Creative Australia Delays National Poet Laureate Pick
The federal government's promised national poet laureate post remains unfilled, with the announcement now expected in early 2027.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Books
Live Poll
Do you trust the federal government to deliver on its promises to artists?
Creative Australia has delayed the appointment of Australia's national poet laureate, a role promised in the federal government's cultural policy launched in early 2023. The post, which pays $80,000 a year, has not yet been filled, and the selection process is under way.
Why it matters
The delay leaves a national literary role unfilled more than three years after it was promised. It also places the spotlight on how Australia supports its writers, many of whom earn modest incomes from their creative work.
Writers who have published at least three professional poetry books are eligible for the $80,000-a-year post, and Writing Australia is funded with $26 million over three years. Creative Australia has not stated which shortlisted candidates remain under consideration.
The players
Creative Australia
Creative Australia is the federal government's arts funding and advisory body responsible for managing the national poet laureate selection process.
Writing Australia
Writing Australia is the literature-focused division established under Creative Australia in July 2025 to support the country's writers.
The details
Creative Australia confirmed that no one has yet been appointed, with nominations having closed in March. Australia's first and only previous poet laureate was appointed in 1810, and Writing Australia, established under Creative Australia in July 2025, has spent more than $7 million on the sector in its first year.
Timeline
1810: Australia's first and only poet laureate was appointed.
Early 2023: The federal government launched its cultural policy promising a national poet laureate.
March: Nominations for the post closed.
July 2025: Writing Australia was established under Creative Australia.
Early 2027: Creative Australia expects to announce the laureate.
Season Trajectory
The 2023 national cultural policy promised a poet laureate, a commitment that has yet to be realised more than three years later. The delay follows Australia's first and only previous appointment in 1810, leaving the role largely dormant in the nation's literary history.
Readers and writers interested in the post should note that only poets with at least three professional poetry books qualify. The timing means the appointment will not be known until 2027 at the earliest.
The takeaway
Australia's national poet laureate remains unfilled, so writers who meet the three-book threshold should watch for the 2027 announcement. The delay highlights how long promised cultural commitments can take to materialise.
What happens next
Creative Australia expects to announce the national poet laureate in early 2027.
Further reading
For more on the country's literary scene, explore Books coverage across Australia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bunbury Mail.
Live Poll
Do you trust the federal government to deliver on its promises to artists?
