Les Wicks gathered an international crowd to build the poetry anthology ‘Class’, published in Australia in 2024 by Meuse Press. The book grew directly out of debates held in Canada and India across 2023 and 2024. It tackles the reality of economic divides during an era when the gap between rich and everyone became extreme.
Instead of pushing a single political line, this collection serves up a mixture of human friction. Dozens of writers contribute, including Jeltje Fanoy, PiO, Vaughan Rapatahana, Marra PL. Lanot, and Gabriel Rosenstock. These poems break through social walls, exposing human vulnerability and the stubborn fight for common ground.
Susan Wald’s Queenscliff Monotypes is opening on 26 March 2026, and continues until 13 April 2026, at Queenscliff Gallery. She will be at the gallery on Sunday 29 March 2026 to talk about the work. Details below …
Alex Skovron’s new book, Switchpoints, is a collection of 100 narratives in prose and verse. It was published in March 2026. A link to the publishers, Puncher & Wattmann, can be found at the foot of this page.
A philosopher sets about compiling an encyclopaedia of embraces; an artist accuses her mirror of a lifetime of dishonesty; a flâneur collects melodies from the faces of passing strangers; an author envisions the ultimate map charting every single move of his existence; a girl dreams of a magic box that would tell her everything …
Switchpoints, Alex Skovron’s twelfth book, is a collection of 100 short narrative pieces, some in prose, others in verse. It is inhabited by a broad assortment of individuals of all ages, from children to the elderly, visited at particular and possibly significant moments in their daily life—moments of doubt or discovery, inertia or inspiration, of personal reflection, reminiscence or philosophical musing. There are skewed apprehensions and tender recognitions, lingering regrets and poignant realizations—‘switchpoint’ moments that trigger a jolt in thought or demeanour, or signal a shift in viewpoint or sense of self; or may not. The prod might be a line from a novel or poem, a painting or a piece of music, a landmark, a famous disaster, or perhaps no more than a sudden idea, a fading dream or an elusive recollection. Underpinning it all is a fascination with the workings of mind, the riddles of memory, the mystique of time.
Sunday 15th February 2026 starting 3:00pm for 3:30pm
Poetic Witness: Personal and Political
On Steep Curve by Robyn Rowland
When her father, Norm Rowland OAM is almost 100, Robyn returns from Ireland. Initially companion, then carer during covid, she lives with him in the house he built 65 years before.
Their relationship grows through physical and emotional challenges, anger, frustration, grief and love. Poems for Norm from previous years are interwoven here. Heartbreaking and tender, a book created with love and skill: this is the poetic narrative of their shared journey.
On Seang by Anne Casey
For the 180th anniversary of the Great Irish Famine’s commencement, Seang (Hungering) poignantly reclaims the human story behind the lost history of a group of rebel girls who were daughters of Irish famine refugees to Australia. It seeks to restore voice to these girls and their families, who were silenced over and over during their lives, and who suffered destitution, discrimination, and intergenerational incarceration and hardships largely driven by colonial policies, attitudes and actions in Ireland and in Australia. Incorporating award-winning research and poetry, Seang offers a beacon for the 473 million children in our world today who are impacted by conflict and extreme food insecurity driven by the same three factors – climate, politics and economics.
Poetry Sydney is an independent literary organisation committed to a presence for poetry in our culture.
The Australian Poetry Publishers directory is a portal for poets to have their poems published, to encourage Australian poetry to be purchased and to support Australian Poetry Publishers in enabling poets to have the opportunity to be published. Publishers on this list are those who publish poetry within Australia.
Chris was Professor Emeritus in the Australian Centre of the University of Melbourne, of which he was a founding director. During his long and distinguished career, he was a Harkness Fellow at Yale University, and the Harvard University Chair of Visiting Professor of Australian Studies.
In 2011, Chris was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the arts, and in 2015, he was awarded the Melbourne Prize for Literature.
Chris wrote the introduction to Joyce Lee’s It is nearly dark when I come to the Indian Ocean.
The past year has celebrated established mastery and urgent new voices, with David Brooks claiming the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. The sector also saw the release of the Best of Australian Poems 2025 anthology and a vibrant Poetry Month program fostering community engagement.
The 2025 awards season saw Julie Fragar and Jude Rae recognised for their exceptional portraiture and landscape work respectively. Major institutions also celebrated historical figures, with the National Gallery of Australia launching comprehensive retrospectives of modernist painters Ethel Carrick and Anne Dangar.
The visual arts landscape was defined by the opening of the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial and significant prize announcements. First Nations sovereignty and connection to Country were central themes, while contemporary artists like Gene A’Hern and Jonathan Jones received acclaim for their site-specific and abstract works.
Focus on Patrick White has been renewed through the prestigious literary award named in his honour, won this year by David Brooks. The playwrights’ award also recognised new talent, while fresh critical scholarship continues to examine White’s complex legacy and “dilemmas” in contemporary Australian culture.
Australian Book Review (ABR) Australia’s premier critical magazine, offering reviews, essays, commentaries, and new creative writing. Editor: Peter Rose https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/
Sydney Review of Books (SRB) A dedicated online literary journal focusing on long-form criticism and essays. Editor: James Ley https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/
The Monthly A national magazine covering politics, society, and the arts, featuring long-form journalism and reviews. Editor: Michael Williams https://www.themonthly.com.au/
Inside Story An independent news and current affairs site featuring strong arts and culture analysis. Editor: Peter Clarke https://insidestory.org.au/
Island Magazine A premium literary magazine from Tasmania that publishes high-quality fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Editorial Manager: Jane Rawson https://islandmag.com/
Mascara Literary Review A bi-annual journal focusing on contemporary writing by First Nations, culturally diverse, and neurodivergent artists. Artistic Director: Michelle Cahill https://www.mascarareview.com/
Rochford Street Review An independent online journal reviewing Australian literature, poetry, and small-press publications. Editors: Mark Roberts and Linda Adair https://rochfordstreetreview.com/
Peril Magazine An Asian-Australian arts and culture magazine publishing poetry, prose, and visual arts with a focus on diverse perspectives. Chairperson: Lian Low https://peril.com.au/
Academic & University-Affiliated Journals
Griffith Review Operating out of Griffith University, this quarterly features public intellectual essays, reportage, and creative writing. Editor: Carina Garland https://www.griffithreview.com/
Westerly Magazine Based at the University of Western Australia, this journal publishes fiction, poetry, and essays with a focus on WA and Asia. General Editor: Daniel Juckes https://westerlymag.com.au/
Southerly One of Australia’s oldest literary journals, published by the English Association (Sydney). Editor: Elizabeth McMahon https://southerlyjournal.com.au/
Axon: Creative Explorations Published by the University of Canberra, this open-access journal focuses on poetry and creative practice-led research. Editors: Jen Webb and Paul Hetherington https://axonjournal.com.au/
TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses The journal of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP), publishing scholarly articles on creative writing. Managing Editors: Julienne van Loon and Ross Watkins https://textjournal.scholasticahq.com/
Visual Arts News & Criticism
Art Monthly Australasia The region’s flagship visual arts publication, providing critical discourse and exhibition reviews. Editor: Michael Fitzgerald https://www.artmonthly.org.au/
Art Almanac A monthly guide to galleries, news, and awards, serving as the essential “gallery guide” for the industry. Editor: Melissa Pesa https://www.art-almanac.com.au/
ArtsHub The primary trade publication for the Australian arts industry, covering news, jobs, and policy. Content Director: George Dunford https://www.artshub.com.au/
Artist Profile Focuses on the artists themselves, featuring in-depth studio interviews and photographic profiles. Editor: Kon Gouriotis https://artistprofile.com.au/
Memo Review Australia’s only weekly online review dedicated strictly to visual art exhibitions (primarily Melbourne/Sydney). Editorial Team: Rotating academic and critic collective https://memoreview.net/
Runway Journal An open-access digital platform for experimental art and criticism, managed by a rotating board of artists. Co-Chairs (2025): Ena Grozdanic and Athanasios Lazarou https://runway.org.au/
un Projects (un Magazine) An independent platform for contemporary art criticism, focusing on local dialogue and artist-led discourse. Editor: Rotating guest editors per issue https://unprojects.org.au/
Poetry specific
Cordite Poetry Review A comprehensive online journal for Australian and international poetry and criticism. Editor: Kent MacCarter http://cordite.org.au/
Australian Poetry Journal The flagship publication of the national poetry body, publishing contemporary poems and critical essays. Editor: Jacinta Le Plastrier (Publisher) https://www.australianpoetry.org/
Performing Arts (Theatre, Music, Opera)
Limelight Australia’s leading independent magazine for classical music, opera, and the performing arts. Editor: Jo Litson https://limelightmagazine.com.au/
Australian Stage Provides reviews and news covering theatre, opera, dance, and musicals across major capital cities. Editor: Review team based https://www.australianstage.com.au/
Absolutey thrilled to share the cover of my #new#book ‘Seang (Hungering)’ which is based on my award-winning #research and #poetry exploring the lost histories of a group of rebel girls who were daughters of #Irish#famine#immigrants to #Australia.
My eternal gratitude to the literary powerhouse Jessie Lendennie, Managing Director at Salmon Poetry for her stalwart support of my work over the past 10 years. Massive thanks to Siobhan Hutson Jeanotte for her beautiful design and painstaking production work. My heartfelt gratitude to AnthonyQuinnArtist for his stunning cover #art responding to my poetry.
There are a million people to thank… my #PhD supervisors, the late Gabrielle Carey whose encouragement never wavered, Associate Professor Bhuva Narayan and Dr Penni Russon for their wisdom and support. Poets, friends, inspirations, Eamonn Wall, Sarah Holland-Batt, Judith Beveridge, Wendy J. Dunn and so many others who are named in the book. My family always. Rory Lonergan
UNFURL 