top of page
Mark Roberts & David Adès in Conversation
In yet another entertaining and enlightening episode of this invaluable podcast series, Mark Roberts reads from his latest book "The Office of Literary Endeavours" and discusses his work with host David Adès An extended conversation between two accomplished poets who have spent decades thinking, writing and talking about poetry: what’s not to like? This is definitely one for your viewing--or listening--diary. Check out the link below. "The Office of Literary Endeavours" was p
20 hours ago
Twilight Rising in the West
The shortlists for the Western Australian Premier's Prizes were released earlier this week and we were delighted to see Jennifer Kornberger's The Twilight Observatory among the four books under consideration for Poetry Book of the Year. Our congratulations to Jennifer and the other shortlisted poets: Lisa Collyer (Gold Diggers), Kaya Ortiz (Past & Parallel Lives) and Shey Marque (The Hum Hearers). Shey's next book, Fugue State, will be published by 5 Islands Press in 2027. D
Jul 11
Commended in Anne Elder Award
We were thrilled to see Alison Gorman's “A Woman Talks To Her Tongue” listed in the results of the Anne Elder Award for 2025. In commending Alison's book, the judges described it as “a collection in which craft is refined with a light touch and the weight of wisdom is borne with tenderness”, and elaborated: “‘A Woman Talks To Her Tongue’ shifts between the domains of folklore and of personal memory, negotiating the shadows cast over the present by both. Alison Gorman imagines
Jun 12
A Gray Day Out
By a very happy coincidence, Australian Book Review chose to publish Mark Tredinnick's excellent essay on Robert Gray in the same week as 5 Islands Press opened submissions the 2026 Robert Gray Prize for poetry. Mark, as some of you will know, knew Robert Gray well, and was a great admirer and promoter of his work. Last year, he conceived, coordinated and edited Bright Crockery Days —a festschrift in Gray's honour. Twenty-four literary luminaries each contributed an essay on
The Ease of Eggs: Nourishment for the Soul
This week, we celebrate the arrival of Benjamin Dodd's third poetry collection, The Ease of Eggs . The world Dodds witnesses and recalls in these tidy, playful lyric poems has a dignity and courtesy and unexpected kindness. And what a various, surprising and surprisingly tender world it is. As Carol Jenkins has written: "This book ... is a cabinet of the eclectic: school observations, the universe at large, men and gender, cinematic culture, science at work. But always we a
Definitely A Woman We Should Listen To
A Woman Talks to Her Tongue speaks of a family, its secrets and silences, unacknowledged griefs and inherited traumas. Written from the point of view of the fifth child in a complex family, the early poems catch and release a few moments in a daughter’s life, from her early childhood to parenthood. The second section of the book is a kind and passionate cry for truth-telling, femininity and creativity, and includes a series of remarkable monologues that examine silence and b
bottom of page