Skip to content
Photo of the 13 poets included in this collection
Welcome

Welcome… by Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office

Published by Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office
in Melbourne

Welcome to this loving snapshot of Melbourne poetry.

Photo of Andy Jackson
Poetry

‘The Elephant’ by Andy Jackson

Published by Whitmore Press
in the thin bridge

There isn’t much room left for us…

Photo of Behrouz Boochani
Poetry

‘Untitled’ by Behrouz Boochani

Published by Cordite Poetry Review
in Cordite 56.0: EXPLODE

Here, in the neighbourhood of the people who stare…

Photo of Belinda Rule
Poetry

‘Industry, Melbourne’ by Belinda Rule

Published by Meanjin
in Autumn 2018

Morning: the bay is a saucepan of milk…

Photo of Bella Li
Poetry

‘The Novelist Elena Ferrante’ by Bella Li

Published by Vagabond Press
in Argosy

For instance, in Ischia. Those dark corners where the sound does not…

Photo of Candy Bowers
Poetry • Spoken word

‘Australia, I love you. But…’ (video) by Candy Bowers

Published by General Thinking
in The Streets of Barangaroo

Dear Australia, I love you. But you’ve been a really shit foster parent…

Photo of Jax Jacki Brown
Poetry • Spoken word

‘I want to go down’ (audio) by Jax Jacki Brown

Published by ABC Radio National
in Soundproof

I want to go down, filled with anticipation at seeing you spread before me…

Photo of Jeanine Leanne
Poetry

‘Historians’ by Jeanine Leane

Published by Overland

They come out to the community in a big four-wheel drive…

Photo of Jessica Wilkinson
Poetry

‘Walpurgisnacht Ballet’ by Jessica Wilkinson

Published by Australian Poetry
in Australian Poetry Journal

Humour at the helm and pointing to hell…

Photo of Jonno Revanche
Poetry

‘Bairnsdale’ by Jonno Revanche

Published by Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office
in Reading Victoria

The house replays Nan…

Photo of Jordie Albiston
Poetry

‘Cartography’ by Jordie Albiston

Published by Inkerman & Blunt
in Australian Love Poems

What is the space between Altona and Eltham
but a handful of miles on a paperscrap map…

Photo of Maxine Beneba Clarke
Poetry

‘me too’ by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Published by @slamup
in Twitter

there are other women
who want to say
me too…

Photo of Tony Birch
Poetry

‘Visiting’ [for Stephen] by Tony Birch

Published by Cordite Books
in Broken Teeth

I trace your life along the river…

A project of the Melbourne City of Literature Site designed by Studio Sometimes