35 (Or More) Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month 2025

Poetry Month

Your poetic Advent calendar is ready!

Poetry Month 2025 is so packed with unmissable events that this year's program is bursting out of August. From July 30 to September 3, Poetry Month returns to honour the power of language in shaping culture, community and change all across the continent. Truly, we have events going on everywhere, not only in the big city poetry hubs!

As it is already a Red Room tradition, here is your Poetry Month Advent calendar with suggested activities for each day of this longer-than-a-month Poetry Month. Check out the list below and start populating your diary to make the best of this yearly poetic extravaganza!

On July 30, join award-winning poet and disability advocate Andy Jackson for Writeability, a creative writing online workshop designed to support and celebrate disabled voices in poetry.
On August 1, start engaging with our beloved 30in30 daily poetry competition. Each day in August, a new commissioned poem is published by one of our 30in30 poets. Simultaneously, you are invited to interact with our daily writing prompts and be in the running to win fabulous book prizes brought to you by our partner, Dymocks.
On August 2, tune in to Line Break's weekly poem, our weekly curation of contemporary poetry on ABC Radio National — every Wednesday between 12:50 and 1:00 pm — and experience a contemporary poem read by the poet.
On August 3, come along to the TAS Poetry Month Showcase – bringing to you the best poetry, spoken word, and storytelling Tasmania has to offer.
On August 4, find a poetic event in your community via our Poetry Month Calendar. If you're hosting a poetry contest in August, you can share your event via the Community Calendar.
On August 5, from the comfort of your home, join acclaimed poets, storytellers, educators and performers at the online panel event NT Poetry, Politics and Place.
On August 6, head to Sydney's CBD for Art After Hours: Ekphrastic Fantastic at the Art Gallery of NSW. Go beyond the frame as some of our leading poets read poetry created in response to artworks, alongside renowned artists reading poems that have inspired their practice. For those joining us online on August 6, you can sign up for the workshop Middle of the Air: Writing Lyrics with DOBBY and Leah Senior – this is a remarkable opportunity to learn how to write musical lyrics from an acclaimed singer-songwriter and an ARIA-award-winning multi-genre musician.
On August 7, celebrate West Coast poets and poetry at the annual WA Poetry Month Showcase at the Fremantle Library.
On August 8, check out Red Room's learning resources. Perfect for teachers, parents and students, these free exercises and prompts can help poetry expand beyond the classroom.
On August 9, join us at Byron Bay Writers Festival for a night of rhythm, rhyme and radical truth-telling as poetry and music collide in Beyond the Lines - Byron Showcase.
On August 10, head to South Australia to learn how poetry can be a powerful healing tool to construct community, provide care and build resilience in our event Poetry as Medicine: Panel & Performance.
On August 11, make your inbox more poetic by subscribing to our Shucksmost beloved newsletter, Friday Poem.
On August 12, join the award-winning team of Sweatshop Literacy Movement for a night of performance readings to celebrate the release of Ritual – the world’s first collection of Muslim-Australian poetry.
On August 13, watch the panel discussion Pathways for Poets: An Industry Discussion featuring industry experts from Red Room Poetry and the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) about the rapid changes in the publishing landscape and the consequences for emerging artists. Also on August 13, strengthen your writing muscles with acclaimed poet, Pulitzer Prize finalist and The Poet’s Companion coauthor Dorianne Laux (US) in the workshop Finger Exercises for Poets.
On August 14, head to The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne for Hatred of Poetry – a debate in which passionate public figures argue in favour or against the worth of poetry in a fierce, funny and unmissable night.
On August 15, encourage young writers in your life to enter the Poem Forest Prize. Since 2021, Poem Forest has planted a tree for each poem submitted by students across the continent.
On August 16, make a tax-deductible donation to help Red Room Poetry continue bringing poetry to every corner of the country with programs like Poetry Month, Poem Forest, and more.
On August 17, read a new (or old) poem by visiting Red Room's poetry archive – the largest gallery of contemporary poetry in Australia!
On August 18, share your love for poetry by gifting someone a poetry book you loved reading or add one to a street library near you.
On August 19, get cracking with your headphones to join in our Accessible Online Open Mic event in partnership with Writers’ Victoria’s Writeability program. This open mic night for disabled creatives on Zoom gives them a chance to read a poem without leaving the comfort of their homes. Come along to read a poem or to show your support.
On August 20, join acclaimed poet and author of more than 12 books of poetry, as well as a graphic novel and an award-winning book of Māori legends for children, Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu, NZ) for an immersive workshop exploring Ecopoetic Voicing, where the lyric self meets the more-than-human world.
On August 21, host a poetry movie night with your friends! Or maybe a Trivia night discussing your favourite poet's deepest, darkest secrets – the world is your poetic oyster!
On August 22, if you live in Sydney, you won’t want to miss Poetry After Dark: Panel & Performance at Dymocks Sydney.
On August 23, visit our Opportunities for Poets page, where we gather opportunities such as open calls to help poets organise their work submissions, workshops, and more.
On August 24, Young, Gifted and Black: Africa in Australia will take place in Sydney, featuring poets from the African diaspora. This will be a live cultural experience in the spirit of Def Jam Poetry, celebrating Black excellence through performance poetry, music, and art in a space that feels intimate, electric, and deeply communal.
On August 25, get to know Red Room Poetry's projects by visiting our website. From educational projects like Baraya Barray - Whale Song, mental health-focused projects like MAD Poetry, passion projects like Phone-a-Poem, there is something there for everyone!
On August 26, Red Room and our friends at The Suburban Review invite you to hear from some regional legends in our Online Regional Showcase – featuring five poets from regional and remote areas.
On August 27, you can choose between joining a Q&A session with Professor Sarah Holland-Batt and Dr Toby Fitch at the University of Sydney (Camperdown campus) discussing poetry, academia and the work of advocating for poetry and broader issues or to join our Youth Workshop: Poetic Intention with poet, writer, lawyer and Bankstown Poetry Slam founder Sara Mansour.
On August 28, in the afternoon, you can vote for the Top Poems of the 21st Century. Red Room Poetry and ABC Radio National want to know: What are your favourite poems of the last 25 years? In the evening, the biggest night of Poetry Month will be waiting for you – the National Poetry Month Gala returns this year to the State Library of New South Wales, featuring some of our finest contemporary poets and spoken word artists. Hosted by much-loved presenter and journalist Jan Fran.
On August 29, don't let yesterday's inspiration go to waste; start your first meeting today by sharing a poem with your colleagues.
On August 30, head to the Blue Mountains to partake in our annual Red Room Fellows Showcase live at Varuna.
On August 31, it's Sunday! Invite your friends for a picnic where each one of you reads your favourite poem. Croissants and poetry: what's not to love?
On September 1, put pen to paper and write down the most remarkable moments of this past month. Use that time to pay attention to what's inspired, moved and stayed with you. If you’re a poet, this will help you in your practice. If you're a reader, this will show you what kind of poetry holds a fond place in your heart.
On September 2, think about what poetry meant to you. Call someone dear to tell them about the highlights of your Poetry Month – what you've seen, felt, and learned. If you’d like to know what poetry means to our 30in30 commissioned poets, you can read their reflections on this page.
On September 3, to close Poetry Month in style, you're invited to a poetic movie night at the iconic Sydney Opera House with the event Shortwave x Red Room Poetry: Short Films. More details about this event will be available on July 22, so keep an eye out for it in our newsletters and social media channels.

Happy planning! We look forward to seeing you in August.

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