New Poets

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

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

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

Winners of New Poets 26 and Single Poet 2025 competitions!

The results of the FSP New Poets 26 and Single Poet 2025 competitions are in!

Congratulations to the winners of New Poets 25 as judged by Avalanche:
John Atkinson for My Solid Heart
Kylie Dinning for Skimming the Seaweed
Matt Gaughwin for Thoughts of Deduska

Congratulations and commiserations to the Commended Poet:
Alex Robertson for The Plains Life

The standard of the submissions was very high. Click here to read the Judge’s Report in full:


I was asked very kindly if I’d judge this year’s crop for the Three Poets publication – of course, always happy to put something back, after all, FS has been a mainstay in poetry and spoken word circles hereabouts.?T

… Click for more

FSP August City Meeting, Open Mic and Announcement of Publication Winners.

Friday, 1st August, 2025
Doors open at 6:00pm for 6:15pm start

The Box Factory
59 Regent St, Adelaide, SA 5000

$5 to read; free to listen.
Strict 3-minute time limit, including any introductions, explanations and post-scripts.

During the meeting, the winners of the New Poets 26 and Single Poet 2025 competitions will be announced.

You can submit poems read at the Open Mic for consideration in the next Anthology via the form below.

… Click for more

New Poets 25 launch

Wednesday, 20 November, 2024

Ern Malley
137 Magill Road, Stepney, SA 5069

Pre drinks at 6.00pm
Launch starts at 6.45pm

Come and join the winners of the New Poets 25 competition for the launch of their book with new collections from
Vicky Ireland: Orange Oceans
Robbie Lennard: Shermika
phil saunders: Foundlings not Lost

Copies of the book will be available on the night.

Light refreshments and alcohol available.

The event will be MCd by Nigel Ford, Convenor of Friendly Street Poets.

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