Push the Boat Out Presents: Poetry Toolkit with Tony Birch

Tony Birch is one of Australia’s leading writers and poets; a leading light whose work has included four novels, five short story collections, and two books of poetry.

In this workshop, Tony will share what draws him to a poem, both as a reader and poet. We’ll come to understand, through Tony, the value of accessibility; how the complexity of simplicity can make a poem shine and offer its reader endless layers of meaning. Each time a poem is read and reread a new journey of understanding can begin.

During this session, participants will be led through some practical exercises that can be used time and again in your writing practice. Not only will you have the opportunity to put pen to paper and trial these exercises during the workshop, you’ll also leave with a new set of tools to carry with you throughout your journey as a poet.

Tony Birch holds the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at Melbourne University. In 2022 his book, Dark As Last Night, was awarded the Christina Stead Literary Prize and the Steele Rudd Literary Award. The book was also shortlisted for the 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. His most recent book is the novel, Women and Children (UQP 2023). He has been presented with a plethora of awards and prizes, including the Patrick White Prize in recognition of his monumental contribution to Australian poetry