Cordite Publishing Inc.

25/08/2026

We're so thrilled to feature a comic-poem-essay by Rachel Ang in Cordite's recent issue.

Read 'The Most Powerful Man in the World' now!

Rachel Ang is an artist and writer. Their comics and prose have been published in the New Yorker, Overland, Island, The Age, Kill Your Darlings and Meanjin. Their latest book, a collection of short…

20/08/2026

Have you checked out Cordite: NO THEME 15 yet? If not, take this as your cue from guest editor Maxine Beneba Clarke:

"The poems in this edition probe what it is to be human – to be capable of both fierce love, and abject neglect. They explore what it is to feel safe in the world, and what it is to live under constant bombardment."

I love the chaos and possibility that an open theme edition brings – the wonder and hope in casting a net wide, and carefully sifting through the magic that returns. As is often the case when editi…

18/08/2026

Red Dirt Poetry Festival is coming up this week, from 20–23 August 2026!

In partnership with Red Dirt Poetry, we commissioned three brilliant poems from three brilliant NT poets:

'Pantoum for Red-tailed Black Cockatoos' by Emma Trenorden
'Tabled' by Mahalia Charlotte
'scattered throughout our timelines' by Spandana Pillarisetty

Read them now, and book in your tickets to the festival if you're in the area.

Red Dirt Poetry Festival is a four-day poetry and spoken word festival in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Ahead of this year’s festival, Cordite has commissioned three NT poets: Emma Trenorden, Mahal…

17/08/2026

It's Poetry Month! 💌

As a special feature in our August issue, we've compiled advice for emerging and aspiring poets, straight from the desks of established poets, publishers, editors and teachers.

While there's no one way to 'be' a poet, this guide provides a handy overview of reading, writing, submitting, publishing and supporting poetry in so-called Australia (and beyond). We hope it encourages up-and-coming poets and helps to demystify the poetry world, even a little bit.

To commemorate Poetry Month, I’ve put together a guide for people who want to try poetry, or who are writing poetry and don’t know what to do next. I reached out to a variety of working poets, teac…

14/08/2026

Cordite 121: NO THEME 15 is out now, and it's a ripper!

Alongside 71 new poems, this issue features:

Guest editor: Maxine Beneba Clarke
Visual artwork: Jackie Saunders
Chapbooks: Mo Sudi | Red Dirt Poetry
Comics: Rachel Ang | Benedicte O’Leary Rutherford
Interviews: Nafanua Purcell Kersel & Anne-Marie Te Whiu | Declan Fry & Michael Winkler | Paz Deol & Moonyeka
Essays: Thomas Ford | Liz Taylor | amira.h. | Jonno Revanche | Clarisse C. Culla
Translations: Stella N’Djoku translated by Julia Pelosi-Thorpe | Lyudmyla Diadchenko translated by Padma Thornlyre | A Hua translated by Xuelan Su

Plus: A how-to guide for emerging poets, and a new Cordite book available for pre-order!

The artwork featured in this graphic is 'Dusk' by Jackie Saunders. Do yourself a favour and check out the full suite of Jackie's stunning work in the issue.

Read it now: cordite.org.au

Image: The above info on 'Dusk', a painting by Jackie Saunders in orange, pink, purple, blue and red.

11/08/2026

“They are fierce, tender poems of dreaming and escape, of the body and flesh and spirit. These poems demand that we smell, taste, swallow and remember them. Read them and feast.” — Eileen Chong

Pre-order Three Durians now.

Read Eileen Chong's introduction to Three Durians. ISBN: 9781764449120 This book ships on 20 August 2026. To some, the smell of durian is a rich, creamy custard; to others, it’s the pestilential pong of weeks-old mango, fermented in a gym sock. Due to their divisive odour, durians are banned from ...

10/08/2026

Three Durians by Troy Wong is available for pre-order now! 🦔 🦀

From Troy's preface:

"One durian is an acquired taste. Two, a decadence. Three durians are exorbitant – a hazard to the knees and shins. These durians are for you to split, de-thorn, and savour – and to smuggle onto trains and buses at your own risk. Please, handle with care."

Pre-order now: https://corditebooks.org.au/products/three-durians

Image: Tile with the cover art for Three Durians, featuring a stylised crab.

07/08/2026

"We seek the poems that make our bones vibrate. Poems that purr, pluck and pack a punch."

Submit to Cordite 122: THRUM, with guest editors Thabani Tshuma and Georgia Kartas. Submissions close 4 October 2026, 11:59pm Melbourne time.

http://cordite.org.au/guncotton/calling-all-thrumheads/