Poets On Wheels is Australia's best-known poetry tour. The first tour took place over fifteen years ago. Since then, they have been annual events. The tours are organised by the Poets Union whose brief is to encourage the dissemination and appreciation of poetry throughout Australia.

The Poets Union is an incorporated association and charity, which has been in operation for nearly thirty years. Poets On Wheels is funded by Arts NSW

Three poets are chosen after a public call for applications (usually closing around March or April). Applicants must be Poets Union members at time of application and NSW residents. The poets are chosen to reflect a mix of age, style, experience and location. Those previously selected include some of Australia's leading poets.

The tours work across a five-year cycle visiting North Coast, West, North West, South Coast and South West NSW. Most of the travel is by train. The touring poets learn a lot and sell books. Returnees report being enthused and exhausted as they meet new landscapes and communities. For poets, it is regarded as a unique experience, which should be a part of any serious poet's CV.

A multiplicity of benefits for local communities accrues from these tours:

Schools are great beneficiaries. Creative writing is a large part of the modern English syllabus and the visiting writers give a great head start to students. Poets On Wheels offers a professional program at no charge to the regional centres it visits. Participating schools are asked only for a lift or cab to and from the school and the poets' accommodation.

The public readings are also a proven winner for the host community. They bridge gaps between the different styles and they also bridge the age-old gap between Sydney and rural New South Wales. The tour has funding for a modest first prize and runner-up certificates for the best local readers at the public readings. This recognition is a great morale booster to aspiring local writers. This is typical of the Poets On Wheels tour, where both locals and visiting poets all learn from each other. The reading is usually spread over 2-3 hours with the touring poets reading first (15 minutes apiece) followed by an open section for locals. The evening concludes with the prize giving. It can be at a pub, theatre, or local library, or it can be tied to a festival program.

The Workshops are usually held in a local library or ACE or community centres and are open to a mix of styles and stages. It's often a good idea to invite senior students from local high schools as history shows that a few students amongst the adults works well for all concerned.

Poets On Wheels tours are currently organised by Poets Union member, Les Wicks and Chairperson, Brook Emery on a voluntary basis.