I am proud to share these activities related to my explorations on Elemental Japan. They begin in mid-2019 and run through to August 2024. The publications listed here are all available in printed form. Several others have been written for online sites, especially Writers in Kyoto.

‘Encounters with Kyoto’

In mid-2019 I self-published ‘Encounters with Kyoto‘, the third Writers in Kyoto Anthology, on behalf of the group.  As lead editor and designer, this was a wonderful feeling. Two launches of the Anthology were held, one in Kyoto in June 2019 and one in Hobart in September. The collections of stories and poems is available in Print-on-Demand and digital form through Amazon. It was a privilege to work with such a talented group of authors and illustrators.

My essay in the Anthology was titled ‘Shinsen’en, a Heian-kyo Power Spot.’ It is available through Academia.edu or ResearchGate for those who have access to these platforms, or by purchasing the book (and then be able to enjoy the other contributions).

RECOGNITION FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO ECOLOGY – ESA GOLD MEDAL

In November 2019 I was honoured to be awarded the Gold Medal of the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) for my significant contribution to ecology in Australia. The ESA Conference Plenary Address draws on my career as an environmental scientist and recent explorations using the elements as a framework for re/connecting people and nature, particularly in Japan. The text and images from my presentation can be found here:

Woman on fire: Insights from an elemental career

‘Structures of Kyoto‘ and ‘The Spirit of Shizen‘

The fourth WiK Anthology, ‘Structures of Kyoto‘, was published in 2021. My contribution was titled ‘Beyond Zen: Kyoto’s gorinto connections‘. A copy is available by purchasing the book, or through ResearchGate and Academia.edu.

In 2022 my essay ‘Ontakesan – Seasonal elements of a sacred Japanese mountain‘ appeared in the Anthology accompanying ‘The Spirit of Shizen‘ exhibition held in Luxembourg in July and August that year.

‘Japan and Things Japanese: An introduction to Japanese Culture’

Being asked by Yoshiaki Yagi to edit the English component of a bilingual book on ‘Things Japanese’ was a great honour. It was published in July 2022 and is currently available through Amazon Japan (access through other country portals is coming).

‘The Nature of Kyoto‘

The fifth WiK Anthology was published in May 2023. As the Anthology Supervisor I provided guidance to the Editors throughout the production process. My essay was titled ‘Kyoto: a city of Fire and Water.’ A copy is available by purchasing the book online on Amazon, or through ResearchGate and Academia.edu.

‘Fire & Kyoto‘

Between June 2023 and July 2024 I was Guest Editor of this special printed issue of Kyoto Journal published on July 18, 2024. This visually stunning magazine, jam-packed with illuminating stories, has received high praise.

The journal is available at https://www.kyotojournal.org/product/kyoto-journal-107-fire-kyoto/