Best of Australian Poems is an annual anthology collecting previously published and unpublished poems to create a poetic snapshot and barometer of the year that was. Capturing the richness and diversity of Australian poetry across a time frame of July 2023 to August 2024, the series (now in its fouth year) explores how poetic responses to the contemporary moment develop with each passing year.
The book opens with an introduction by its 2024 editors, multiple award-winning and highly respected poets and editors, Kate Lilley and Shastra Deo. Kate is one of the longest-standing poets of repute and respect in the country, with work considered ground-breaking and innovating over decades. Shastra's own major prizes include the prestigious national Australian Literature Society Gold Medal and their poetry is also continually experimental and fearless.
Previous editors of this prestigious series have been Ellen van Neerven and Toby Fitch (2021); Jeanine Leane and Judith Beveridge (2022); and Panda Wong and Gig Ryan (2023).
The Best of Australian Poems (BoAP) series is published by Australia's national poetry organisation, Australian Poetry, and features two different guest editors each year, to amplify the range of voices selected.