Late in 2025, Ellipsis Poetry regular, Geoffrey Aitken approached organisers with the idea of an accessible critiquing group. After some brainstorming and rescheduling, this became The Poets’ Forum and was launched at Page & Turner in July 2026.
The following information is taken from a document prepared in April 2026 titled The Poets’ Forum – A Procedural Overview. The document will be reviewed and updated towards the end of 2026.
“Being an artist is not a game of self-congratulation. It is an insecure business. I am not showing you stuff I think is great. I'm showing you what I am doing.” - Gary Panter, on Instagram
Scheduling…
The Poets’ Forum is a monthly event, scheduled for the first Saturday of every month.
Registration commences at 12:45 PM.
Announcements at 1:00 PM, followed immediately by the draw of the first Poet.
No further Poets will be drawn past 2:45 PM.
The Forum will wrap up when all Poets have been heard, or at 3:00 PM, whichever is earliest.
The Poets’ Forum may be altered or cancelled in March to accommodate Adelaide Fringe Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week. The January Forum may be altered or cancelled at the discretion of Ellipsis Poetry personnel.
How it Works…
The Poets’ Forum provides an opportunity for poets to seek specific feedback from their peers in a non-judgmental, non-threatening space. The Forum allows poets to share their work at every stage of development, improve their writing, hone their critiquing and editing skills, and network with other writers, sharing knowledge and contacts.
Poets attend with a work-in-progress on which they are seeking feedback from the Forum. Each poet fills in a simple registration form which is placed in a “hat” to be drawn randomly by the Moderator.
Page & Turner
Registration begins at 12:45 PM and continues throughout the event.
Poets provide their name and pronouns, the title, or a working title, of their piece, a contact email address, and indicate photo consent. They also provide a brief description of the type of feedback they are seeking.
The Moderator will draw one form from the “hat”, introduce the poet and the poem, inform The Forum of the feedback requested, and clarify details with the Poet.
A Poet has 15 minutes, timed by the Moderator, to present their work-in-progress and garner feedback from the Forum. The Poet directs the discussion, ensuring that they are best able to receive the information they seek from the individuals they trust most.
The Moderator assists the Poet to keep the discussion going and suggests individuals who may be able to provide useful information.
At the expiry of the allotted 15 minutes, the Moderator will wrap up the discussion and draw another form from the “hat.”
Forum participants unable to offer feedback due to time constraints can email [email protected] ensuring that they include the name of the Poet. Ellipsis Poetry will collate such feedback and email it to the Poet.
Poets who have not been heard due to time constraints will be prioritised the following month.
Brass Tacks…
There is no charge. Donations are welcome but not expected.
The Moderator will be a representative of, or nominated by, Ellipsis Poetry and will conduct the event in accordance Ellipsis Poetry guidelines and norms.
The Forum is made up of interested individuals from the Ellipsis Poetry community. Poets do not need to be seeking feedback on their own work to attend. Poets not seeking specific feedback are encouraged to attend in order to help their peers improve their work, and to learn from the discussions.
The facilitators of Ellipsis Poetry (ie. Jazz Fechner-Lante and Pam Makin) take no personal renumeration. All money raised is used to cover costs of Ellipsis Poetry events and to fund the development of new ventures for the Ellipsis Poetry community.
Each event will be promoted by Ellipsis Poetry in their monthly newsletter, and on their website and social media channels. Ad hoc promotion, including social media sharing, by our community is appreciated.
The event will be photographed. Images of the event and the participants may be used by Ellipsis Poetry in promotions on social media, websites, and in print.
Into the Future…
The Poets’ Forum will continue to evolve as an event in response to community feedback, identified need, and new ideas.
A survey distributed through the Ellipsis Poetry community in August 2026 will inform next steps.
Sharing is just the beginning
For the love of poetry…
