At the Ellipsis Open Mic event in December 2025, Cass Tombs of Arthur Art Bar brought attention to promotional material she had received from the Australian Music Association to promote their Ausify Your Algo campaign. Cass challenged the Ellipsis poets to write poems of up to six lines in response to this campaign. The writer of the poem Cass thought best helped to promote the Ausify cause would win a drink from the bar in January. It was a simple, low stakes, challenge.

A number of poets rose to this challenge and on a hot night in January, Cass rewarded all the participating writers with a free drink, highlighting the diversity of work and the effort of the participants. One poet was mentioned as a particular favourite.

That poet, in turn, inadvertently provided both prompt and prize for the following month. And so it goes.

A writing challenge or prompt offered each month provides:

Each month a prompt will be presented and participants asked to respond in up to six lines, or to “say it in six”. Hard copies of these short poems should be brought to the subsequent Ellipsis Open Mic.

Prompts, prizes and judges will be chosen by Ellipsis Poetry. Prizes will suit the prompt and be of low monetary value. Announcements will take the form and timing as deemed suitable for the circumstances.

A poet choosing to read their Say It In Six entry at the mic should do so at the beginning of their set. Their allotted five minutes will commence at the conclusion of this reading.

For the love of poetry…