What is poetry? What makes it different from other forms of art and writing? How do I write and publish my own poems?
Express Media, in partnership with Australian Poetry, is pleased to present the 2026 return of Toolkits: Poetry – an online course in the forms, functions, histories and uses of poetry. This program will combine theoretical approaches, practical exercises, and group workshopping to guide young writers through the development of their work.
During this 10-week program, you’ll get to explore the many varied forms and genres of poetry, as well as writing, workshopping and edit your own writing throughout the course. Participants will hone their skills in textual analysis, create their own original work, explore the possibilities of collaborative work, and learn how to pitch work to publishers when they’re done.
Participants also have the chance to learn from some of Australia’s best writers, with guest artists (to be announced) presenting live and online in sessions for young writers across the country.
Toolkits: Poetry will run on Wednesdays at 6—8pm AET from 14 Oct to 16 Dec. If you are a writer or artist aged 30 and under interested in poetry, we want to hear from you!
Applications close on 11:59pm AEDT Sunday 27 September 2026.
Apply Now
Lou Garcia-Dolnik | Toolkits: Poetry Facilitator
Lou Garcia-Dolnik is a poet living and working on sovereign Gadigal-Wangal lands. Their work has been awarded Second Prize in Overland’s Judith Wright Poetry Prize, a place on the shortlist for the Blake Prize, Val Vallis Awards, LIMINAL Non-Fiction Prize, the Kat Muscat Fellowship, and an Academy of American Poets University Prize from the University of Texas at Austin. An alumnus of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Emerging Writers Intensive, Lou was the 2023 recipient of the Australian Poetry/NAHR Eco-Poetry Fellowship and attended Tin House’s Summer Workshop in the poetry faculty. They are a 2026 Wheeler Centre Next Chapter Fellow.
Toolkits: Poetry is presented by Express Media in partnership with Australian Poetry and is generously supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Become an Express Media Member!
Toolkits: Poetry is free for Express Media/Australian Poetry joint members along with a number of other perks, events, and opportunities. You must be a member to participate in Toolkits. If you’re not already a member, you can easily sign up here.
Note: Express Media is committed to access, so if you would like to sign up and are experiencing financial hardship, please submit your application and contact us via info@expressmedia.org.au to be awarded one of our sponsored memberships if your Toolkits application is successful.
Have a question? Need help with your application? Send an email to Express Media’s Creative Producer Mia Nie at creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au.