Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2026 shortlist

Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize.

Chosen from a longlist announced in December 2025, the shortlisted poets are:

• J Andros (United States)
• Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet (United States)
• Kirsten Krauth (Vic)
• Cheryl Leavy (Qld)
• Claire Potter (NSW).

This year’s prize saw 1360 entries from 32 countries, an increase from 2025’s numbers.

The judges – Judith Bishop, Felicity Plunkett and Andres Villano – said, “We felt deeply the currents of passion and compassion in so many of these poems, and we saw how poetry – even as it feels less valued than at many times in history – still provides a place of refuge and a way to speak about what cannot otherwise be spoken.”

The shortlisted poems will be published in the January–February 2026 issue of ABR.

The prize is worth $10,000 in total, with the overall winner receiving $6000 and the four other shortlisted poets $1000 each.

The winner is set to be announced in February.

Last year’s winner was the American poet Meredith Stricker.

More information is available on the ABR website.

Category: Awards Local news