Australia
steven viney is a writer, artist, storyteller and physicist who has worked and reported around the world throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and most recently Australia.
the works below are a selection of favourite digital storytelling pieces, international news reporting clips, poetry book publications, songwriting/album releases etc.
contact details through links below.
digital storytelling
The story behind the drink that started wars and shaped the modern world.
Wage theft, exploitation and modern slavery are often reported as isolated scandals - but for many new Australians, they're a fact of life.
On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, Beijing is more influential - and controversial - than ever.
art, poetry & music
Exploring themes of self-doubt, faith, loss, gratitude, absurdity and resolve, Tell Me How You Really Feel is a collection of poems written between the years 2006 and 2023.
Listen to Dots - EP by hello image on Apple Music. Stream songs including "The Future Is Here", "Gifting (Always the Same)" and more.
international news reporting
A darling of the left, Noam Chomsky is well-known for his articulate criticisms of US foreign policy. The American intellectual takes special interest in how the US coddles authoritarian regimes under threat, in particular when political and economic interests are involved. Steven Viney.
As political turmoil and sectarian strife continue to afflict post-uprising Egypt, the tourism industry is struggling to get its high season - which runs from March through September - off the ground. "Usually after some kind of tumultuous incident the industry in Egypt bounces right back up."
Almost three months have passed since the Church of St. Mark and St. Peter in Alexandria was attacked. Locals claim that restoration plans have been successful thus far, but what once stood as a safe haven for Copts now bears the indelible mark of ongoing sectarianism in the country. Steven Viney
arts & culture journalism
Recently, experimental art-rock outfit Swans played at Le National as they passed through Montreal on tour for their brilliant new record To Be Kind, which just came out in May to much critical acclaim.
As cloud time continues to wreak anachronistic havoc on the linear way that artists rise to prominence and "important" musical happenings unfold and evolve, Martin Newell - and his longstanding home recording project, the Cleaners from Venus - is but another example, if not one of the examples, of a shadowy artist who seems to have had his hands meddling about in almost every era of pop music over the past 50 years, without really existing in any of them at all. Steven Viney
True to the bone, musical oddball Gary Wilson has experienced a career path stranger than even he could have ever imagined. Having started off in the 1960s as a multi-instrumentalist and home recording prodigy - who found himself discussing his work with John Cage when he was only 14 - Wilson winded up recording a couple of fascinating albums before fading into obscurity from the early 80s onwards. Steven Viney
miscellaneous journalism: addiction, mental health & science
While there are still many stigmas associated with mental illness in Egypt, psychiatric hospitals have come a long way since the Abbasseya lunatic asylum was established by the British in 1883. For decades, this infamous institution subjected thousands of patients to 19th century psychiatrics.
Image by Ben Thomson The idea of the certified IQ genius - a person ranking in the top two IQ percentiles - evokes stereotypes of business tycoons and unconquerable chess players riding the trajectory of their inevitable success. The are the World's Smartest People and we've been conditioned to expect great things from them.
Drug addiction is a major problem in Cairo, but one that is very rarely written about or discussed in politics accurately. To counter this, medical experts have offered to share reports and personal experiences with Egypt Independent in order to better understand the city's increasing drug problem, as well as the effect the revolution is having on it.
rural issues, civil rights & the environment
On 11September, Egypt celebrated Farmer's Day. But the dire straits in which many farmers find themselves call for anything but celebration. Strangled by poor market access, marginalization and general disregard from the authorities, many of the country's 11 million farmers are either going bankrupt, losing their land or facing systematic violence. Steven Viney.
It might sound like a swear word, but "fracking" isn't causing a stir because of its sound. It's a drilling method that has caused worry among some local environmentalists, who warn it could contaminate the environment.
For decades Egypt's economy was guided by political forces who wanted to enjoy the fruits of western capitalist democracy without sowing the seeds for the local economy to flourish on its own.
other online portfolios & broadcast projects
Under The Influence digs into the lesser known influences, inspirations and recordings of interesting musicial artists and uses them to try present their sound and art in a sonic context that's different. High premium on live music and demos. High rotation of lesser known Canadian acts as well.
Steven is an Egyptian/Australian who has been living in and out of Egypt for the past 16 years. He graduated from University College London with a Master of Science in Physics in 2007. Since then, he has worked as a writer and editor in various disciplines, including science journals, cultural magazines, and creative advertising.
Steven Viney is a journalist with ABC News. You can follow him on Twitter: