(poet, activist, storyteller, educator, 1981-2018)
– Candy Royalle from ‘Here, Queer and Arabic: On the road to belonging
Born Cindy Malouf, Candy Royalle was a multi-award-winning Australian poet, performer and activist. She passed away on the 23rd of June 2018 at the age of 37. A prominent face and contributor to the Sydney poetry scene for the last decade, Candy will be remembered for her fierce and unapologetic poetry and her staunch advocacy for the visibility of queer people of colour in the Australian arts landscape.
“Candy Royalle is all at once fragile, powerful, raw, sensitive, beautiful, unflinching and honest. She, her spirit and her work, will change you.”-Ursula Rucker2
She published two collections of poetry ‘Love Spectacular’ and ‘Heartbeats’3 and often showcased her versatility by collaborating with filmmakers, musicians, photographers and visual artists on various projects. Candy released three albums ‘Frida Children’, ‘Birthing the sky’ and ‘Birthing the sea’.
Candy Royalle was a queer Arabic woman of colour who utilized poetry to speak back to the status quo. She was a dynamic powerhouse, immensely talented and a backbone to the Sydney and global poetry community.
This article is also available in Our Print Edition; Poetry Potion 14-This way we salute you.