As any creative will tell you, there’s a protracted gap between passion and profit – between doing ‘the thing’ and funding the doing of ‘the thing’. As South Sudan born, Brisbane raised poet Nyaluak Leth (Nyah) discovered, programs like STUDIO by Miraval can help bridge it.
Poetry, for Nyah, has always been more than just reciting words. It’s a way to channel something deeper, something spiritual, and connect on that level with others.
“I feel isolated and lonely when I write, but when I share my work, it’s like I create spiritual brothers and sisters in the crowd,” she says. “It’s real, it’s live, it’s an interactive theatre performance.”
Nyah’s love for poetry began in early high school, and it was the first time she connected with a subject. Beyond her English classes, poetry became a way for her to make sense of the world.
“I come from a very religious background – my dad is a pastor – so it began as a way to express my emotions and process my sense of faith,” Nyah explains. “It’s like journalling out loud.”
Much like church, poetry helped Nyah find community. The Brisbane creative scene was small but strong, and it was there that Nyah, alongside her friend Anisa, grew ‘Voices of Colour’, a grassroots collective of poets and performers who would gather in Brisbane’s King George Square between 2015 and 2018.
“We’d congregate with an amp and a mic – it wasn’t a bad stage,” she laughs. “Performing there, I discovered I could become a vessel for the poem to come through me. Sometimes, the message isn’t even for me, but someone in the audience really needs to hear it.”
This raw honesty is why Nyah never wanted to commercialise her work – she runs events like ‘Poetic Honesty’ in Sydney to connect with community, not capitalise on it. It’s also why programs like French rosé brand STUDIO by Miraval’s ‘Month of Music’ are so essential.
In October, Miraval threw its support behind the Australian music scene by working with musicians – Nyah included – to run free-to-book workshops. The name “STUDIO” pays homage to the legendary recording studio on the Miraval estate, where music icons like Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Sade once unleashed their creativity.
Being involved in the project was an easy yes for Nyah, whose backstory with the brand is, honestly, poetic.
“I was minding my business one day last year, and I got invited to this event with Miraval. I didn’t expect to get much more out of it than a good glass of rosé,” she recalls. “They were hosting studio sessions, and it was there that I met Nick from Brightside Studio. One thing led to another, and soon enough they’d sorted out a two-hour slot for me to record in. It was my first time in a studio recording poetry.”
She went along with no real plan, just a notebook of typewritten poems “and vibes”.
“It was such a good experience. That session led to something bigger – a collaboration with Brisbane musician Sampology and the release of my first single last July.”
When Miraval returned for another round of workshops this year, Nyah found herself leading one.
“I’d learned early on in my recording journey that I didn’t speak studio lingo, so I wanted to build a language bridge between the poets and producers,” she says. “In my workshop, we got to write poems from scratch, do exercises, have a few glasses of rosé – the girls wrote beautiful songs. It didn’t feel like a workshop. It felt more therapeutic.”
The session reminded Nyah of her early days in Brisbane’s creative scene – close-knit, experimental, and quietly electric.
“We’re in our own bubble in Queensland – our own little ecosystem – and we really do support each other,” she says. “In Brisbane, everything is interconnected: music, fashion, food, hospitality. We collaborate so well. I felt safer to try new things there. Whether you’re in New York or London, the authenticity we’re nourished in in Queensland doesn’t flourish anywhere else.”
With her first workshop behind her, Nyah is looking ahead to her debut poetry collection, ‘Messenger of the Sun’, a collaboration with Canberra-based artist Musonga.
“It’s a coffee table art book,” she says. “I wanna get out of my imposter syndrome vibe – it’s been an emotional battle.”
She’s also just premiered her first poetry film at the Sydney Opera House, revived her beloved ‘Poetic Honesty’ event with a sold-out show in August, and is hosting the next one – ‘Messengers of the Night’ – in November.
“Oh, and I’ll definitely be hosting more community-based workshops after that Miraval one,” she adds. “There’s nothing better than when brands understand community and feed into that.”
