Poetry Sydney is an independent literary organisation committed to a presence for poetry in our culture.

A curated program of poetry readings presenting Australia’s finest published poets, both emerging and established writers, reading their works surrounded by the extraordinary art of Brett Whiteley. The Poetry Sydney program was held on the first Sunday of the month between March and November 1999 – 2019 as a free public program.

The poetry readings were held in the Brett Whiteley Studio which is managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

2019

March: Natural Disasters: Richard James Allen
April: Judith Crispin
May: Graham Foust
June: Les Wicks and David Ades
July: Aural Anthology
August: Ali Whitelock 
September: Detroit: Phil Hammial
October: Margaret Bradstock and friends read John Upton
November: Take a look: Peter Boyle

2018

March: Susan Fealy and Anthony Lawrence
April: Mark Reid
May: The Unbelievers: Tug Dumbly and Peter Roads
June: Hope for whole – poets speak up to Adani: Michael Aitken, Michelle Cahill, Johnathan Dunk, Jennifer Maiden and Michell Seminara
July: Aural Anthology I
August: Of bread and circuses: four poets on contemporary absurdities: Cathy Bray, John Carey, Tug Dumbly and jenni nixon
September: The river and the sea: Robert Adamson and Brook Emery
October: Kaveh Akbari Arya
November: A Life in Poetry: Brook Emery and Ron Pretty in Conversation

2017

March: Contemporary Australian Poetry 1990-2016: Judith Beveridge, Judy Johnson and Martin Langford
April: Derek Motion
May: Judith Beveridge and Todd Turner
June: My Mayakovsky: Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya and Ekaterina Escobar
July: Aural Anthology I
August: The river and the sea: Part I; Brook Emery
September: Eileen Chong
October: NEWS: poetry from the north, east, west and south
Ariel Riveros
and Chafic Ataya
November: The secret garden of poetry: Sydney Story Factory presents high school students responding to their experience of the Wendy Whiteley secret garden in poetry.

2016

February: Brian Fuata
March: Newcastle Queer ‘I’: Keri Glastonbury and Kait Fenwick
April: Philip Hammial
May: Aural Anthology I
June: Youngstreet Poets: Vera Newsom tribute reading; Judit Beveridge, Ron Pretty, Sue Watson, Barbara Fisher, Hilarie Lindsay, Vanessa PRoctor, Win Weir, Phyllis Perlstone and Carolyn Gerrish.  Norm Neill as MC.
July: Toby Davidson and Paul Magee
August: Melinda Smith
September: WestWords: Fiona Wright, Maryam Azam and Winnie Dunn
October: Aural Anthology II
November: Martin Langford and Stuart Rees

2015

February: Hani Aden and Saba Vasefi
March: MTC Cronin and Maria Zajkowski
April: Shakespeare’s sonnets and Aural Anthology I
May: Jeri Kroll
June: Andy Kissane
July: Jesse John Brand
August: Nigel Roberts
September: Aural Anthology II
October: Contemporary women’s poetry: joanne burns, Judith Beveridge and Felicity Plunkett
November: DiVerse Poetry Group

2014

February: Benjamin Dodds
March: Aural Anthology
April: Harbour City Poets; Margaret Bradstock, John Carey, David Musgrave, Louise Wakeling and Les Wicks
May: Transnational: poetry and prose; Louis Armand, Adam Aitken, Michael Brennan, Bella Li, Nhã Thuyên, JEssican Wilkinson, Kyoko Yoshida and John Mateer
June: Nicolette Stasko
July: Andrew Burke
August: Richard James Allen
September: Omar Musa
October: Aural Anthology II
November: Richard Tipping and Chris Mansell

2013

February: Chris Andrews
March: Corey Wakeling
April: Open reading
May: Jordie Albiston and David Musgrave
May: Michael Brennan and Luke Davies
June: Jan Webb
July: Candy Royalle
August: Open Reading
October: Margaret Bradstock, Collen Z Burke and Brenda Saunders
November: Ray Liversidge

2012

February: Ross Donlon
March: Nora Krouk
April: Toby Fitch
May: Kate Middleton
June: Laura Shore
July: Astrid Lorange and Eddie Hopley 
August and September [Studio Closed]
October: Fiona Wright
November: Ruark Lewis

2011

February: Derek Motion and Sandra Thibodeaux
March: Tricia Dearborn
April: Peter Lach-Newinsky
June: 150 Poets; Margaret Bradstock, John Carey, Brook Emery, Carol Jenkins and Norm Neill
July: Ruark Lewis
August: Roberta Lowing
September: Vivienne Plumb
October: Margaret Ruckert
November: Morganics

2010

January: A.J. Rochester
February: Harbour City Poets; Margaret Bradstock, joanne burns, Kerry Leves, David Musgrave, jenni nixon and Louise Wakeling
March: Kim Garcia
April: Edwin Wilson
May: Brook Emery
June: Paul Dawson and David Stavanger
July: Anna Kerdijk Nicholson and Martin Langford
August: Winifred Weir
September: Stephen Edgar and Thomas Thorpe
October: Rae Desmond Jones
November: Maggie Walsh

2009

February: Miles Merrill
March: David Gilby
April: Mohsen Sultany Zand
May: Mark Tredinnick
June: Michelle Cahill
July: Andy Quan
August: Carol Jenkins
September: Kim Cheng Boey
October: Les Wicks
November: Chafic Attaya

2008

February: Rosemary Huisman and David ‘Ghostboy’ Stavanger
March: jenni nixon
April: [Studio Closed]
May: Judy Johnson
June: David Brooks
July: PiO
August: Poets in Conversation; Magaret Bradstock, joanne burns, Kerry Leves, David Musgrave, jenni nixon and Louise Wakeling
September: QLD touring poets; Helen AveryRoss Clark and Nathan Sheperdson
October: Benito Di Fonzo
November: David Reiter

2007

January: A.J. Rochester
February: Jutta Sieverding and Richard Tipping
March: Mal McKimmie
April: John Carey and Louise Wakeling
May: Alex Skovron
June: Nick Riemer and John Watson
July: Julian Croft
August: Marcella Polain
September: Rob Riel and Presentation of the Scanlon Prize for Indigenous Poetry
October: Jane Gibian and Petra White
November: Elizabeth Campbell andGreg McLaren

2006

February: Robert Adamson
March: Susan Hampton
April: Margaret Bradstock and Carolyn Gerrish
May: Stephen Edgar
June: Chris Kelen
July: Luke Davies
August: Jennifer Maiden
September: Jennifer Harrison
October: Philip Salom
November: Claire Gaskin and Paul McGee

2005

February: Colleen Burke
March: David Musgrave
April: Peter Skryznecki
May: Samual Wagan Watson and Jaya Savige
June: Liz Murphy
July: Steve Kelen
August: Aileen Kelly
September: Michael Sharkey
October: Lucy Holt and Luis Gonzalez-Serano
November: Alan Gould

2004

January: A.J. Rochester
February: Stephen Oliver
March: Meredith Wattison
April: –
May and June: [Studio Closed]
July: Jean Kent
August: Peter Boyle
September: Robyn Rowland
October: Miles Merrill
November: Amanda Stewart

2003

February: Mark O’Conner
March: Alistair Stewart
April: J.S. Harry
May: Kenward Elmslie
June: Big Beach Party Reading
July: Jan Owen
August: Alan Wearne
September: Susan Kruss and Garth Madsen
October: Chris Mansell
November: Ron Pretty

2002

January: Carol Frost
February: Jennifer Compton
March: Open section Only
April: Hazel Smith
May: [Studio Closed]
June: Kate Fagan and Peter Minter
July: Craig Powell
August: Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman
September: Judith Beveridge
October: Vera Newsom
November: John Tranter

2001

January: A.J. Rochester
February: Geoff Page
March: Mark O’Flynn
April: Poets at the Pub
May: Richard Deutch
June: MTC Cronin
July: Kate Llewellyn
August: Alan Jeffries
September: Philip Hammial
October: Marilyn Chin
November: Nicolette Stasko

2000

January: Tug Dumbly
February: Adam Aitken
March: Jem Rolls (England)
April: [Studio Closed]
May: Andy Kissane
June: Pam Brown
July: Heather Cam
August: Mike Ladd
September: [Studio Closed]
October: Martin Langford
November: Peter Kirkpatrick

1999

February: Deb Westbury
March: Martin Harrison
April: John Bennett
May: Jill Jones
June Les Wicks
July: Edwina Blush
August: [Studio Closed]
September: Geraldine McKenzie
October: joanne burns
November: Judy Johnson