Meet me in the middle of the air - Paul Kelly

Are you a poet with something to say who loves music too? This Poetry Month, we've partnered with ABC Radio National to launch a very special competition just for you! 

Middle of the Air celebrates poetry beyond the page, uniting poem and song in new ways while drawing on the rich history between these forms. So if you have a poem or lyrics to submit, get ready to enter from August 1 when submissions open. 

What can you win?

There will be two winners selected for Middle of the Air in 2025.

The winning entries will have their poem or lyrics interpreted and professionally recorded by acclaimed musicians, Leah Senior and DOBBY, who will also be choosing the final winning poems. The finished pieces will be broadcast on ABC Radio National as part of The Music Show during Australian Music Month in November. The two winning poets will also receive a $1,000 commissioning fee each, and their poem/lyric published online by Red Room Poetry.

Entries closed at 5pm (AEST) on Monday September 1, 2025. Terms & Conditions for this competition can be read here

You can listen to Red Room Poetry's Nicole Smede announcing the project on ABC RN's The Music Show here.

Presented in partnership with ABC Radio National, supported by The Keir Foundation.

Want to get some tips on writing lyrics?

Join acclaimed singer-songwriter and folk diviner Leah Senior and ARIA-award winning multi-genre musician DOBBY for this free online workshop as they explore the key elements of the lyric-writing process — experimenting with structure, rhyming schemes, genre, storytelling devices and more. Book here.