Five Bells is a significant quarterly journal published by the Poets Union to stimulate poetry discussion and debate through articles and essays on poetry issues and developments.

Five Bells latest issue has been sent to financial members. Members of the Poets Union receive Five Bells free along with a well updated website and Poets Union e-newsletters for poets.

Five Bells Vol 17 No 4 - Winter 2010 new book version with a blue cover, was sent out to current financial Members on 11 August, 2010.

Thanks to our Poets Union poets and volunteers: John Carey, Julie Chevallier, Norm Neill, Peter Newton, Tom Thorpe and Lyn Vellins who did all the stuffing and packing of Five Bells and to our Chairperson, Brook Emery who, as usual, hauled it all off to the Post Office.

Please let us know if you have not received your copy. Membership for 2010 was due on 1st January and is now based on the calendar year (Jan-December). Membership forms may be downloaded from the website or will be sent on request.
A number of 2009 Financial members were sent their copies with a Renewal of Membership form - we rely on our members' financial support to continue our work on behalf of poets and poetry all over Australia.

Regular features include 'How Poets Work' by invited poets, news on poetry’s place around Australia and reviews of new releases. Five Bells showcases new poetry from around the country, selected by a different guest editor each issue. The selection is completely anonymous (names and poems are separated before sending to the guest editor) and each guest editor makes their own distinct selection.

Libraries and schools are encouraged to subscribe. Individual copies of current and past issues of Five Bells may be purchased at any time. For more information, please contact the Poets Union at info@poetsunion.com.au

Submissions
Articles are welcomed from members and non-members on the current theme or on other related areas of interest.

Five Bells only publishes poetry by Poets Union members and reviews of members’ work. Please note the deadlines below, especially for poetry and themed articles.

Become a member and submit your poems!
If you are a member of the Poets Union you are invited to submit new, unpublished poetry for publication in Five Bells. Please send one poem only per issue, maximum 50 lines.

Selected Subscribers Poems are chosen by a different Guest Editor for each issue, so do keep submitting poems.

Poems should be anonymous with title, name and contact details on a separate sheet. Remember to preserve the original as submissions will not be returned. Poems should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
NB poems are not held over issue to issue so members are invited to submit poems to each deadline.

Payment
The Poets Union supports payment of poets at appropriate rates. To this end the Poets Union successfully obtains funding to pay poets reasonable fees for Poets Union monthly readings, presentations in the Australian Poetry Festival, and Poets On Wheels tours. We look forward to gaining additional support to pay poets for publication of poetry and articles in Five Bells but regret that at this stage this is not yet possible.

The current Editors of Five Bells are:
John S Batts, Margaret Bradstock, John Sheppard and Thomas Thorpe and joining the Editorial team in 2009 is Lyn Vellins.

Where to send
Poetry submissions should be sent in a separate envelope marked 'Attention Guest Editor'.

Where to send
All submissions should be sent to:

Deadline for the final double issue
Spring/Summer issue - September 15