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Tag: Poetry

  • Les Wicks — 4 poems

    Petals

    Water on our hands
a shrug, you say wet.

Peter is ill again
you wonder why he struggles
                              how he copes.

The rock we sit upon
is wearing down.

We’ll be dead before
this park becomes a mine or bomb crater.

The sun will kill it anyway
grief is written on the trees.

While I worry about my family
with a holy grace you murmur … heartmeat.

    Andre Ponders a Simple Issue

    If you gift me your life
              I will take it.
    You will be reborn
              as a narrative
    The rain hasn’t stopped
              you think that life has value?
    Us, out there in gale
              so much plastic.
    Body bags flap in the higher branches
              awaiting nothing more than name tags.

    Hypnos

    I sleep so much better when there’s
    no music
    or stories
    or work.

    My lover beside me drives me crazy
    doesn’t snore or twist
    but still.

    I fold myself
    true tranquillity
    teal
    no traffic outside
    early dinner
    & I didn’t watch the news.

    My space is Nothing
    Time to wake up.

    Sockrates

    I was young
    thought the only options
    were barefoot or regimental boots.

    A first ruin in a wrecker’s tale.
    plotted a new Carthage, Lothal
    (with some foreign language skills
    I’d be an officer). No bare feet for me
    but at the recruitment office
    doctor said fallen arches—
    invasions out of the question.

    In boots I’d have judged my mercy.
    Barefoot I could have been a teacher.
    Mother said it was time to act my age.

    Limited to orthotic trainers
    I ran & ran
    until I was
    right back where I began.

    My new lover likes me sockless
    because the cotton is still made by slaves.
    Naked I am saved in the wriggles,
    the laces watch & grieve.

    There Comes a Time

    She’s giving up all that
    what will they think stuff—
    sorts out for herself what can be sorted
    but lets the wilds flourish within that edited life.

    So much lost. Most of her friends are dead.
    Struggle, lose. Somehow okay with that.

    Maybe a small disturbance
    can be a tide
    scours the sand of all rough flotsam.
    That engulfing cleanse can’t be fought
    so she’ll dive straight in.

    Over across the sand
    her ex-lover still claimed the peak
    of the largest dune as his own.
    No audience beyond gulls & their staining.
    Thirst long mocked this pinnacle
    now he’s left wearing nothing but excuses.

    No looking back.
    For her, there’ve been enough storms
    & creative earthmakes.

  • Submissions diary 24 October 2026

    Poetry & Prose Submissions

    Literary Prizes & Competitions

    Competition / PrizeClosing DateForm & LengthEntry FeePrize & Publication Details
    Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction25 Oct 2026Flash fiction (up to 500 words; 3 prompts in 60 hours)Tiered entryCash prizes and print anthology publication
    SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award30 Oct 2026Crime fiction or non-fiction (2,000–5,000 words; AU residents)$35 AUDNed Kelly Awards recognition and cash prize (details)
    The Varnish Prize for Fiction30 Oct 2026Formally inventive unpublished short fiction (open globally)See guidelinesPublication with Varnish Online; focus on emerging voices
    The 2026 Hope Prize31 Oct 2026Short story or narrative nonfiction on hope/resilience (18+ globally)See portal$13,000 AUD prize pool; Simon & Schuster Australia anthology
    Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize31 Oct 2026Poetry up to 40 lines on the theme “Night” (rules)35AUD(25 members)$1,000 AUD first prize via Ballarat Writers
    The Best of Times Short Story Competition #4231 Oct 2026Humorous short stories up to 2,500 words$12 AUDCash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
    National Poetry Competition 202631 Oct 2026Unpublished poems up to 40 lines (18+ globally)£9 first poem (£6 extra)£5,000 first prize, £3,000 second, £2,000 third
    The Bedford Competition 202631 Oct 2026Short stories (to 3,000 words) & poetry (to 40 lines; 17+ globally)£8.50 (or 3 for £17)£2,000 first prize in each category (details)
    Anthology Poetry Competition 202631 Oct 2026Unpublished poems up to 40 lines (open internationally)€18€1,000 first prize, publication, and Reedsy membership
    Aurealis Awards 202610 Nov 2026Speculative fiction by Australians first published in 2026 (including indie/self-published)Discounted for Writer Centre membersAustralia’s premier sci-fi, fantasy, and horror awards across 16 categories
    F(r)iction Fall 2026 Writing Contests13 Nov 2026Short story (1,001–7,500 words), flash (to 1,000 words), poetry (to 3 pages)Via Submittable$1,000 USD (short story), $300 USD (flash/poetry), plus editorial feedback for finalists
    Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition30 Nov 2026Unpublished poems up to 40 lines (open internationally)€7 (5 for €30; fee-free spots)€2,000 first prize plus Cork International Poetry Festival reading and accommodation
    KYD Creative Non-Fiction Prize30 Nov 2026Experimental essays (2,500–3,500 words) on any subjectKYD membership required$2,500 AUD first prize, two $1,000 AUD runner-up prizes, and publication
    Bath Children’s Novel Award 202630 Nov 2026First 5,000 words + 1-page synopsis for unpublished YA/children’s manuscripts£33 (sponsored entries)£5,000 prize open to international unagented/unpublished writers
    Anthology Travel Writing Competition30 Nov 2026Articles up to 1,000 words on an authentic travel experience€15€300 first prize and publication in Anthology
    2027 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize1 Dec 2026Unpublished commercial adult, YA, or non-fiction manuscripts (up to 80,000 words; Open & Own Voices)Entry fee appliesTrade publishing contract plus a $3,500 AUD editing and coaching package

    (Note: While listed on several state calendars for 30 November, Perentie Press announced the postponement of the 2027 Perentie Prize, though their Graphic Folk pitch window for public-domain fairytale/folktale graphic novel adaptations opens for the first week of December 2026.)

    Visual Art & Photography Calls

    Database links.

    Artists
    Writers
    Writing&art …

    To see the complete lists click on the buttons, above. Below are limited RSS feeds from lists from my link database.

    Writers

    Writing&art

    • UNBORDER
    • Subfolio
      A submission platform that makes finding a home for your work easy. Find calls and submit to magazines, presses, and contests. Submit to many organizations at once directly from your portfolio of work or submit directly to a call.
    • The Greensboro Review
      Publishing the best poetry and fiction from emerging and established voices since 1966.
    • The Greensboro Review
      The Greensboro Review Submission Manager Powered By Submittable – Accept and Curate Digital Content
    • FilmNeverDie
      Run by enthusiasts, FilmNeverDie joined the global movement in film & Polaroid photography back in 2011. Film is a very special medium that holds you back in the moment!
    • Westwords
    • Wakefield Press
      Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company based in Adelaide, South Australia.
    • Vagabond Press
      Independent literary press based in Sydney.
    • Subbed In
    • Simon & Schuster AU
      Find new book releases, best sellers lists and see when your favorite author is making their next appearance.Simon & Schuster AU is your one stop online book store for book and author news.
    • Revolutionaries
    • Rabbit Poetry
    • Puncher & Wattmann
      Puncher & Wattmann is an award-winning book publisher supporting quality Australian writing. Contact Puncher & Wattmann for more details.
    • Pink Shorts Press
      Publishing socially conscious and slightly offbeat books. Running workshops in brand voice, writing and editing for anyone who works with words. Creating custom books and publications for businesses and organisations with a story to tell. Loudly independent and proudly South Australian, based on Kau
    • Odyssey Books
    • no more poetry
      cargo.site
    • Lacuna Publishing
      Welcome to Publishing, the home of bold, original writing that excites, entertains and informs new ways of thinking.
    • Incision Press
      Words for the Queer Revolution
    • icoe.com.au
    • Hunter Publishers Australia
      A singular blend of Australian and international fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and non-fiction. Independent , original, engaged.

    Artists

  • Submissions diary 17 October 2026

    Poetry & Prose Submissions

    • Meanjin (Edition 86.1 – Autumn 2027)
      • Window: Opens Friday, 23 October 2026 (midday AEST) and closes Friday, 27 November 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
      • Categories & Limits: Short fiction (up to 5,000 words), non-fiction essays and memoir (up to 5,000 words), and poetry (up to three poems).
      • Focus & Terms: Broad overarching theme of “Storytelling”. Contributions are paid standard industry contributor rates upon publication. Submissions are processed via Submittable. (Source)
    • The Varnish Prize for Fiction 2026 (Varnish Literary Journal)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original fiction that discards traditional brevity limits to encourage longer, thematically complex narrative exploration.
      • Terms: Guest judged by 2025 winner Oscar Revelins alongside the editorial team; winner receives publication in Varnish. Submissions handled via email. (Source)
    • Australian Poetry Collaboration Issue 41 (Meuse Press)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
      • Scope: Seeking collaborative poems written jointly by two or more poets.
      • Format: Unrestricted themes; submission via editorial guidelines. (Source)
    • Curtis Brown Australia — Open Submissions Month
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Scope: Literary agency open window accepting unsolicited manuscript proposals and query letters across literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, and YA without requiring agent referral. (Source)

    Literary Prizes & Competitions

    • National Poetry Competition 2026 (The Poetry Society)
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Single poems in English, maximum 40 lines. Open to writers aged 18+ worldwide.
      • Prizes & Terms: £5,000 first prize; £3,000 second prize; £2,000 third prize; plus seven £500 commendations.
      • Entry Fee: £9 for the first poem; £6 for each subsequent poem. (Source)
    • The Bedford Competition 2026
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Short stories up to 3,000 words and poetry up to 40 lines on any theme. Open internationally (17+).
      • Prizes & Terms: £2,000 first prize in each section (£400 second, £200 third).
      • Entry Fee: £8.50 per entry, or three entries for £17. (Source)
    • The Hope Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original short fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words exploring hardship, poverty, or disadvantage through resilience, dignity, and hope.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$13,000 total prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third).
      • Entry Fee: Free. (Source)
    • SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award 2026 (Australian Writers’ Centre)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Crime fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words by Australian residents.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 cash prize.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35. (Source)
    • Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026 (Ballarat Writers Inc.)
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Single poems up to 40 lines on the theme “Night”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize, AU$400 second, AU$100 third.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35 standard (AU$25 for BWI members; AU$15 per extra poem). (Source)
    • Onkaparinga Writing & Poetry Competition 2026 (Writers SA / City of Onkaparinga)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2026 (5:00 PM ACDT)
      • Form & Scope: Flash fiction and poetry up to 500 words on the theme “Stronger Together”, exploring community, resilience, and intergenerational connections. Open to SA writers and those with ties to the region.
      • Categories & Awards: Flash Fiction (18+), Poetry (18+), and Youth (12–17). AU$100 prize per category winner. (Source)

    Visual Art & Photography Calls

    • The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize 2026 (Griffith University / QCAD Galleries)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026 (11:59 PM AEST)
      • Medium & Focus: Watercolour explorations of landscape (broadly defined to include land, environment, seascape, rural, or urban habitat; representational or abstracted).
      • Prizes & Exhibition: AU$20,000 non-acquisitive major prize. Shortlisted works shown at QCAD Galleries, South Bank, Brisbane from 10 December 2026. Open to Australian artists 18+. (Source)
    • Small Works Art Prize 2027 (Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
      • Mediums & Dimensions: All 2D and 3D media, including photography, printmaking, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Artwork must not exceed 35 × 35 × 35 cm (inclusive of framing).
      • Prizes & Exhibition: Over AU$15,000 in prizes (including two AU$2,000 solo exhibition packages). All eligible entered works will be exhibited in the gallery from 9–23 January 2027. Full entry guidelines are on the BSG Information Page. (Source)
    • Summer Small Works Show & Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 22 November 2026
      • Mediums & Dimensions: Open to Australian artists 18+ working in drawing, photography, painting, printmaking, mixed media, or short silent moving-image. Artworks must be created in 2026 and measure no larger than A5 (14.8 × 21 cm, max depth 14.8 cm). Theme: “Emergence”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 non-acquisitive major prize, eleven AU$100 non-acquisitive awards, and inclusion in the 2027 calendar. Exhibition runs 3–23 December 2026. (Source)

  • Submissions diary 10 October 2026

    Here is a digest of active publishing opportunities, prizes, and open calls across creative writing and visual arts for the week of Saturday, 10 October 2026:

    Literary Prizes & Competitions

    • Australian Book Review – 2027 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
      • Closing Date: 14 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
      • Category: Poetry (single poem, maximum 60 lines, open theme)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to all poets writing in English worldwide. Poems must be original and previously unpublished.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: AU$6,000 first prize; AU$1,000 for each of four shortlisted poets (AU$10,000 total pool). All shortlisted poems are published in *ABR*. Entry fee is AU$30 (AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). Details and listing also available via Writing NSW’s October Calendar.
    • The 2026 Hope Prize
      • Closing Date: 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
      • Category: Short fiction or creative non-fiction/memoir
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to writers aged 18+ internationally. Submissions must explore themes of hope, courage, or resilience; maximum 5,000 words (no minimum); double-spaced. Submit via The Hope Prize Submission Portal.
      • Prizes: AU$13,000 total prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize supported by Simon & Schuster Australia and Readings Books; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third). Winning and highly commended stories will be published in a Simon & Schuster anthology.
    • SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award
      • Closing Date: 30 October 2026
      • Category: Crime fiction / Mystery short story
      • Eligibility & Rules: Stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words incorporating classic elements of suspense, mystery, investigation, or crime. Presented in association with the Australian Crime Writers Association.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize; entry fee $35.
    • Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: 31 October 2026
      • Category: Poetry (open theme, maximum 40 lines)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Administered by Ballarat Writers; judged by Australian author and poet Melissa Ashley.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize, with additional regional writer awards. Entry fee applies via TryBooking.
    • Geelong Writers Ekphrastic Challenge #10
      • Closing Date: 25 October 2026
      • Category: Flash fiction, short prose, or poetry (maximum 300 words)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to members and non-members responding to the designated October artwork prompt.

    Poetry & Prose Submissions (Journals, Agencies & Presses)

    • Curtis Brown Australia – Open Manuscript Submissions
      • Reading Window: 1 October – 31 October 2026
      • Category: Commercial & literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and YA/children’s manuscripts
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to unagented writers who are residents of Australia and New Zealand. Requires a one-page synopsis, author bio, and sample chapters (first 50 pages) submitted via their online agency portal.
    • Overland Literary Journal – Submissions
      • Status: Open for general submissions
      • Category: Short fiction (up to 3,000 words), poetry (up to 3 poems per submission), and creative essays
      • Guidelines & Payment: Actively seeking progressive and experimental writing. Accepted print and online contributors receive standard industry rates (AUD $150–$500+ depending on genre and format).
    • The Freelance Writing Network Lit Mag Roster – October Open Windows
      • Status: Windows closing late October / early November 2026
      • Featured Publications:
        • The Iowa Review: General submission window open through October for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
        • The Massachusetts Review: General reading period open for essays, stories, and poetry.
        • Foglifter Journal: Submissions open for upcoming print issues focusing on hybrid forms, non-fiction, and poetry.
    • Phosphorescent Lit – Issue 3: “Fever”
      • Closing Date: 16 November 2026 (04:59 UTC)
      • Category: Poetry (up to 3 poems) and short prose (fiction/creative non-fiction up to 2,500 words)
      • Theme: “Fever” — exploring heat, delirium, obsession, intensity, and illness. Fee-free general submission route.

    Visual Art & Photography Calls

    Here is your weekly digest of active publishing opportunities, literary prizes, and visual art open calls, cross-referenced against your tracked bookmarks and regional directory listings:

    1. Literary Prizes & Competitions

    • Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2027 (Australian Book Review)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
      • Form & Scope: Single poems in English, maximum 70 lines. Open internationally to poets of any citizenship.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$10,000 total prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; four shortlisted poets receive AU$1,000 each and publication in ABR).
      • Entry Fee: AU$30 (or AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). (Source)
    • The Hope Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Prose short stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words exploring the experience of people facing hardship, poverty, or marginalisation with resilience, dignity, and hope. Open globally (18+).
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$13,000 prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second prize; AU$1,000 third prize).
      • Entry Fee: Free to enter. (Source)
    • SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award 2026 (Australian Writers’ Centre)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original, unpublished crime fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Open to writers residing in Australia.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize. Judged on narrative tension, plotting, and characterisation.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35. (Source)
    • Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026 (Ballarat Writers Inc.)
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Poems up to 40 lines. Theme: “Night”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize, AU$400 second prize, AU$100 third prize.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35 per poem (AU$25 for BWI members; AU$15 for subsequent poems). (Source)
    • Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2026 (Overland)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
      • Form & Scope: Short fiction up to 3,000 words loosely themed around the concept of “travel”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$5,000 first prize and publication in *Overland*; two runner-up prizes of AU$750 each.
      • Entry Fee: AU$20 general entry / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
    • Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets 2026 (Overland)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original poetry up to 80 lines by writers who have not yet published a full-length commercial poetry collection.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$9,000 prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third) plus publication.
      • Entry Fee: AU$20 non-subscribers / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
    • Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize 2027
      • Closing Date: Friday, 12 December 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
      • Form & Scope: Full unpublished fiction or narrative non-fiction manuscripts up to 80,000 words.
      • Prizes & Terms: Traditional trade publishing contract with Hawkeye Books plus an author coaching and structural/line editing package valued at AU$3,500. Two categories awarded: Open and Own Voices.
      • Entry Fee: AU$45 standard / AU$99 with comprehensive written assessment. (Source)

    2. Poetry & Prose Submissions

    • Meanjin (Edition 86.1 – Autumn 2027)
      • Submission Window: Opens Friday, 23 October 2026 (Midday AEST) — Closes Friday, 27 November 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
      • Categories: Poetry (up to 3 poems), Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), and Non-Fiction/Essays (up to 5,000 words).
      • Theme & Guidelines: Broad overarching theme of “Storytelling”. All accepted contributions are paid upon publication. Portals open on Submittable. (Source)
    • Curtis Brown Australia — Open Submissions Month
      • Window Closes: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Scope: Literary agency accepting unsolicited queries and manuscript proposals across literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, and young adult writing without prior referral. (Source)
    • Australian Poetry Collaboration Issue 41 (Meuse Press)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
      • Scope: Seeking collaborative poetic works written jointly by two or more poets.
      • Submission: Electronic submission via editorial guidelines. (Source)
    • Overland (General Submissions)
      • Status: Open / Ongoing on Submittable
      • Scope: Essays, critical reviews, fiction, cultural commentary, and political writing.
      • Contributor Rates: Standard industry rates apply (AU$150–AU$500 depending on length and print vs. online placement). (Source)
    • One Sentence Poems & Eunoia Review
      • Status: Open / Year-round rolling submissions
      • Scope: Single-sentence poetry (One Sentence Poems) and short fiction/poetry/creative non-fiction with rapid turnaround (Eunoia Review). Both accessible directly via your Raindrop writing collection.

    3. Visual Art, Photography & Illustration Calls

    • Aesthetica Art Prize 2026/2027
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Late entries accepted through 18 October 2026)
      • Mediums: Photography, digital media, drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, and video art.
      • Prizes & Terms: £10,000 Main Art Prize, £1,000 Emerging Art Prize, group exhibition in York, and publication in the Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists anthology.
      • Entry Fee: Registration via site checkout. (Source)
    • Small Works Art Prize 2027 (Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Midnight)
      • Mediums & Specs: Open to all 2D and 3D media (including photography, drawings, printmaking, painting, and small sculpture). Artwork must not exceed 35 × 35 × 35 cm.
      • Prizes & Exhibition: Over AU$15,000 in prizes, including two AU$2,000 solo exhibition packages and category awards. All eligible entries will be hung in the exhibition from 9–23 January 2027.
      • Entry Details: Detailed entry and hanging requirements available on the BSG Information Page. (Source)
    • Red Art Prize 2027 (Red Gallery, Fitzroy North)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 20 December 2026 (or until gallery exhibition capacity is reached)
      • Mediums: Open-call exhibition launching the 2027 season for 2D and 3D contemporary visual art, drawing, print, and photography.
      • Entry Fee: From AU$60. (Source)
    • Collect Art — Open Call for Photography & Fine Art
      • Closing Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026
      • Scope: Curated international feature issue for street photography, documentary photography, and contemporary drawings/paintings.
      • Format: Up to 12 high-resolution images, brief artist statement, and bio. (Source)
  • Stuart Barnes shortlisted in 2026 Montreal Prize

    Stuart Barnes shortlisted in 2026 Montreal Prize

    Congratulations, Stuart!

    Learning to Sing: A Bird’s-eye View

    The Montreal International Poetry Prize was founded and incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 2010 by the poet and critic Asa Boxer, with the help of Peter Abramowicz and Len Epp. It sponsors a crowd-funded biennial competition, awarding one prize of $20,000 to one poet for a single poem.

    The Montreal International Poetry Prize has become a truly global competition, supported by its international jury of award-winning poets from North America, the Caribbean, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nigeria, and Uganda, and with participants from more than 100 countries.

  • Anne Casey wins NYC Big Book Award

    Anne Casey wins NYC Big Book Award

    NYC Big Book Award is committed to finding the audiences for excellent books and to celebrate New York City.

    Anne Casey’s Seang has won this year’s Big Book Award in the category of Poetry—Social Justice, Migration & Political Witness.

    2026 winners
    NYC Big Book Awards

    Congratulations, Anne!

  • Class, edited by Les Wicks

    Class, edited by Les Wicks

    Download the anthology

    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.

    Les Wicks unfurl posts

  • Elegy for a Tiler

    Elegy for a Tiler

    Over time, grief and loss change shape. So much of what remains lives in gesture, language, and the things we learned without ever formally being taught them.
    I know there are those of you out there who have lost the most important people in your lives, and I often find myself thinking about this great mystery. What is this life if it were not for them? To have learned, to have watched closely, to have listened, and now, without being told, to know where to place our hands.
    I think I can make some guesses about life and its meaning, but I cannot make sense of death, or what life there may be after it. I believe in the mystery of it all, and can only really rely on memory, however inaccurate memory itself may sometimes be. Perhaps memory is the afterlife.
    I wrote this poem about my father, and I was fortunate enough to have it included in the Montreal Poetry Prize anthology in 2020.

    Davide Angelo

    ▶︎ Montreal Poetry Prize — Elegy for a Tiler

    Davide Angelo unfurl posts

  • Alex Skovron’s Switchpoints

    Alex Skovron’s Switchpoints

    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.

    Switchpoints can be purchased directly from the publisher.

  • Calendar of publishers and events

    UNFURL Writing+art publishers list
    • UNBORDER
    • Subfolio
      A submission platform that makes finding a home for your work easy. Find calls and submit to magazines, presses, and contests. Submit to many organizations at once directly from your portfolio of work or submit directly to a call.
    • The Greensboro Review
      Publishing the best poetry and fiction from emerging and established voices since 1966.
    • The Greensboro Review
      The Greensboro Review Submission Manager Powered By Submittable – Accept and Curate Digital Content
    • FilmNeverDie
      Run by enthusiasts, FilmNeverDie joined the global movement in film & Polaroid photography back in 2011. Film is a very special medium that holds you back in the moment!
    • Westwords
    • Wakefield Press
      Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company based in Adelaide, South Australia.
    • Vagabond Press
      Independent literary press based in Sydney.
    • Subbed In
    • Simon & Schuster AU
      Find new book releases, best sellers lists and see when your favorite author is making their next appearance.Simon & Schuster AU is your one stop online book store for book and author news.
    • Revolutionaries
    • Rabbit Poetry
    • Puncher & Wattmann
      Puncher & Wattmann is an award-winning book publisher supporting quality Australian writing. Contact Puncher & Wattmann for more details.
    • Pink Shorts Press
      Publishing socially conscious and slightly offbeat books. Running workshops in brand voice, writing and editing for anyone who works with words. Creating custom books and publications for businesses and organisations with a story to tell. Loudly independent and proudly South Australian, based on Kau
    • Odyssey Books
    • no more poetry
      cargo.site
    • Lacuna Publishing
      Welcome to Publishing, the home of bold, original writing that excites, entertains and informs new ways of thinking.
    • Incision Press
      Words for the Queer Revolution
    • icoe.com.au
    • Hunter Publishers Australia
      A singular blend of Australian and international fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and non-fiction. Independent , original, engaged.

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