The Wednesday Night Poets meet every Wednesday at 6:30pm. We operate collaboratively as a workshop, discussing each other’s poems to help develop our skills as poets and to encourage each other to submit work to journals and competitions. Most members have published at least one or two poems, but we welcome poets earlier in their careers if they wish to develop their skills. Our main requirements are that members are interested in poetry, excluding bush verse and performance poetry, and are keen to improve their work. Some members attend nearly every meeting, but others attend when they are able.

We practice ‘raw’ or spontaneous writing. We each select one word from a selection of words and then write in any genre for 25-30 minutes. We then read our work aloud with the aim of encouraging and enthusing the writer by making positive and constructive comments. Our aims are to practice our writing, develop our skills and confidence; to be encouraged by the constructive criticism of our peers; and to use the weekly experience as a brain sharpening exercise.

Youngstreet Poets has been going continuously since October 1978. We are poetry specific and tend to focus on ‘page poems’ rather than performance poetry, hip-hop or bush ballads, however, a wide range of poetry is workshopped in a wide range of poetic voices. We aim to further the interest of poetry in Australia and to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for emerging poets, with the goal of publication. When a vacancy occurs, a new member may be invited. We also occasionally invite guests. Currently the group is full, but we are happy to take inquiries.