Anne Kellas is an Australian poet, published widely in Australia and overseas since the 1990s. Her most recent book, Ways to Say Goodbye, shortlisted for the Tim Thorne prize, won the People’s Choice award in that category in the 2025 Tasmanian Premier’s literary awards.
Her earlier collection, The White Room Poems, was shortlisted for the Margaret Scott prize – and received one of two inaugural awards for poetry issued by the small press, Blue Giraffe.
Described as “an original living in the whole world, not just a small corner of it” Kellas’s themes often address deracination, dislocation and loss. “There is something dreamlike, and often nightmarish, just below the surface” (Ivan Vladislavic, in an interview with Kellas). She brings “both wit and deep seriousness to her poetry” with themes that “take up the kind of apocalyptic vision of Doris Lessing” (Kevin Brophy, reviewing her 2001 book, Isolated States).
Ways to Say Goodbye is available from Liquid Amber Press in print, digital and audiobook formats. Her earlier books are: Isolated States (2001) and Poems from Mt Moono (1989). A chapbook with some of these poems – The Netted Air – was published by Ginninderra Press in their ‘Picaro Poets’ series (2018).
Like many poets, Anne also has a passion for teaching poetry: she has lectured in poetry at tertiary level, often gives poetry workshops and assesses poetry manuscripts. She also mentors poets. For more details, contact Anne.