fourW – the annual anthology of new writing

Thank-you to David Gilbey Editor – fourW thirty-five for accepting my poem Recovering Equilibrium for publication  in the up and coming 2026 journal  (fourW is one of Australia’s longest running annual anthologies of new poetry and prose from Australian and international writers at Charles Stuart University ) 

 It will be exciting to meet David and the many other poets at the  official Sydney launch at Gleebooks on the Sunday 6th September. Last year we stood and read our poem and it was very special experience seeing everyone. 

Recovering Equilibrium  

A headwind from nowhere whips her off course 

as if in a sailing boat at sea.

She’s letting go the hullabaloo of diary dates 

white sails tack to ease around a buoy.

She won’t battle the storm. Rather turns her bow 

from the squall of steely clouds, away from their blades

of lightning. Her focus now is on the feathered blue sky 

to the port side of her days.

A cockatoo daily sweeps past her window. 

She imagines the call of herring gulls 

above the beeps and squeaks of machines and trolleys

their hurl and heave on the wind

a scene of turbulent freedom.

Near port, the swell of waves neap. 

A slowing rhythm.  Stillness. She ebbs and flows

 like the tide finding its pulse.

 

Colleen Keating

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Dear Colleen,

Thank you for your submission to fourW thirty-five and for your email withdrawing some of your submissions.

All work has now been read by the selection panels and the final decisions have been made.  The task was not an easy one, as we received over 300 individual pieces from more than 100 contributors from all around Australia and overseas.

We would like to publish your poem ‘Recovering Equilibrium’ if it has not already been published and there was no AI used in the writing of it (please advise us whether this is so). 

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll send you a proof copy to check as well as information about the launch(es) of fourW thirty-five.

I’m attaching a media release of the shortlists for the three Booranga Prizes for 2026, each worth $500: Poetry, Prose, Local Writing.

 With best wishes,

David Gilbey

Editor – fourW thirty-five