Poem of the Month – September 2026 – Rosalba Clemente

The Poem of the Month for September 2026, selected by 2026 Anthology editors Elizabeth Salna and Erica Jolly, is For Sylvia by Rosalba Clemente. The commended poems are Ode to an Unsung Life by Veronica Cookson, Invocation by Colleen Lamshed, The Loss by Alan Laslett, and Sanctuary of Sawdust by Kathryn von Bergen.

For Sylvia
Rosalba Clemente

I told you I was troubled
but marriage insisted 
though my head was
halfway in the oven. 
Don’t complain now
of dirty nappies and  
unpaid bills and yes
you’ll have to bring
up the children; 
those placid angels we
made whilst you wrote
to accolades and I wrote
the kitchen table
burning fire and ice
my glory grave on paper.… Click for more

FSP October City Meeting – Open Mic & Special Theme

Friday 2nd October 2026
doors at 6:00pm for 6:30pm start

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read, free to listen.

Share some poetry, listen to others reading and enjoy the friendly poetry vibes of the biggest and oldest ongoing poetry group in the Southern Hemisphere.

As usual, a strict 3-minute time limit applies, including any introductions, explanations and post-scripts. Bring two typed / printed copies of your poem with all your contact details on the back of the pages for submission to the next FSP Annual Anthology. You also can submit your poem electronically via the form below.… Click for more

Poems of the Month – August 2026 – Jude Aquilina & phil saunders

The Poems of the Month for August 2026, selected by 2026 Anthology editors Elizabeth Salna and Erica Jolly, are You can’t keep a good witch down by Jude Aquilina and Fresh Blood – Ode to Young’uns by phil saunders. The commended poems are An Unforgotten Song by Darrell Coggins, Sophia’s garden, a ‘sabbath space’ (with Wendell Berry in mind) by Dawn Colsey, Dead Weight (For Russell) by Ros Schulz, and Backstreet Shoes by Michelle Slatter.

You can’t keep a good witch down
Jude Aquilina 

Sweeping across a sallow moon
silhouetted cat riding up front,
the cliched witch-woman was pitched.… Click for more

New Poets 27 and Single Poet 2026 winners

The winners and commended entries for New Poets 27 and Single Poet 2026 were announced by the two judges at the Box Factory on Friday 7th August 2026.

New Poets 27 was judged by Rob de Kok:

WInners:

  • Verity Laughton with Swallows
  • Rob McKinnon with ember rain…
  • Tracy McNally with Wishing on Satellites

Highly commended: Polly Cass with Rivers and Roads

Single Poet 2026 was judged by Steve Brock:

Winner: Helen Hutton with the syntax of silence

  • Runner-up: Chelsea Avard with telling secrets
  • Highly commended: Amanda Solly with Encyclopedia Ephemera
  • Commended: Peter Mahoney with Putain Quais.

The new volumes will be launched on Saturday, 12th December at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton.… Click for more

Launch of FSP Anthology 50 Quintessence

  • Editor – Ben Adams
  • Editor – Val Braendler
  • Judge – Shaine Melrose
  • Nova Prize winner – Kathryn von Bergen
  • Satura highly commended – Rory Harris
  • Satura highly commended – Virginia Hussin
  • Satura commended – Valerie Volk
  • Erica Jolly

FSP 50th annual anthology Quintessence edited by Val Braendler and Ben Adams was launched at the Effective Living Centre on 29th August 2026.

Each year, two prizes are awarded to poems published in the anthology: the Satura Prize for the best poem; and the Nova Prize for the best poem by a poet published for the first time in an FSP anthology.

This year’s judge for the prizes was Shaine Melrose.… Click for more

FSP September City Meeting & Open Mic

Friday 4th September 2026
doors at 6:00pm for 6:30pm start

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read, free to listen.

Share some poetry, listen to others reading and enjoy the friendly poetry vibes of the biggest and oldest ongoing poetry group in the Southern Hemisphere.

As usual, a strict 3-minute time limit applies, including any introductions, explanations and post-scripts. Bring two typed / printed copies of your poem with all your contact details on the back of the pages for submission to the next FSP Annual Anthology. You also can submit your poem electronically via the form below.… Click for more

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