Poetry in the Heart of Australia
Keeping poetry fresh, wild and fun in Central Australia
Bringing poetry and spoken word to life across regional and remote Australia.
Through open mic opportunities, workshops, comissioned works and more, we make poetry accessible to everyone. We offer a full, vibrant ecosystem that amplifies voices, builds skills, and keeps poetry at the heart of community.
What We Do
Red Dirt Poetry Festival
Our biennial tentpole festival, celebrating everything poetry from Australia and beyond.
Eat Read Zine
A celebration of language, place, food and the joy of sharing.
The Dirty Word
Open mic poetry and spoken word, held monthly since 2013.
NT Poetry Slam
Two minutes to glory, with a chance at the Australian Poetry Slam finals!
Workshops
Learning and sharing with poetry veterans.
Latest
2026 Poetry Workshop Series applications open
In 2026 we're offering 2 free workshop streams - Emerging stream facilitated by Spandu Pillarisetty and Experimental stream facilitated by Laurie May.
While sessions are free we do require registration as workshop spaces are capped at MAX 10 people per stream.
Eat Read Zine - Mparntwe Edition
The third edition of Eat Read Zine features eleven Mparntwe / Alice Springs based poets / foodies sharing their stories, poetry and recipes, launched on 11 October 2025 at the Meeting Place Alice Springs.