Cover for Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors edited by Michael Earp and Alison Evans
Book cover for Volume 9 of the Australian Poetry Anthology.
Book cover for An Unexpected Party - Queen Speculative YA Fiction edited by Seth Malacari. The background is purple with a floral border. There is a silhouette of a person with an outstretched wing. Cover art by Sarah Winifred Searle.

About

Headshot of Alexander Te Pohe. He is wearing a loose black shirt, a sword necklace, and white petal earrings. His hair is almost shoulder length, black, and wavy. He is smiling a little.

Alexander Te Pohe (he/him) is a Māori trans man living on Whadjuk Noongar Land. His prose and poetry can be found in the collections Avast! (Fremantle Press 2024), An Unexpected Party (Fremantle Press, 2023), Australian Poetry Anthology (Volume 9, 2021−2022), and To Hold The Clouds (Centre For Stories, 2020), as well as publications such as Djed Press, Portside Review, KYD, and Strange Horizons.Notable mentions:

  • Appeared as an artist at the Perth Poetry Festival (2021), the Emerging Writers' Festival (2021 & 2020), and the National Young Writers' Festival (2019).

  • 2019 Centre for Stories Hot Desk Fellowship recipient

Current completed project:

  • a(n) (un)real speculative fiction poetry collection that spins emotions and experiences into fantastical story-fied poems. This collection touches on themes of identity, gender, rage, trauma, and change as a never-ending cycle. If you are a publisher/editor/agent and this interests you, please get in touch.

Anthologies

Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors
Edited by Michael Earp and Alison Evans. Cover art by Mia Nie

Book cover Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors Edited by Michael Earp and Alison Evans. Cover by Mia Nie

Get ready to set sail with a crew of rebels and misfits in this thrilling anthology of pirate tales. From CD burners to space pirates with an otherworldly crew, these stories blur the lines between criminal and separatist, playful and heartfelt and showcase a range of unique characters and found families. Featuring seven long-form pieces of writing, including a graphic novella and a verse novella, this collection has been edited by and features trans and non-binary writers, ensuring a fresh and diverse perspective on the pirate genre. So come aboard and discover a world of queer pirates, grey morals and homebrewed ale.

Avast! is out now!ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰ Request this anthology from your local bookstore or library using the publication details listed by Fremantle Press or Austlit. You can also pre-order this title to be delivered locally or internationally from Fremantle Press and the retailers listed below ✧ ˚   ·      .

An Unexpected Party edited by Seth Malacari. Cover art by Sarah Winifred Searle

Book cover for An Unexpected Party - Queen Speculative YA Fiction edited by Seth Malacari. The background is purple with a floral border. There is a silhouette of a person with an outstretched wing. Cover art by Sarah Winifred Searle.

From fantastical realms to real-world struggles, this young adult anthology champions queer identity by challenging stereotypes and exploring the many facets of identity. Written with wit, heart and honesty, these stories take queer protagonists outside the box of YA romance and centre them at the heart of stories that involve magic, paranormal beings and adventure. Featuring trans and gender-diverse voices – asexual, aromantic, bisexual and more – the stories in An Unexpected Party are as diverse as their writers.

An Unexpected Party is available now!ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰ Request this anthology from your local bookstore or library using the publication details listed by Fremantle Press or Austlit. You can also purchase this title to be delivered locally or internationally from Fremantle Press and the retailers listed below ✧ ˚   ·      .

Australian Poetry Anthology Vol. 9

Book cover for Volume 9 of the Australian Poetry Anthology.

Australian Poetry Anthology Vol. 9 focuses on poets from WA. Guest edited by Lucy Dougan and Michelle Cahill. With thanks to Robert Wood from The Centre for Stories.

To Hold the Clouds - Emerging Writers from Perth edited by Camha Pham

The cover for the anthology To Hold The Clouds. The cover is purple with dark purple and orange wavy lines across the top and bottom. The book is photographed on a wooden desk.

To Hold the Clouds is a collection of writing from Perth Emerging Writers. Coming from a mentoring and hot desk project run by the Centre for Stories, these short stories and poems touch on themes of love, relationships, grief, movement, and hope. Featuring works by Jay Anderson, Prema Arasu, Adele Aria, Maya-Rose Chauhan, Nisha D'cruz, Rushil D'cruz, Karen Escobar, Raphael Farmer, Rafael Gonzalez, Patrick Gunasekera, Tinashe Jakwa, Raihanaty A Jalil, Priya Kahlon, Tiffany Ko, Kim Lateef, Kosta Lucas, Elham Mohammadnejad, Josephine Newman, Kaya Ortiz, Baran Rosamian, Yahye Sheikh-Abdi, Emily Sun, Alexander Te Pohe.

Short Stories

The background is black with a translucent illustrated river running through the middle. Glowing blue text down the middle reads "THE TRAIN BACK". Illustrated river by Hana at Trendify on Canva.
A quote from the short story The Train Back by Alexander Te Pohe. Text: "My vision unfurls in every direction: I see cars passing behind me, the below, the streetlights above. It’s as if my body is one unblinking eye.” Illustrated river by Hana at Trendify
The background is black with translucent illustrated waves on the left and right borders. Text down the middle reads "WHERE STARS DIE". Illustrated waves by Hana at Trendify on Canva.
Quote WSD: “The currents of the universe appear as semi-translucent ribbons of rainbow coloured light. They carry star shards to this planet. The ocean flows upwards, over the drop at the edge of the world, punctured by the flicking lights of dying stars."
The background is grey-blue and white with illustrated, glossy green hills and illustrated clouds. Text over the clouds reads "The Star". All illustrations by Hana at Trendify on Canva.
Quote from The Star: “You are watching a line of ants march across a tree trunk when the cool wind carries away the last rays of sunlight. You spring up, suddenly aware that you cannot hear the voices of your parents."

Poetry

"the ghosts open their mouths / like fish. sound / does not / issue / forth. with / each gasp, water pours out." from elements by Alexander Te Pohe

Articles

"Coleman reveals that control does not have to be forceful but passive if people keep the dystopia alive in each other and the world around them." review of Enclave by Claire G. Coleman.

Public appearances

  • An Unexpected (Launch) Party - Rabble Books and Games - Reading - 2023

  • Pride Poetry Night - Rabble Books and Games - Reading - 2022

  • First Nations Book Club: Unlimited Futures with Alexander Te Pohe - Centre for Stories - Book club host - 2022

  • Neon Readings 019 ft Saoirse Nash & Alexander Te Pohe - Reading - 2021

  • Perth Poetry Festival - Featured Poet - Readings: Perth Poetry Festival Gala, Perth Poetry Club and Perth Poetry Festival Finale. Workshop: Reading to Write Poetry with Alexander Te Pohe - 2021

  • Emerging Writers' Festival - Panel: Owning The Story - 2021

  • Side Walks Festival - Centre for Stories - Panel: Third Culture Kids - 2020

  • Breaking the Glass Slipper - Centre for Stories - Reading - 2020

  • National Young Writers' Festival - Reading: Food Court x NYWF: Cruise to Australia. Panels: Vampires belong in MY genre, Genre Identity Crisis!, Moving beyond the Appropriative Map - 2019

Contact

Hello there!◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜ I am available for freelance writing commissions and speaking events. I am also looking for a home for my completed poetry manuscript. You can get in contact with me via email regarding these or other matters.If you are reaching out to me regarding freelance writing work or an event, please see my areas of interest listed below. In your email please include (where applicable) the date/s, time, payment, and when you expect to hear back from me.

Writing areas of interest:

  • Young adult fiction

  • Speculative fiction (young adult and adult)

  • Prose poetry

  • LGBTQIA+ prose, poetry, and media

  • Film and TV reviews

  • Book reviews (young adult, speculative adult fiction, and poetry)

Events areas of interest:

  • Young adult fiction

  • Prose poetry

  • LGBTQIA+ fiction

  • Speculative fiction

Art by Alexander Te Pohe