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The Australian Country Women’s Anthology
PRESENTS
herÂ
Beauty
and her
Terror
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
Australia's country women have been writing poetry in secret for centuries...
From its blazing red-centre to its rugged mountain ranges, Australian women can be found scratching their deepest desires and saddest stories into the margins of pages, pouring their unheard truths into haunting melodies and poignant lyrics. Yet, too often, their tears are left smudged on crumpled notepads, pages curling in flame, sacred ink scattered like ashes in the wind - their beauty lost to the passage of time.
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Her Beauty and Her Terror aims to reclaim those lost fragments of sacred ink, gathering them into one daring collection that will immerse readers in the intimate and authentic narratives of these women's lives.
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From its first page to its last, her words will raise you, devastate you, move you and haunt you, as you are carried through the raw, untamed landscapes of Australia and the equally wild depths of the human heart. Soaked in light and darkness, this anthology is a testament to the fated knots of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, and beauty and terror of life on earth.
"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know."
- Ernest Hemingway
submission CRITERIA
Submissions are now open for Her Beauty and Her Terror
Deadline: June 29, 2025
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Her Beauty and Her Terror is a forthcoming book of poetry written by and for Australian women from all walks of life. Inspired by the poetry written by loved ones who have since passed on, it sparked a question: how many other women have turned to poetry as a private refuge, a tool for expression, and a quiet act of resilience?
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For centuries, women have turned to poetry to process, to understand, to grieve, to remember, and to heal. Often, those words have stayed tucked away in drawers, notebooks, or memory - never to be seen or heard - until now.
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We’re calling for poems that are honest, raw, and emotionally true. You don’t need to be a professional writer. You don’t need to follow any rules. We’re not looking for perfection - we’re looking for real emotion and raw truth. ​Because sometimes, the words we write for ourselves can end up meaning the most to someone else.
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​If this sounds like you:
✅ You identify as female.
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✅ You permanently reside in Australia.
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✅ You own a poem that has never been published before.
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Then we want to hear from YOU! Let’s bring your words into the light.
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Submit your work and be part of something beautiful, brave, and true. ​ For more detailed submission criteria, visit our FAQ section.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
"New writers are too worried that its all been said before. Sure it has, but not by you."
- Asha Dornfest
