Twenty years after forming in Melbourne in August 1977, the Poets Union is a vital and dynamic organisation. Not only is poetry being read, but sung, shouted, danced, painted and carved in stone. Poetry now has as many faces and as many voices as there are personalities. Our membership is more than 600 and expanding.

The Poets Union revitalised Australian poetry with a new attitude to one of the oldest of all artforms. Poetry was taken off the dusty bottom shelf and into the streets, read in pubs, cafes and parks, and found new shapes and sounds to reflect the changing world.

Our primary purpose is to encourage and develop opportunities for poets and contemporary poetry in Australia particularly our members. Run by volunteers and one part-time employee, we are motivated to bring the love for words and ideas to the outside world. We organise readings, workshops, tours, and festivals all round the country.

The Poets Union is currently supported by the Australia Council, the NSW Ministry for the Arts, and Sydney City Council.

The Poets Union is a non-profit, member-based organisation incorporated in NSW (Y1945602).