The Guardian 31 July 2025 David Stavanger and Nicole Smede from Red Room Poetry
Australian poetry is having a(nother) moment – one that’s been generations in the making. This list isn’t about ranking or canon-building, but about spotlighting collections that crack language open, unsettle expectations, and echo long after the last line. From poetic noir, epic love lines and jazz-inflected dreamscapes to sovereign storytelling and lyrical confrontations with history, these books remind us of poetry’s unmatched ability to hold truth, tension, and transformation.
As the artistic directors of Australian poetry non-profit Red Room Poetry, we read (and hear) a lot of poems – but these are some of the ones that keep speaking back to our whole team, many of whom are poets themselves. Whether you’re a seasoned reader, a newcomer to verse, or simply someone chasing meaning in a chaotic world, these collections offer something vital. You won’t read the same way again.
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