the ancient ones –
dead but not gone – their blood flows through us – gawimarra us
listen – the dead speak all the time…
~ Jeanine Leane from ‘The Gatherers’, Red Room Poetry Fellow 2019

Recognising the achievements of contemporary Australian poets

Each year, the Fellowship is awarded to a previously commissioned poet to recognise their achievements and foster their poetic and professional development.

Valued at $10,000, this opportunity encourages poets to undertake an intensive period of creative development involving a range of commissions, residency, recordings and publication outcomes.

Fellow 2019

In 2019, we were delighted to have Jeanine Leane as our Red Room Poetry Fellow. Jeanine’s proposal ‘Voicing the Unsettled Space: Rewriting the Colonial Mythscape’ deeply moved the judges and we’re grateful to support this essential ‘reappearing’ of voice through the resurfacing, and rising of poetic stories on Country

Fellowship shortlist 2019

The Red Room Poetry Fellowship shortlist 2019 was a luminous reflection of the calibre of creative individuals that we’ve worked with over the past 16 years. Discover the poems »

Judges 

Special thanks to our 2019 judges, Luke Fischer and Gloria Demillo, and the generous individuals who support the Fellowship.