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Sydney International Poetry Festival Poetry Creates a Brighter World

2026 festival

International Poets

The Festival welcomes distinguished poets from Australia and overseas.

Each poet brings a unique language, culture, history and poetic imagination. Through their voices, Sydney becomes a meeting place for the poetry of the world.

Festival team

  • Portrait of Ying Xia Tang Ying Xia Tang Chairperson · Australia
  • Portrait of Mark Tredinnick Prof. Mark Tredinnick Honorary Chairperson · Australia
  • Portrait of Dr. Lily Baylon Escritora Dr. Lily Baylon Escritora Global Honorary Chairperson · Spain
  • Portrait of Phillip Liao Phillip Liao General Coordinator & Chief Editor · Australia
  • Portrait of Christine Chen Christine Chen Global coordinator & Chief Editor · New Zealand
  • Portrait of Agron Shele Agron Shele Senior Advisor · Belgium
  • Portrait of Beita Beita Senior Advisor · China

Poets

88 poets · 40 countries · 6 regions

Oceania

20 poets · Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea

  • Portrait of Dimitra Harvey Dimitra Harvey Australia
  • Portrait of Ding Li Ding Li Australia
  • Portrait of Dong Fang Dong Fang Australia
  • Portrait of Dr. Luke Fischer Dr. Luke Fischer Australia
  • Portrait of Dr. Shahid Malik Dr. Shahid Malik Australia
  • Portrait of Edward Kwok Edward Kwok Australia
  • Portrait of Felix Cheung Felix Cheung Australia
  • Portrait of Les Wicks Les Wicks Australia
  • Portrait of Lou Steer Lou Steer Australia
  • Portrait of Mark Macleod Mark Macleod Australia
  • Portrait of Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad Australia
  • Portrait of Paris Rosemont Paris Rosemont Australia
  • Portrait of Shi Xiaodong Shi Xiaodong Australia
  • Portrait of Lili Lili Australia / China
  • Portrait of Ana Taka Ana Taka Fiji
  • Portrait of Nazmeen Khan Nazmeen Khan Fiji
  • Portrait of Daren Kamali Daren Kamali Fiji / New Zealand
  • Portrait of Jiang Huhai Jiang Huhai New Zealand
  • Portrait of Ron Riddell Ron Riddell New Zealand
  • Portrait of Steven-Senior Ilave Steven-Senior Ilave Papua New Guinea

Africa

7 poets · Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia

  • Portrait of Ahmad Al-Shahawy Ahmad Al-Shahawy Egypt
  • Portrait of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid Ashraf-Dali Ashraf Aboul-Yazid Ashraf-Dali Egypt
  • Portrait of Dr. Sara Hamid Hawass Dr. Sara Hamid Hawass Egypt
  • Portrait of Tarek Eltayeb Tarek Eltayeb Egypt
  • Portrait of Ayo Ayoola-Amale Ayo Ayoola-Amale Ghana
  • Portrait of Aziz Mountassir Aziz Mountassir Morocco
  • Portrait of Ahmed Amor Zaabar Ahmed Amor Zaabar Tunisia

Americas

12 poets · Chile, Haiti, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA

  • Portrait of Luis Arias Manzo Luis Arias Manzo Chile
  • Portrait of Evans Okan Evans Okan Haiti
  • Portrait of Jorge Contreras Herrera Jorge Contreras Herrera Mexico
  • Portrait of Raúl Gibrán Raúl Gibrán Mexico
  • Portrait of Luz Maria Lopez Luz Maria Lopez Puerto Rico
  • Portrait of David A. Romero David A. Romero USA
  • Portrait of Han Keyou Han Keyou USA
  • Portrait of Jami Proctor Xu Jami Proctor Xu USA
  • Portrait of Matt Sedillo Matt Sedillo USA
  • Portrait of Rei Berroa Rei Berroa USA
  • Portrait of Fernando Cabrera Fernando Cabrera USA / Dominican Republic
  • Portrait of Dr. Alexander Selimov Dr. Alexander Selimov USA / Russia

Asia

29 poets · Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

  • Portrait of Aminur Rahman Aminur Rahman Bangladesh
  • Portrait of Nurul Hoque Nurul Hoque Bangladesh
  • Portrait of Anna Keiko Anna Keiko China
  • Portrait of Chunzi Chunzi China
  • Portrait of Fan Qun Fan Qun China
  • Portrait of Huang Yazhou Huang Yazhou China
  • Portrait of Jiang Hanmo Jiang Hanmo China
  • Portrait of LanLan LanLan China
  • Portrait of Liu Hong Liu Hong China
  • Portrait of Ma Fushui Ma Fushui China
  • Portrait of Ma Haiying Ma Haiying China
  • Portrait of Shen Haobo Shen Haobo China
  • Portrait of Xu Guoxin Xu Guoxin China
  • Portrait of Yu Xiuhua Yu Xiuhua China
  • Portrait of Zhang Jianmjun Zhang Jianmjun China
  • Portrait of Rajeev Baruah Rajeev Baruah India
  • Portrait of Sudipto Chatterjee Sudipto Chatterjee India
  • Portrait of Sastri Bakry Sastri Bakry Indonesia
  • Portrait of Rozan Azen Mat Rasip Rozan Azen Mat Rasip Malaysia
  • Portrait of Sendoo Hadaa Sendoo Hadaa Mongolia
  • Portrait of Keshab Sigdel Keshab Sigdel Nepal
  • Portrait of Shahid Abbas Shahid Abbas Pakistan
  • Portrait of Kang Byeong-Cheol Kang Byeong-Cheol South Korea
  • Portrait of Shirani Rajapakse Shirani Rajapakse Sri Lanka
  • Portrait of Nuria Chien Nuria Chien Taiwan
  • Portrait of Nai Tiwa Nai Tiwa Thailand
  • Portrait of Azam Abidov Azam Abidov Uzbekistan
  • Portrait of Kieu Bich Hau Kieu Bich Hau Vietnam
  • Portrait of Loi Vu Loi Vu Vietnam

Europe

18 poets · Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

  • Portrait of Mujë Buçpapaj Mujë Buçpapaj Albania
  • Portrait of Maja Panajotova Maja Panajotova Bulgaria
  • Portrait of Muniam Alfaker Muniam Alfaker Denmark
  • Portrait of Alexis Bernaut Alexis Bernaut France
  • Portrait of Francis Combes Francis Combes France
  • Portrait of Dimitris P. Kraniotis Dimitris P. Kraniotis Greece
  • Portrait of Angela Kosta Angela Kosta Italy
  • Portrait of Claudio Damiani Claudio Damiani Italy
  • Portrait of Lamberto Garzia Lamberto Garzia Italy
  • Portrait of Sabrina De Canio Sabrina De Canio Italy
  • Portrait of Shaip Emerllahu Shaip Emerllahu North Macedonia
  • Portrait of Isilda Nunes Isilda Nunes Portugal
  • Portrait of Vadim Terekhin Vadim Terekhin Russia
  • Portrait of Victor A. Pogadaev Victor A. Pogadaev Russia
  • Portrait of Barbara Pogačnik Barbara Pogačnik Slovenia
  • Portrait of Hassane Yarti Hassane Yarti Spain
  • Portrait of Dr.Hilal Karahan Dr.Hilal Karahan Turkey
  • Portrait of Muhsine Arda Muhsine Arda Turkey

Middle East

2 poets · Lebanon

  • Portrait of Majida Dagher Majida Dagher Lebanon
  • Portrait of Camilla Naim Camilla Naim Lebanon / Australia