For 20 years, Red Room Poetry has supported and commissioned Australian poets, nurturing new and emerging talent and providing a platform for established voices. A Line in the Sand brings together over 80 pieces from our leading poets and public figures in a retrospective that covers twenty years of contemporary Australian poetry.
At this showcase, contributors Ali Whitelock, Anna Jacobson, Ellen van Neerven, Felicity Plunkett, Kim Cheng Boey, Madison Godfrey, Mark Tredinnick and Toby Fitch will read alongside 2023 Varuna First Nations Fellow Barrina South. Hosted by Red Room Poetry’s David Stavanger, there will also be a feature set by acclaimed local singer-songwriter Andie Isalie.
Ali Whitelock is a Scottish poet and writer living on the south coast of Sydney. Her third poetry collection, a brief letter to the sea about a couple of things has recently been released.
Anna Jacobson is an award-winning writer and artist from Meanjin (Brisbane). Her latest book is the illustrated poetry collection Anxious in a Sweet Store (Upswell, 2023).
Ellen van Neerven belongs to the Mununjali Yugambeh people of south-east Queensland. Ellen is an award-winning writer, editor and literary activist.
Felicity Plunkett is an Australian poet, literary critic, editor and academic, and has received both domestic and international awards for her work.
Kim Cheng Boey was born in Singapore and now lives in Berowra, New South Wales. His sixth collection of poetry, The Singer and Other Poems, won the 2023 Kenneth Slessor Prize.
Madison Godfrey is a writer, editor and educator, and the author of Dress Rehearsals. Madison has performed poetry at the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury Festival.
Mark Tredinnick is an Australian poet who has been the recipient of many prizes, including the Medal of the Order of Australia (2020) and the Golden Antelope International Poetry Prize (2023).
Toby Fitch is poetry editor of Overland and a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Sydney. He is the author of eight books of poetry.
This session is proudly sponsored by Red Room Poetry.
Festival Ticket Information
Tickets for this event are free, however, registration is required to manage room capacity. Please note, the Baroque Room is an 18+ venue.
To take full advantage of all the events on offer, we recommend purchasing a ticket multipack, weekend pass, or day pass whilst stock lasts.