Celebrate Poetry
March 21, 2022
World Poetry Day, which falls on 21 March, celebrates the humble poem – whether read, written or spoken – as a unique and powerful mode of expression. Poetry has the power to capture and transform audiences in many different ways through the imaginative use of words and language, phonetics, punctuation, design and more.
This World Poetry Day, take some time to explore some of the many wonderful Australian and international poets published in a wide range of poetry journals and books.
Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia features curriculum-linked and freely-available resources for Australian teachers on Australian poetry. Among the newest resources are Limelight by Solli Raphael; The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot; Burning Rice by Eileen Chong; Inside My Mother by Ali Cobby Eckermann; and Sun Music by Judith Beveridge.
In 2022 we are delighted to see poetry included on the 2022 Stella Prize Longlist! Why not check out these longlisted books of poetry:
- TAKE CARE by Eunice Andrada (Giramondo Publishing)
- Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen (University of Queensland Press)
- Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki (Magabala Books)
- The Open by Lucy Van (Cordite Books)
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund supports many poetry organisations and new poetry projects:
- Word Travels and Southerly are celebrating World Poetry Day with a free launch event for Writing Through Fences – Archipelago of Letters. This anthology contains writing by refugees who were (or still are) in detention, as well as responses from Australian writers, activists, essayists and students who engage with refugee writing and explore the consequences of refugee incarceration.
Southerly Magazine‘s Writing Through Fences (guest edited by writer-activists Hani Abdile, Behrouz Boochani, Janet Galbraith and Omid Tofighian) presents a timely range of new refugee writing published in Australia. Book now to join this event in person or online.
- Red Room Poetry’s Poetry Month, which began in August 2021, is a new annual celebration of Australian poetry, poets and publishers.
- Australian Poetry curates poetry sessions and events at many Australian writers’ festivals (check out their website for the full calendar). Included is the Blak & Bright Poetry Read, which featured Charmaine Papertalk Green, Ellen van Neerven, Jazz Money, Kirli Saunders, Tusiata Avia and Tony Birch.
- Most Australian literary magazines and journals publish new Australian poetry. If you’re keen to read more, the Cultural Fund currently supports Australian Book Review, Cordite, Griffith Review, Island Magazine, Meanjin, Overland Literary Journal, Sydney Review of Books and Westerly Magazine.
Finally, to physically engage with poetry, consider entering the Australian Poetry Slam. Sign up for your local slam heat so you’re up to date when they open across Australia in 2022.