Ali Whitelock, poet in the spotlight

Ali Whitelock is a Scottish poet and writer living on the south coast of Sydney with her French chain-smoking husband.

She has published 3 poetry collections, the lactic acid in the calves of your despair (long-listed for the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal in 2021) and and my heart crumples like a coke can. Her 3rd collection, a brief letter to the sea about a couple of things was released in May 2023 by Wakefield Press. Available here. Her memoir, poking seaweed with a stick and running away from the smell was published to critical acclaim both here in Australia and in the UK. She spends her time writing and staring out the window.

Finding truth in poetry

Poetry: the place to reliably find truth – even in this post-truth world.

At our Poetry Zoom in September 2023, Ali shared her thoughts about risk-taking in writing, and honoured another Scottish-born poet, Alison Flett.

Listen to Ali read and reflect.