Wordflower poetry blog was founded by Catherin J Pascal Dunk (she/they) in 2018. Catherin is a nonbinary poet, writer, activist, yarnbomber and book editor currently living on stolen GuriNgai land. She identifies as queer, Pythian, autigender, aceflux and bi+.
Wordflower’s first guest poet, Jessica Perini, appeared on Wordflower in 2021. Other poets showcased include Nolcha Fox and Shruti Krishna Sareen. Collaborators include Jessica Perini, Drager Meurtant and Mimmalisa Trifilò.
Catherin J Pascal Dunk started out working in the Australian book publishing industry in 1995. Since 2001 she has operated a freelance editorial business offering copyediting, proofreading and back of book indexing. She coauthored Australian Focus on Issues: Genetics (2004, Watts Publishing) with Campbell McPherson Page.
Catherin has studied poetry and creative writing under Australian poets David Musgrave (University of Newcastle) and (briefly) Mark Tredinnick. Other mentors include Kit Kelen, Heather Cam and Paris Rosemont.
With her poem ‘Rainbow Buddha‘, Catherin placed second in the 2018 Central Coast Council Library Service poetry competition. The poem was displayed as a canvas print in Central Coast Council (NSW) buildings from 2018 to 2024.
In 2023 Gillian Burgess produced Catherin’s first poetry chapbook, Wordflower.
Two commissioned works by Catherin, ‘Shell song‘ and ‘Spring song‘, appear in The Loud Way Home (ACON 2024, eds Parker, Mohajer & Whelan).
Her poems were included in Sappho Poetry Forum‘s fifth anthology, Sapphic Voyage (2023, eds Chappelow & Lahiry), with two more poems in their 2025 anthology, Sapphic Space.
Catherin’s work has appeared in the journals Punt Volat, Collaborature, Chewers by Masticadores and LatinosUSA, as well as in DIRTY MOUTH queer poetry zine and Edge of Humanity online magazine.
She performs at poetry slams, and reads her work at open mic nights such as Sappho Queer Poetry Forum and Poetry at the Pub in Newcastle, and Pride Poetry in Woy Woy.
Donné Restom invited Catherin to perform an erotic poetry set at FunHaus Factory Gosford in March 2024 for International Women’s Day as part of Kink in the Tale: live storytelling for grownups.
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