Last year, I won the Whitmore Press manuscript prize, which means that they committed to publishing my poetry chapbook this year. After editorial conferral, I was very happy to be offered a full collection instead of a chapbook (which essentially means more poems).
My book, Meteorites, will be launched at the legendary Collected Works bookstore in Melbourne on November 18. The poems are along two main themes: the questions and realisations that come to me when watching truly excellent films (by Tarkovsky, Bergman, and Kurosawa) and the experience of travelling to Scandinavia, which was at first to explore locations used by Tarkovsky and Bergman, but then also became about all the megalithic sites I saw on my way; I was so stunned by all the beautiful ancient graves that I wrote poetry about them.
The book is currently at the printers and I am so happy with how it is shaping up. The cover image has been created by my friend in Copenhagen, Mark Walker, a fellow Tarkovsky fiend. The recommendation blurbs on the back cover come from two people I could not admire more: David McCooey, whose Whitmore chapbook Graphic was a great influence early on; and my good friend, the poet and memoirist Michelle Dicinoski, whose book Ghost Wife has won wide acclaim.
If you are in Melbourne on November 18, please come along and enjoy the event. The brilliant Nathan Curnow will be launching the book, so it will certainly be a sensational night.
Carmen Leigh Keates 
Congrats. Love Collected works, will be there in spirit.
So very excited about the book being Launched very soon. ‘Have followed Carmens’ travels to Gotland and many other places in August 2013 ,plus Norway to Tromso and to Gotland again this year during June July, plus many other interesting places within her interests of Tarkovski the film maker and poet .