Five Questions: Sachini Poogoda

Sachini Poogoda is an editorial intern at Portside Review living and working on Whadjuk Noongar boodjar. Having recently returned to Perth/Boorloo from Canberra/Ngunnawal on the east coast of Australia, Sachini is taking a brief break between studies to focus on her creative side.

Tell us about a typical day?

At the moment I study and work two jobs, so typical days vary for me! They will usually involve some kind of study (I am doing a Master of Genetic Counselling); working on a piece of writing; coming into the Centre for Stories to work on Portside Review; or going to my other job at a kid’s rec gym to host birthday parties. Sometimes I’ll go to the grown-up gym in the evening. I usually end my nights by watching an episode of whatever TV series I am currently binging (right now it’s Ugly Betty). I’m also big on compartmentalising, so I always try and keep my Friday and weekend nights free for fun!

What is your future hope?

I hope for a lot of things. I hope that we, as a species, will take climate change seriously and start putting our Earth first. I hope that we can begin to transcend consumerism and the greed that comes with it. I hope that sharing wealth becomes the norm.

I also hope to get my book published.

If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and where would you take them in your city?

My pre-COVID answer would have been Michelle Obama. My post-COVID answer is my partner who has been in the UK, behind Australia’s hard border, for the last year. But I would take them to the same place – my mum’s kitchen. She’s a great cook.

What is your favourite bookstore?

There is a random book shop called Book Lore in Lyneham, Canberra. I used to get my morning coffee around the area and it became a habit to rifle through the second-hand books at the front to see what people had decided they wanted to pass on. The famous Powell’s bookstore in Portland was also pretty cool.

What does a port culture look like to you?

Port culture is the salty tang of the ocean. It’s the noise and organised chaos of a fish market. And it’s the colourful sails and hulls of boats all docked against the jetty.