Announcements

FSP Committee for 2024

Following the recent AGM, FSP is pleased to announce the new Management Committee for 2024-2025:

  • Nigel Ford (Convenor)
  • Kristy Willet (Treasurer)
  • Veronica Cookson (Secretary and Membership)
  • Susan O’Brien
  • David Cookson
  • Fred Willet
  • Erica Jolly
  • Murray Alfredson

We thank out-going Convenor, Susan O’Brien, and Committee Members, Stef Rozitis, Margaret Fensom (Dingle) and Helen Hutton, for all their hard work supporting FSP. Helen will continue on as Publishing Editor for the forthcoming FSP publications.

Submissions for New Poets 25 now open

Friendly Street Poets is pleased to announce that submissions of manuscripts for New Poets 25 are now open (1st April 2024) and close at midnight 31st May 2024.

Each volume in the New Poets series publishes short collections of poems from three South Australian resident poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry.

Before submitting your manuscript, please read the rules and formatting requirements carefully. Failure to comply with the requirements will result in your submission being disqualified. The rules can be read or downloaded as a PDF document at the links below.

Submissions will only accepted via the on-line form below.… Click for more

New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 winners!

FSP is pleased to announce the winners of New Poets 24 and Single Poet 2023 competitions.

NEW POETS 24

Judge: Jude Aquilina

The three winners are:
• Facebook Poems by Peter Mahoney
• Stepping on Shadows by Helen Hutton
• My Father’s Son by Nigel Ford

Commended
• From the Heart by Susan Thrun Willett

Special Mention
• Save Changes to Normal by Stef Rozitis
• Murder, Mayhem and More by Fred Willett

SINGLE POET 2023

Judge: Steve Evans

Winner
• Selected Poems (1992-2022) by gareth roi jones

Commended
• The Pilgrimage by Claire-Louise Watson
• Eclectica by Veronica Cookson

Thank you to the judges for both competitions.… Click for more

Haiku workshop with Julia Wakefield Houghton

Seaford Meeting Room, Seaford Library
Grand Blvd, Seaford SA 5169

Saturday, 24 June 2023
10:00 AM to 12:30 PM

The haiku is so much more than a 5-7-5 syllable three-line poem – in fact it can be a lot less as well! What is most important is that elusive ‘aha’ moment. Join Julia in exploring the evolution of the Japanese form and discover the best of English language haiku; then try some exercises that will help you to create your own unique haiku.

Julia is the convenor of the Bindii Japanese Poetry Forms Group, which is based in Adelaide. She is a published prize-winning poet who has been attempting to write haiku for the past 15 years. … Click for more

FSP Anthology 47 launch and order form

Judges and editors
Left to right: David Cookson (editor), Max Merckenschlager (judge), Veronica Cookson (editor), Jacqui Merckenschlager (judge), Sue O’Brien (Convenor)
Winners
Left to right: Stef Rozitis, Elaine Barker, Louise Nicholas, Charlie Madden, Helen Hutton,  Meryl McDougall, Rob Ferris, Maria Vouis, Sue O’Brien

FSP is excited to announce that Anthology 47 was officially launched by in-coming Convenor, Sue O’Brien, at the monthly meeting on 1 May 2023.

Edited by Veronica and David Cookson, the anthology’s title, beyond the bend … , takes its name from a line in Torbay by contributing poet, Sharon Foulkes. The collection of over 100 poems thrilled the judges, Jacqui and Max Merckenschlager, who were at the launch to meet the winning and commended poets. … Click for more

FSP Life Memberships to Erica Jolly and Nigel Ford

Nigel Ford presents Erica Jolly with a certificate for Life Membership
Sue O’Brien presents Nigel Ford with a certificate for Life Membership

Life membership is awarded to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to Friendly Street Poets, Inc. At the 2023 AGM, two such awards were made.

Nigel Ford was awarded Life Membership for his outstanding commitment to poetry generally, to promoting and supporting poets’ groups in the broader community, and to his unswerving support of Friendly Street Poets as a committee member, six years as Convenor and 10 years as Regional Representative.

Erica Jolly was awarded Life Membership for decades of teaching, mentoring and supporting poets within Friendly Street Poets and the wider community.… Click for more

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