living: Vanessa Berry, Gentle and Fierce
28/08/2022 - quoted in Sydney Morning Herald: Bridge to nowhere: The Sydney relics whose purposes are lost to time
Gentle and Fierce Reviews
-
The Saturday Paper, Andy Jackson, 2021
"It takes an idiosyncratic and personal approach, energised by curiosity and care for what is immediately before us.... a book of lyrical reflections on subjectivity, memory and change." -
Sydney Review of Books, Jessica White, 2022
"Berry’s collection of essays likewise compels its readers to attend to the presence of our nonhuman companions." -
Mascara Literary Review, Fernanda Dahlstrom, 2021
"Absorbing and thought-provoking work that approaches relations between humans and animals from many angles. Berry’s writing is languid, evocative and highly literate." -
Westerly, Gemma Nisbett, 2022
"Not a book to be skimmed or rushed, but one that asks its reader to slow down, to consider and engage; to pay attention to its prose, but also to the world around us."
Mirror Sydney Reviews
-
The Australian, Louis Nowra, 2017
“a wonderful, unique book. It should be made a compulsory purchase for Sydneysiders, tourists and lovers of cities.” -
Sydney Morning Herald, Bradley Garrett, 2017
“Berry successfully relays a sensibility that can only be cultivated through careful attention to the densely packed, and often opaque, stratigraphy of a city. Her explorations render a volumetric depth to the landscape.” -
Overland, Gemma Blackwood, 2017
“This highly rewarding collection of essays (with accompanying illustrations) also transcends the panegyrical tone of much city writing, managing to examine the confronting politics of urban space while also thoughtfully re-imagining the contemporary act of memoir-writing.” -
Sydney Review of Books, Tom Lee, 2018
“Vanessa Berry’s Mirror Sydney is an important contribution to a growing body of writing that takes cities and place as its central subjects.”
