Opportunities for Poets

About Red Room

Red Room Poetry isn't a literary journal and we don’t run ongoing open submissions. Instead, we commission poets based on the needs of each project — which means our producers carefully invite artists whose voice and style are the right fit, often in collaboration with our project partners. While this means we don’t accept unsolicited work for publication, we do invite poets to share their details via our Expression of Interest form so we can keep you in mind for future opportunities. You can also check out our FAQs to learn more about how we work with poets.

Opportunities for Poets

Whether you’re an emerging or established poet, we’ve compiled a list of opportunities currently open for submission for writers in Australia — from writing prizes, awards and competitions, to residencies, fellowships and courses.

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• Poets at the Petersham Bowlo returns this May with an incredible line-up of poets — Thursday, 15 May 2025
• No Wave will be hosting their second poetry reading of the year at The Wheatsheaf Hotel — Wednesday, 28 May 2025
• How to Read A City, hosted by Simon Marnie, Elizabeth Walton and Richard Lawson, is an immersive literary and listening experience — Thursday, 29 May 2025
• The Bundyi Writing Prize is on the lookout for an outstanding unpublished manuscript by an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer — Closing Monday, 30 June 2025
• South Coast Readers & Writers Festival returns to Thirroul with a vibrant lineup of literary talent, from rising stars to international bestsellers — Saturday, 5 July 2025
• Plume Winnipeg & Winnipeg Public Library invites you to their open mic monthly online event 'Speaking Crow' — First Tuesday of every month
• Uplift keeps a log of poetic events across the country — Subscribe

Journal and Anthology Submissions

• Splinter Journal — Submit
• Island Magazine — Submit
• The Suburban Review — Submit
• Creatrix Poetry —Submit
• UNSW Press — Submit
• Portside Review — Submit
• Overland — Submit
• Westerly — Submit
• The Marrow — Submit
• Loom — Submit
• Debris Magazine — Submit

Residencies and Fellowships

• Varuna has a range of Residential Fellowship opportunities — Apply

Workshops and Writing Courses

• Structuring Poetry with Andy Jackson is a new poetry writing course from Kill Your Darlings. Cost: $169 (10% discount for KYD members) —Open now
• Writing NSW invites you to Online Feedback: Poetry with Fiona Wright. Cost: $475 — Monday, 14 July to Friday, 21 November 2025
• Writing NSW invites you to Poetry in Flux: Playing with Genre and Form with Hasib Hourani. Cost: $225 — Saturday, 16 August 2025, 10am-4pm
• Museum of Brisbane invites you to their Ekphrastic Writing Club — First Saturday of every month
• Cath Drake invites you to a range of courses and workshops — Year round
• The National Theatre of Parramatta invites you to STAGING THE WORLD, an intensive skills development program for artists of colour, to work with and receive mentorship from established international creatives — Closing Saturday, 5 July 202

Opportunities for Young Poets

• Poem Forest's first free digital workshops of the year will be hosted by award winning poet and children's book author Blake Nuto in celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity.
  • Primary students — Thursday, 22 May at 10am
  • Secondary students — Thursday, 22 May at 1pm
• Baraya Barray ~ Whale Song and the Understory is our free digital workshop for primary students that celebrates the understory of Sea Country through Red Room's Poetry in First Languages program Baraya Barray - Whale Song — Wednesday, 11 June at 10am
• The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards is now open and accepting submissions from school aged students (K-12) — Closing Monday, 30 June 2025
• Poem Forest's free digital Schools Tree Day workshop (All grades) will guide students through multi-artform poetic activities — Saturday 26 July at 1pm
• This special free Poetry Month digital workshop celebrates National Science Week with Aboriginal scholar and Author Tyson Yunkaporta.
  • Primary students — Wednesday, 13 August at 10am
  • Secondary students — Wednesday, 13 August at 1pm
• Celebrate Threatened Species Day in this free digital workshop for Poem Forest
  • Primary students — Friday, 5 September at 10am
  • Secondary students — Friday, 5 September at 1pm
• Voiceworks is on the lookout for poetry from writers under the age of 25 — Submit
• Pulch Mag is seeking poetry from WA-based young writers aged 16 to 26 — Submit

Opportunities for educators

• QLD Artsbook is an accessible, user-friendly platform that connects Queensland schools and educators with high-quality touring and local artists, arts organisations and institutions — Find out more

Red Room Rewards: Poetic Perks

Red Room Rewards: Poetic Perks offers curated discounts, invitations, and special access to events—available only to our Red Room audience. A small thank you for walking with us through poetry.

• Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta invites Red Room audiences to The Offering by by award-winning rapper and poet Omar Musa and cellist Mariel Roberts Musa from the 26 June. Full price tickets sold for $59.00. Red Room subscribers get tickets for half price ($29.50). Offer is valid until Wednesday, 28 of May — Click here for half price tickets

Other Opportunities

• The Office for the Arts maintains a register for those interested in being considered for appointment to statutory and non-statutory boards, councils and committees within the portfolio of the Minister for the Arts — Submit your EOI

Be in the know

Want to be the first to know about new opportunities for poets? Subscribe to our newsletters below to receive the latest poetry, news, events and opportunities from Red Room Poetry straight to your inbox.

Have a poetic opportunity you think we should feature? We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message via our Contact Us page.