Author Description

Best of Australian Poems is an annual anthology collecting previously published and unpublished poems to create a poetic snapshot and barometer of the year that was.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 timeframe of 1 July 2024-30 June 2025, the series (now in its fifth year) explores how poetic responses to the contemporary moment develop with each passing year. The book begins with introductory words and framing by its 2025 editors, multiple award-winning and highly respected poets, authors and editors, Nam Le and Jill Jones. Both Jill and Nam enjoy the highest reputations in their literary vocations. Jill is one of the longest-standing Australian poets of enduring innovation and prodigiousness, with her New & Selected, Acrobat Music, published in 2023. Nam's 2008 short-story collection, The Boat, was seen to restore the genre to centrestage, garnering national and overseas attention. His debut poetry book, 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem, won Book of the Year (2024) at the recent NSW Literary Awards, while also gathering a range of other commendations and award listings, including for the ALS Gold Medal. Previous editors of this prestigious series have been Ellen van Neerven and Toby Fitch (2021); Jeanine Leane and Judith Beveridge (2022); Panda Wong and Gig Ryan (2023); and Kate Lilley and Shastra Deo (2024). 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. It is funded by Creative Australia, Creative Victoria and individual patrons.