Cirrus@Austlit

‘The Emerging Older Poets mentorship is designed to address the lack of opportunities in the 55+ age bracket,’ reports the Queensland Poetry Festival’s website. ‘So many great writers come to their craft later in life and create wonderfully rich and meaningful work as a result.’ In 2017 the Australian Poetry Slam was won by Solli Raphael, who was twelve at the time he delivered his poem ‘Australian Air’ to a packed Sydney Opera House. Both examples demonstrate the changing face of poetry in Australia. They highlight how the poetry mainstream, fed by universities and the well-worn tributaries of established publication methods (magazines, journals and small presses), is being burst open by a flood of writers, young and old, who are writing from the margins. For those currently working in academia, it is vital to consider how the prevailing norms of who makes poetry and how poetry can be disseminated are being challenged by this new cohort of writers, many of whom are debuting their work at open mics and slams.' (Introduction)