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EnglishWhat is Friendly Street Poets?
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Friendly Street Poets is an Adelaide-based poets' collective that has been running since 1975. It describes itself as the "Adelaide Poets Collective – since 1975," and its website serves as the hub for its regular meetings, annual anthology, poetry prizes, and monthly poem selections. If you are a poet in or around Adelaide looking for a long-established community with open mic opportunities and publication pathways, this is the organisation to know.
What the organisation does
Friendly Street Poets operates as a continuing collective rather than a one-off event or publisher. Its activity centres on a few recurring formats:
- City meetings and open mic – Regular gatherings in Adelaide where poets read and share work. The site lists these as "FSP City Meetings" and "Open Mic" events.
- Annual anthology – A yearly collected volume of poems. The 50th annual anthology, Quintessence, was launched on 29 August 2026 at the Effective Living Centre.
- Poetry prizes – Two prizes are awarded each year to poems published in the anthology: the Satura Prize for the best poem, and the Nova Prize for the best poem by a poet published for the first time in an FSP anthology.
- New Poets and Single Poet programs – Separate publication opportunities for emerging and single-poet collections, with winners announced by judges.
- Poems of the Month – A monthly selection of featured and commended poems, chosen by anthology editors.
Who it is for
The collective suits poets at different stages:
| If you are… | Relevant activity |
|---|---|
| New to reading in public | City meetings and open mic |
| Looking for first publication | New Poets program, Nova Prize eligibility |
| Ready for a single-poet volume | Single Poet program |
| An established poet | Annual anthology, Satura Prize |
The Nova Prize specifically recognises a poet published for the first time in an FSP anthology, so the organisation builds in a route for newcomers rather than only serving long-standing members.
How the annual cycle works
The website's recent posts show a repeating rhythm across the year:
- Anthology launch – Quintessence, the 50th annual anthology, was edited by Val Braendler and Ben Adams and launched in late August 2026. The prize judge that year was Shaine Melrose.
- Prize announcements – Satura and Nova Prize results are tied to the anthology, with winners, highly commended, and commended entries named.
- New Poets and Single Poet results – In 2026, winners were announced at the Box Factory on 7 August by judges Rob de Kok (New Poets 27) and Steve Brock (Single Poet 2026). The new volumes were scheduled for launch on 12 December at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton.
- Monthly poems – Each month, anthology editors select featured and commended poems, published on the site.
What you can find on the website
The site publishes:
- Poems of the Month, with featured poets and commended entries
- Announcements of prize and competition winners
- Details of anthology and volume launches
- Notices for city meetings and open mic sessions
- Categories that archive content by year, event type, and program (for example, "50 years," "Book Launches," "FSP Annual Anthologies")
Practical starting points
If you want to get involved, the most direct route is to attend a city meeting or open mic session, since these are the collective's regular public activity. From there, the annual anthology and the New Poets and Single Poet programs are the main publication paths, with the Nova Prize offering specific recognition for first-time anthology contributors. Check the site's event posts for current dates, venues, and any submission details, as these change year to year.