Recent publications & upcoming events

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I was thrilled to recently be a finalist in Garden Party Collective’s ‘Nature As It Is: Poems of Queer Ecology’ Contest with my poem ‘Parrotfish parallels’, and also have two poems (‘naturally, darling’ & ‘transqueercrip church’) make it into the semi-finalist round in Sundress Publications’s 2025 Poetry Broadside Contest.

I was also longlisted in the Liquid Amber Press Poetry Prize! My poem ‘there was a fire here last night’ will be included in Liquid Amber Press’s Poetry of Fire anthology, and I’ll be reading my poem at the launch on 26 November 2026, 7.30pm AEDT on Zoom.

I was lucky enough to write two pieces for Southerly Journal about trans open mic poetics and zine culture, called ‘By the People, For the People: Trans Poetics and DIY Culture.’ Have a read of Part 1: ‘Jagged Edges and Rough Words’ and Part 2: The Ephemeral Things That Save Us.

Upcoming events:

New poems in Garland, Cordite & more

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The new Garland is out and I have not one but two poems inside! ‘maligned but thriving’ is a rambling prose breakup poem featuring a possum and some pigeons. And ‘Re Jean Barth’ is a poem my beloved Ori and I wrote in response to Jean’s 2024 exhibit The Clumped Spirit at IMA. Much love to guest editors sterling-elizabeth arcadia and James O’Leary, and to the amazing fifth wheel press for all the incredible work they do!

And I have two spicy little poems in Incision Press’s Monsterf#ck. ‘My teeth in your neck’ was written in May 2025 using writing prompts from Echoes from the Cave Inn’s beloved Speed Poetry. The prompts were: Lavender, Orange, Oasis, Parasol, Sewing tin, Feral cats, Stray dogs, Gay crush, Is it hot in here?, Teeth in your neck, Veal, Morph, Welt, Anonymous, and Slate. And ‘Bite ripe’ is a found poem inspired by the following names of Taubmans Paint swatches – Cherry Pink, Opulence, Ruby Flame, Baby Girl, Jaguar Rose, Pink Flambé, Whispering Peach, Springtime Peach, and Jupiter Moon.

I also have four poems (newbies and republished) out online in:

  • Cordite – huge thank you guest editor Eileen Chong for choosing ‘our mouths’ to be part of Cordite: Dialogue
  • ouch! collective – a republish of one of my fave poems ‘I am queer / and so is the moon’
  • Cult Following – two little poems chosen by the brilliant Dr Navid Sabet, Facilitating Editor
Rae White

Intersteller Flight Press, Locative Magazine & more

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I’ve had another incredible month of poetry, with a bunch more works published. I’m always so honoured and thrilled when my work makes it into a journal or zine!

Local legends Denizen’s Digest published my blackout collage poem ‘salt-sea dark’, which remixes Shakespeare’s ‘Round about the cauldron go’ from Macbeth, Act IV, Scene I. Grab a copy of Denizen’s Digest – #5 Double in-person at Netherworld or online.

I was lucky enough to take part in Infinite Branches, a speculative round-robin anthology of queer disabled poets, guest edited by Toby MacNutt. You can read my piece ‘a bird in the palm makes for a fantastical t4t date’ on Interstellar Flight Press.

Locative Magazine published three of my latest poems, which explore personal connections and speculative fiction: ‘finished’, ‘the birding hour’ and ‘gremlin heart’.

I had a visual poem collage ‘Chronic Body’ published in the exciting new Meanjin Artivists: Volume 1. Meanjin Artivists is an activist art collective making change through creativity and connection.

And my launch speech from the Liquid Amber Prize Anthology 2025 was lucky enough to be published at Rochford Street Review – Navigating inequality and darkness: Rae White launches ‘Poetry of Flight’, The Liquid Amber Prize Anthology 2025.

Poems recently published

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I’ve recently had a bunch of wonderful opportunities to share my work, both locally and overseas!

I was commissioned by QUT to write an ekphrastic response poem to the piece Arrival (2008, giclée print) by Luke Roberts, for the Queer Readings of the QUT Art Collection (showing at QUT Library, Level 5, Gardens Point from March-December 2026).

You can read my poem ‘selfsame’ on the QUT Art Museum website.

This pop-up exhibition presents a series of written responses to selected works from the QUT Art Collection. Multi-award-winning writers and QUT alumni—Jarad Bruinstroop, Rebecca Cheers, Anna Jacobson, Rebecca Jessen and Rae White—were invited to engage with artworks by artists Lincoln Austin, eX de Medici, Scott Redford, and Luke Roberts.

‘my qualifications will never be enough to outweigh internalised transphobia’ was published in the new independent journal Lantana, managed by founding editor Dr Yves Rees.

Last month, my poem ‘Despite and against’ was published in the UK zine Anarkiss, Issue #11 – Bodies without Permission.

And in January, New York publication Trans Mag Weekly featured a reprint of my poem ‘Is this devotion?’

Trans Book Festival 2026

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Trans Book Festival is happening on 17-19 April in Naarm (Melbourne)! Trans Book Festival is the only writers’ festival in the southern hemisphere focused on uplifting and celebrating trans and gender diverse (TGD) literary excellence in all narrative forms.

I’m thrilled to be part of two Trans Book Festival panels:

You can buy festival passes, as well tickets to TBF 2026 events, at transbookfestival.org.

Image featuring the TBF 2026 logo above a smiling Rae White and the text "Rae White they/them."
Image featuring the TBF 2026 logo above the text "Trans Poetics. Poetry is a form that lends itself to fluidity and challenging the confines of the page. Join the discussion to learn how these trans poets use their unique perspectives and experiences to both embrace and challenge the form, as well as explore an ideological desire to transform 09:30 - 10:30 Sunday 19 April. The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne. Tickets and info at: transbookfestival.org."
Image featuring Trans Book Festival 2026 logo above a photo collage of Rae White, Kaya Ortiz, Jazz Money, Hasib Hourani, and Ellen van Neerven and the text "Trans Poetics. 09:30 - 10:30 Sunday 19 April. The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne."
Image featuring the TBF 2026 logo above the text "Selling Out (Complimentary): a Literary Industry Panel. Want to share your words with the world? From editing and acquisitions to finding your audience, this panel offers insight into how trans writing is being shaped and championed today by trans industry insiders. 11:00 - 12:00 Sunday 19 April. The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne. Tickets and info at: transbookfestival.org."
Image featuring the Trans Book Festival 2026 logo above a photo collage of Rae White, Monte Weir, Savannah Hollis, Arlie Alizzi, and Michael Earp and the text "Selling Out (Complimentary): a Literary Industry Panel. 11:00 - 12:00 Sunday 19 April. The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne."

I also had the pleasure of chatting with Trans Book Festival Director, Eli Sutherland, on Tranzmission on 4ZZZ. You can listen back to the episode’s podcast (including my interview with poet Toby Fitch!)

Vocal Spectrum next week!

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I can’t believe Vocal Spectrum is next week! Get your tickets for Wed 5 Nov at Brisbane Powerhouse, part of Melt Festival. The Australian Vocal Ensemble will be performing a very special commissioned piece — Joseph Twist has set the words to my poem ‘Abundantly Blue’ to music!

‘Vocal Spectrum features new vocal chamber works by leading Queensland composers, each set to poetry by LGBTQIA+ poets from across the state, alongside striking new arrangements of beloved queer anthems.’

More info and tickets.

SEQ Queer Writers Festival & Fashioning Queer Identities Exhibition

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I’ll be hosting a zine workshop at the 2025 SEQ Queer Writers Festival this year, and also chatting on a poetry panel! My zine workshop will give participants an understanding of zines and zine culture, as well as the tools they need to start working on a small zine on a topic of their choice. 

2025 SEQ Queer Writers Festival
Saturday 15 November, 2025
9:30am – 4:30pm AEST
Coolum Civic Centre

I’m also honoured to have work in this exhibition! My piece WE ARE HERE combines fashion, protest, poetry and zines.

Fashioning Queer Identities
2025 Exhibition
Wednesday, 29th October 2025
5 pm-8 pm
Queensland Multicultural Centre

UNDERCURRENT is a bold multimedia project and exhibition celebrating the richness and diversity of LGBTQIA + expression. Bringing together art, fashion, performance, and costume, the project explores the many queer identities can be revealed, celebrated, or even concealed.

Developed through co-designed workshops, participants shared stories, reflected on life in Brisbane, and uncovered common themes that speak to personal journeys and collective experience. The result is a striking collection of individual and collaborative works that invite audiences to witness, reflect, and celebrate the power of queer creativity.