Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award 2023

“Our poets are encouraged to take inspiration from wherever they may find it, however if they are looking for some direction, competition participants are invited to use this year’s optional theme to inspire their entries.”

Established to recognise and encourage excellence in the craft of poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication, the Poetry Award is open to original and previously unpublished poems in the English language.

‘The Winding Road‘ was coined by the awards’ co-founder, Anne Bell, on a recent train trip home to Gunnedah. She surveyed the highs and flats of the landscape from her window seat, watching as roads transformed to watercourses. It made us think about our own journeys, the paths we always take, and sometimes about the route less travelled.