Lorikeet’s Open Your Mind Poetry Competition 2026

Lorikeet’s annual Open Your Mind Poetry Competition is now open.

Are you a WA resident living with mental health challenges or caring for someone who is? MIFWA has launched our annual Lorikeet Centre poetry competition for Western Australian residents living with mental health challenges or caring for someone with mental health challenges.

Our theme ‘Stronger together, louder together’ invites poets to reflect on the ways we flourish through connection. Whether through friendship, family, community, culture, or shared humanity, this theme celebrates the strength found in unity.

It encourages exploration of belonging, mutual care, resilience in adversity, and the beauty of growing side by side.

The poetry competition is free to enter, and there will be several prizes.

Download the 2026 Flyer and Guidelines

The competition closes at 5pm, Tuesday 1 September 2026.

We’ll announce the winners during Mental Health Week this October.

A selection of poems will be compiled and published in the annual Lorikeet Open Your Mind Poetry Book.

 

Submission Guidelines
  • Open to anyone living with mental health challenges or caring for someone who is.
  • Open to WA residents only.
  • Entry is free.
  • Max. 2 poems per person.
  • Max. 18 lines per poem, and a unique title per poem.
  • All submissions must be your own original unpublished work.
  • Winners will be announced in October 2026 during Mental Health Week.
  • MIFWA reserves the right to display, reproduce or publish the submissions on its website, newsletters, social pages and other MIFWA materials.

Read the winning poems from 2025.

Prizes

All entries:

  • 1st: $100
  • 2nd: $75
  • 3rd: $50

Best Lorikeet & MIFWA Participants:

  • 1st: $100
  • 2nd: $75
Deadline

To enter, submit your poems by 5pm, Tuesday 1 September 2026:

By email to: events@mifwa.org.au with the subject: Poetry Competition

In-person at: Lorikeet Centre, 104 Cambridge Street, West Leederville

or: MIFWA Head Office, Level 3, 9 The Avenue, Midland

By post to: 

Poetry Competition
MIFWA, PO Box 1947, Midland WA 6936

For further information or if you have any questions, call 9237 8900 or email us at events@mifwa.org.au.

MIFWA Poetry Competition

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