Competitions

Poetry Competitions including entry information and results

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 Anthology #50 Launch!

Saturday 29th August 2026
3:00pm

Effective Living Centre
26 King William Road, Wayville
Part of the Church of Christ site, easy to reach by car, tram, bus or train.

Come along and join with us to continue FSP’s 50th Anniversary celebrations with the launch of the 50th FSP Anthology, edited by Val Braendler and Ben Adams.

Please bring $30 cash or card to buy a copy of our big edition and be ready to read your published poem if you wish.

We’d appreciate some good people providing a shared plate for afternoon tea and nibbles.  FSP will supply a few casks of vino and a few specialties.… Click for more

FSP August City Meeting: poetry collection competition winners announced, guest poet with book launch, and special poetry theme!

Friday 7th August 2026
doors at 6:00pm for 6:30pm start

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read, free to listen.

Yes, this will be a big night for poetry!

1. The judges have made their decisions and so we’ll be announcing the winners of the New Poets 27 and the 2026 Single Poet competitions.

2. Long-time FSP member Pat Lee will be our Feature Poet with Jude Aqulina helping promote Pat’s newest poetry book, which will be available on the night.

3. The second of three themed poetry events is also part of this meeting: poems on the theme is The worst / best cliché poem (30 lines maximum) can win a place in next year’s FSP Anthology.… Click for more

Richard Tipping book launch: Headlines to the Heart

Wednesday 12 November 2025
6:00pm for 7:00pm start

Ern Malley
137 Magill Road, Stepney, SA 5067

Richard Tipping, co-founder of Friendly Street Poets in 1975, is in Adelaide for the 50th Anniversary of FSP and has brought his latest book of poetry, Headlines to the Heart, for his South Australian launch. 

Headlines to the Heart is the poet’s own selection of the most memorable poems from half a century of deeply-felt living. Humorous, erotic, perceptive and full of spoken ideas which stick in the mind, Tipping’s poetry has been widely published and anthologised, including The New Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry edited by John Kinsella, The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry edited by Phillip Mead and John Tranter, and the New Oxford Book of Australian Verse edited by Les Murray.… Click for more

Schedule of FSP 50th Anniversary events

2025 marks 50 years of operation of Friendly Street Poets. To celebrate this momentous milestone, we will be hosting a series of special events, summarised below. Put them in your calendar and keep an eye out for more details of specific events closer to the time. Everyone is welcome, but some events require pre-booking.

Sunday 26th October 2025
Launch of the New Poets 26 and Single Poet 2025 books.
Effective Living Centre, 26 King William Road, Wayville.
Doors open at 2.00pm for a 2.30pm start.
Click here for the Facebook event and more information.

Friday 7th November 2025
The Poetry Love In
Box Factory, Regent Street South, Adelaide.… Click for more

+ More