Calanthe Press is committed to publishing high quality poetry that makes an important contribution to Australian literature
Our Aim
We are deliberately inclusive in our decisions on what to publish in terms of style and content. This range reflects the breadth of our readership and is consciously reflected in our choice of editorial team, who bring different perspectives to submitted manuscripts. The press works closely with our poets throughout the publication process to ensure the best possible outcome, and we share our profits 50/50 with them.
We began as a Press for Queensland poets, and while that remains an important part of our mission, we are moving to widen our author base and our readership.
Our publications are beautifully presented on 100% recycled quality paper, to ensure they are visually attractive to our readers.
Our Supporters
We have received financial support from several individuals and organisations that has enabled us to continue publishing. In particular, we acknowledge the financial support of Adele Spain, the estates of the late Sheila and Alan Wooldridge, and Griffith University. Graphic artist Meaghan Maher provides design services free of charge.
Our History
‘Abydos’, Val Vallis’s Tamborine Mountain house
Calanthe Press was formed in 2018 as part of the Calanthe Collective
In 2017, the Collective became aware of a collection of poems about Tamborine Mountain by well-known Queensland poet Jena Woodhouse. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jena had stayed from time to time at ‘Abydos’, Val Vallis’s Tamborine Mountain house.
Calanthe Collective was delighted when Jena agreed to have her Tamborine poems published as a collection, and so Calanthe Press was established. Since then, Calanthe Press has continued to thrive, publishing collections every year by award-winning Queensland poets.
We acknowledge the very valuable contributions of poetry lover Peter Chapman (1947-2020) to the establishment of the Press. He is much missed.
Calanthe Collective
The Press is one of the major initiatives of Calanthe Collective Inc. The Collective started in 2015, the centenary of Judith Wright’s birth. The catalyst for its formation was Janis Bailey’s play, Hearts Ablaze, about Judith Wright’s and Jack McKinney’s Tamborine years, performed at the Zamia Theatre in 2015 and 2016.
Calanthe Collective incorporated in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength. It holds regular pop-up poetry events at various venues and promotes the inclusion of ‘poetry sculptures’ in village revitalisation projects. There are now seven poetry sculptures in all on the Mountain.
Calanthe Collective is responsible for historical signage which reflects the writing history of the Mountain, and conducts regular ‘poetry bombings’ in public places. In 2017 members of the Collective helped publish the Raymond Curtis volume ‘The View Westward’, and the following year Calanthe Press was officially formed. In May 2022, the Collective launched its Tamborine Mountain Storytellers and Writers Project, a digital resource held in the Heritage Centre on Wongawallan Rd, and at the local library.
Calanthe Collective membership is just $20 a year, and you can find a membership form HERE. Follow us on Facebook.