Australian Poetry Since 1788

The first of its kind, this landmark poetry anthology contains the work of Australia’s major poets as well as lesser-known but equally affecting writers of Australian poetry since 1788. Ranging from concrete to prose poems, from the cerebral to the naïve, from the humorous to the confessional, and from formal to free verse, this work also features translations of some striking Aboriginal song poems. With pieces from 170 Australian poets, as well as short critical biographies, this careful reevaluation of Australian poetry makes this a superb book that can be read and enjoyed over a lifetime.

Robert Gray is an Australian poet, a freelance writer, and a critic. He is the author of numerous books, including Afterimages, The Land I Came Through Last, and Nameless Earth. He is the recipient of numerous poetry awards, such as the Age Book of the Year for Poetry, the National Poetry Prize of the Adelaide Arts Festival, the NSW Premier’s Award, and the Victorian Premier’s Award. Geoffrey Lehmann is an Australian poet, an editor, a children’s writer, and the literary reviewer for the Australian newspaper. He is the author of numerous books, including Children’s Games, Collected Poems, and Spring Forest. His poems are widely published, most recently in the New Yorker.