If logistics were no object, and you were Poet Laureate for a day – what would you do? In 2026, a national Poet Laureate is due to be appointed in Australia. In this speculative event, four young poets explore the pitfalls and possibilities of the role, delivering their first (fictional) address as Australia’s next national Laureate. Young poets reimagine the role before it exists, asking – what if the Laureate mailed a new poem to every household each Tuesday? What if they transcribed the quiet poems of the trees, or swapped out billboards for stanzas that stir something deep? Equal parts ceremony, satire, and sincere speculation, young poets ask not just who gets to speak for a country, but what they’d say if given the mic.
Presented in partnership with Red Room Poetry.