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In this fourth issue of Divan you will find almost 80 poems by some of Australia's finest emerging and established
poets. The themes of these poems vary, as can be expected from a journal that aims to present, in the words of Divan's first editor, Jordie Albiston, 'some of the wonderful, impassioned, curious, political,
meditative, witty and otherwise work' being written by Australians wherever they reside. Content and imagery range from the humble suburban garden to the reaches of galactic space, and deal with the gamut of human
experiences: the historical, the personal, the creative, the evolutionary and the spiritual. The poets themselves come from all over Australia, and include two expatriates and several on poetic sabbaticals.
Seventy-six poets submitted over 270 poems for this year's issue, a large increase on previous years, indicating that the journal is steadily growing in reputation and interest. The editors wish to thank every one of
these poets for their continued faith in poetry as a vital medium and in themselves as poets. The writing and submission of a poem is an exercise in emotional risk, which means every poet who submitted material had
already succeeded, whether or not his/her poem was selected for the issue. We encourage all of you, and other poets reading this issue, to submit material for future issues and continue the development of Divan
as a showcase of the potential for cultural significance that is Australian poetry. Of course, nothing like Divan can exist without the substantial assistance and encouragement of certain individuals and
organisations. First of all, there is Box Hill Institute, which has continued to provide IT support and staff resources for the ongoing maintenance and development of the Divan website and each year's journal. My
gratitude, along with, I'm sure, the appreciation of contributing poets and interested readers, goes to the Institute, in particular, Dominic Pentony of Online Services, Bill Johnson, Manager of the Centre for
Vocational Access and Education, and Carolyne Lee, former coordinator of the Professional Writing and Editing course. Second, there are those whose hours of work, often on a volunteer basis, contributed to the
stimulating appearance and content of the journal, and to whom I give much thanks: my assistant editors, Toby Gould and Victoria Petkopoulos, and my production manager, Bryant Shaw. Last, there are the poets themselves
and their readers, the very reason for the existence of such a venture as Divan. Thank you, and I am certain you will all enjoy the online poetic experience your support and encouragement has created. Happy
reading! Earl Livings Editor |
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