Wishing my friend June Perkins all the best for the launch of her stunning book of poetry, Magic Fish Dreaming on 30 October in Brisbane. Also looking forward to receiving a few copies and some Australian native plush toys for the kids here in the Philippines.

June is such an inspiration to me as a writer and creative. All her works come from a place of truth: the truth of nature, of family and cultural identity. Her daily dedication to sharing her knowledge with the wider community is really inspiring.

One of my first memories of June was at a songwriting workshop in 2012. June performed a song about her brother and the tragedy of his life. I can still hear her soft voice and the guitar strumming to the words … “you climbed out the window last night”. Her work has always impacted me like that.

Even though I won’t…