Aidan Coleman

Aidan Coleman

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Aidan Coleman is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of English and Creative Writing. He has published 2 full length collections of poetry which were shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Prize, WA Premier's Book Awards and Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. His third collection Mount Sumputous was published in 2020 by Wakefield Press. He writes reviews and criticism, and has coauthored a series of Shakespeare textbooks.

Aidan's PhD on the poet John Forbes (1950-1998) was awarded a University of Adelaide Medal for Doctoral Research. He is currently researching and writing a biography of Forbes with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts and Arts South Australia.

My scholarly work has been published in JASAL, New Writing, Text, Westerly and Australian Dictionary of Biography, and I have chapters forthcoming on Australian Modernism (Cambridge University Press), Shakespeare's Sonnets (Routledge) and the poetry of migratory birds (Routledge). 

My poetry and prose have appeared in international journals and magazines including ABR, Antipodes, The Australian, Carolina Quarterly, The Conversation, Glasgow Review of Books, Harvard Review, Italian Poetry Review, Meanjin, Overland, Poetry Ireland Review, Southerly, Terrain.org, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Warwick Review, Westerly.

Poetry has been anthologised in Australian Poetry Since 1788, ABC Radio National's Poetry Podcast, Best Australian Poems, No News: 90 Poets Reflect on a Unique BBC Broadcast (UK) and The Poet's Quest for God: 21st Century Poems of Faith, Doubt and Wonder (UK).

I also review books for ABR, The Australian, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, Colorado Review Online, Cordite, Sydney Review of Books and Westerly.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2022 Coleman, A. (2022). Cronulla Muse John Forbes' earliest encounters with reading and writing poetry. Westerly, 67(2), 158-170.
    Scopus1
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Aidan Coleman reviews 'Walk Like a Cow: A memoir' by Brendan Ryan. Australian Book Review.
    2021 Coleman, A. N. (2021). Closure and the Omnivorous Lyric. New Writing, 18(1), 98-108.
    DOI
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Steps to Parnassus: Martin Johnston’s The Sea-Cucumber. Westerly, 66(1), 60-76.
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). A house in the country spells death. Overland, (242), 34-42.
    2020 Coleman, A. (2020). The Function of Knowledge and Contingent Difficulty in the Poetry of John Forbes. Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature.
    2020 Coleman, A. N. (2020). Let a Thousand Errors Bloom. Sydney Review of Books.
    2020 Coleman, A. N. (2020). Plainspoken Virtuosity: The poetry of Philip Hodgins. The Conversation.
    2019 Coleman, A. N. (2019). Does function follow form? Openness and formal association in the early poetry of John Forbes. TEXT, 23(2), 1-20.
    DOI
    2019 Coleman, A. N. (2019). John Forbes: Australia's Wunderkind. Harvard Review.
    2019 Coleman, A. (2019). The Selected Poems of Anna Wickham (Long Review). Cordite Poetry Review.
    2018 Coleman, A. N. (2018). But Soft. The Stockholm Review of Literature.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Contingencies. Poetry Salzburg Review.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Courtier. Australian Poetry Journal.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Reliquary. Poetry Review Salzburg.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Moderate. BlazeVOX.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Machinery of Summer. Indianapolis Review.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Ern Malley hoax fit for poetic canon. The Australian.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Futures. Right Hand Pointing.
    2018 Coleman, A. (2018). Shed Light. Coolabah, (23), 42.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). Band | Aid. Overland, (229Summer), 27.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). To the Only Begetter. Overland, (229Summer), 26.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). Eclipsing the Bard and Prince of Denmark. The Australian, Oct 7, 26.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). Nth Degree. Glasgow Review of Books.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). Nth Degree. Glasgow Review of Books.
    2017 Coleman, A. (2017). Albums that are summer. Glasgow Review of Books, Sept 2017.
    2016 Coleman, A. (2016). Enigmas Thrive on Agility and Poise. The Weekend Australian, (23 January), 20.
    2016 COLEMAN, A. (2016). Riffing off a Bard plot.(Review). The Australian (National, Australia).
    2016 COLEMAN, A. (2016). Light, dark and heavy handed.(Review). The Australian (National, Australia).
    2016 Coleman, A. (2016). Oracular. Meanjin, 75(4Summer), 145.
    2016 Coleman, A. (2016). Poignant and Necessary : Aidan Coleman Reviews ‘Vanishing Point’ by Jeri Kroll. Rochford Street Review, (20October – December).
    2016 Coleman, A. (2016). Light, Dark and Heavy Handed. The Weekend Australian, (5-6 March), 22.
    2016 Coleman, A. (2016). Secondary. The Best Australian Poems 2016, 42-43.
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). Barbarian Studies. Australian Book Review, (373August), 12.
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). Cartoon Snow. Westerly, 60(1), 43.
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). Review Short : Jeri Kroll’s Workshopping the Heart: New and Selected Poems. Cordite, (49.11 March).
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). Human Moments at the Centre. The Weekend Australian, (4-5 July), 22.
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). Three poems by Aidan Coleman.(Review). The Australian (National, Australia).
    2015 Coleman, A. (2015). The End of Weather. Cordite, (50.0).
    2014 COLEMAN, A. (2014). AUSTRALIAN POETRY.(Review). The Australian (National, Australia).
    2014 Coleman, A. (2014). Review Short: Andrew Lansdown’s Inadvertent Things – Poems in Traditional Japanese Forms. Cordite, (46.01 May).
    2013 Coleman, A. (2013). Review Short : Robert Gray’s ‘Cumulus’. Cordite, (41).
    2013 Coleman, A. (2013). Review Short : Rhyll McMaster’s Late Night Shopping. Cordite, (44.0December).
    2012 Coleman, A. (2012). The Park. Eureka Street, 22(918 May), 17.
    2012 Coleman, A. (2012). Coffee. Eureka Street, 22(918 May), 16.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Void. Mascara Literary Review, (9May).
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Self-Portrait with Advice. Antipodes, 25(2December), 131.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). From Stroke Poems. Westerly, 56(1July), 115-117.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Reading. Westerly, 56(1July), 116.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Stroke Poems. Westerly, 56(1July), 115-117.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Beginning. Virginia Quarterly Review, 87(3Summer), 158.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Finger Exercises. Westerly, 56(1July), 115.
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). Each Night. Eureka Street, 20(2011 October).
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). Shower. Southerly, 70(1), 135.
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). English Kings. Southerly, 70(1), 134.
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). Theft. Southerly, 70(1), 133.
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). The Question. Southerly, 70(1), 132.
    2010 Coleman, A. (2010). Night. The Australian, (5-6 June), 21.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Pegs. Island, (119Summer), 73.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). First Rain. Island, (119Summer), 72.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Barely Dressed for Sleep. Westerly, 54(1July), 194.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Gouger Street, 2.30 a.m.. The Canberra Times, (16 May), 12.
    2008 Coleman, A. (2008). New York. Quadrant, 52(12December), 111.
    2007 Coleman, A. (2007). From Lena. The Australian Literary Review, 2(9October), 25.
    2002 Coleman, A. (2002). Weeks of Rain. Southerly, 62(3), 39.
    2002 Coleman, A. (2002). The Hours. Southerly, 62(3), 39.
    2002 Coleman, A. (2002). Sun in Winter. Island, (90Spring), 66.
    2002 Coleman, A. (2002). I Like Airports. Westerly, 47(November), 163.
    2001 Coleman, A. (2001). The Pines. Antipodes, 15(1June), 35.
    2001 Coleman, A. (2001). Wednesday Nights. The Australian, (28-29 July), 6.
    2000 Coleman, A. (2000). Students. The Age, (27 May), 8.
    2000 Coleman, A. (2000). For the Nine to Five Leana. The Adelaide Review, (205October), 38.
    2000 Coleman, A. (2000). She's. The Adelaide Review, (205October), 38.
    2000 Coleman, A. (2000). Lyndoch After Rain. The Adelaide Review, (205October), 38.

  • Books
    Year Citation
    2020 Coleman, A. (2020). Mount Sumptuous. Adelaide, South Australia: Wakefield Press.
    2012 Coleman, A. (2012). Asymmetry.
    2012 Coleman, A., & Sullivan, T. (Eds.) (2012). Light and Glorie. Adelaide: Pantaenus Press.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Sun in Winter and Other Poems. Warners Bay: Picaro Press.
    2009 Rowe, J., Billingham, C., Holt, L. K., & Coleman, A. (2009). Gen X-Y: Josephine Rowe, Craig Billingham, L. K. Holt and Aidan Coleman. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
    2009 Coleman, A., & Paine, J. (Eds.) (2009). Catch Fire : Friendly Street Poets 33. Kent Town: Friendly Street Poets.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Avenues and Runways. Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2002 Coleman, A. (2002). The Main North Road. Newtown: Vagabond Press.

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2023 Duckworth, M., & Coleman, A. (2023). Last Migrations: The Poetry of Migratory Birds. In Poetry and the Global Climate Crisis: Creative Educational Approaches to Complex Challenges (pp. 55-68).
    DOI
    2023 Coleman, A. (2023). Past reason hunted: The emotions in Shakespeare's Sonnets. In L. Potter (Ed.), Shakespeare Matters: Your way into the world of Shakespeare. Abingdon: Routledge.
    2023 Duckworth, M., & Coleman, A. (2023). Last Migrations. In Poetry and the Global Climate Crisis (pp. 55-68). Routledge.
    DOI
    2022 Coleman, A. (2022). Australian Modernism. In A. Vickery (Ed.), Cambridge Companion to Australian Poetry. Cambridge University Press.
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Three Poems for Fran Forbes. In J. Wilkinson, & C. Atherton (Eds.), Memory Book Portraits of Older Australians in Poetry and Watercolours.
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Part-time Millionaire. In J. Wilkinson, & C. Atherton (Eds.), Memory Book Portraits of Older Australians in Poetry and Watercolours.
    2013 Coleman, A. (2013). Backyard Pool. In Presence : A Chapbook.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Arrow. In J. Pfitzner, & T. Korsten (Eds.), Sorcerers and Soothsayers : Friendly Street Poets 35 (pp. 22). Norwood: Friendly Street Poets.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Stained Glass as Memorial. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Crux. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Two Saints. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Saint George. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). Nativity. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2011 Coleman, A. (2011). The North Window. In Clubs and Societies. Darlinghurst: The Red Room Company.
    2009 Gava, J. (2009). Contract. In I. Freckelton, & H. Selby (Eds.), Appealing to the Future: Michael Kirby and his legacy (pp. 239-264). Sydney, Australia: Thomson Reuters.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Return from Hospital. In Sun in Winter and Other Poems (pp. 16). Warners Bay: Picaro Press.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Falling. In Sun in Winter and Other Poems (pp. 11). Warners Bay: Picaro Press.
    2009 Coleman, A. (2009). Looking fFor a Car Seat. In Sun in Winter and Other Poems (pp. 4). Warners Bay: Picaro Press.
    2006 Coleman, A. (2006). Just Say the Word. In R. Walker, & L. Nicholas (Eds.), Friendly Street Poets : Thirty (pp. 22). Kent Town: Friendly Street Poets.
    2006 Santich, B. (2006). Kangaroos. In The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Spiders. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 65). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). The BBC World Service. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 63). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Fever. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 21-22). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Lyndoch Road, Winter. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 20). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Mythology. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 15). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Airship. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 40). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Easy Listening. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 16-17). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). The Wedding Plan. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 31-32). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Rainworks. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 41-47). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Cranes. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 36-37). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Here and Now. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 33-35). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). Estates. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 14). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2005 Coleman, A. (2005). For My Shower. In Avenues and Runways (pp. 58). Blackheath: Brandl and Schlesinger.
    2004 Coleman, A. (2004). Looking for a Car Seat. In K. Deller-Evans, & S. Evans (Eds.), Unknown Book (pp. 22). Adelaide: Friendly Street Poets.
    2003 Coleman, A. (2003). The CSIRO Building, 11 p.m.. In C. Young (Ed.), Beyond the Shimmering : A Gawler Literary Fund Anthology of Poetry (pp. 46). Gawler: Gawler Literary Fund.
    2001 Coleman, A. (2001). New Mornings. In R. Hillman, & H. Sladdin (Eds.), Friendly Street Reader 25 (pp. 55). Adelaide: Friendly Street Poets.

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Intermittent Truce: Les Murray and John Forbes in the Poetry Wars. In InASA 2021: Reinventing Australia. Melbourne.
    2021 Coleman, A. (2021). Next Year’s Words Await Another Voice: Alice Oswald’s Dart and the Legacy of TS Eliot. In AAWP 2020: Rising Tides 25th Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference 2020 Gold Coast. Gold Coast.
    2020 Coleman, A. (2020). Reception and Influence in the Poetry of John Forbes. In 2020 Association for the Study of Australian Literature Annual Conference. Cairns.
    2019 Coleman, A. N. (2019). The Function of Knowledge in the Poetry of John Forbes. In Conference: Reception, Production, Exchange. University of Wollongong.
    2019 Coleman, A. N. (2019). Openness and the Knowledge-rich Poem. In Symposium: Poetry on the Move. University of Canberra.
    2018 Coleman, A. N. (2018). "These pickers and
    stealers”: Australian poets on
    Shakespeare and bardolatry. In The 14 th Biennial Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Shakespeare Association.
    2017 Coleman, A. N. (2017). The Whole: An Argument for Shakespeare in Creative Writing. In Australian Association of Writing Programs.

  • Live Performance of Creative Works
    Year Citation
    2019 Tsalapatis, T., Coleman, A., Lego, A., & Sebaste, B. (2019). International reading with Thomas Tsalapatis (Grecia), Aidan Coleman (Australia), Alessio Lega, Beppe Sebaste (No. Of Pieces: 1 hour) [Bilingual book reading]. 25° Festival Internazionale di Poesia di Genova.

  • Original Creative Works
    Year Citation
    2023 Authors: Coleman A. Title: "The Falklands". Description: N/A. Extent: 1.
    2021 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Virtual Conference in the Tropics. Description: N/A. Extent: 1.
    2020 Authors: Coleman A, Sidoli G. Title: Poems. Description: N/A. Extent: 9.
    2020 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Circuit: an elegy. Description: N/A. Extent: 1.
    2020 Authors: Coleman AN. Title: Dusk. Description: N/A. Extent: N/A.
    2018 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Band | Aid. Description: Discrepancy re ISSN. Invalid ISSN: 2203-3608. Extent: 1 Poem.
    2017 Authors: COLEMAN A. Title: Primary.. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 Poem.
    2017 Authors: COLEMAN A. Title: Regent & Seal.. Description: N/A. Extent: N/A.
    2017 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Regent & Seal. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 Poem.
    2017 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Primary. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 Poem.
    2017 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Identikit. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 poem.
    2017 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Last Post. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 page.
    2017 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Sprints with Elizabethan sighs. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 page.
    2016 Authors: Coleman AN. Title: On the Transportation of the North Window. Description: Poem in a book "The Poet's Quest for God". Extent: 1 page.
    2016 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Motivational. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 poem.
    2016 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Secondary. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 poem; 4 stanzas; 48 lines; 248 words.
    2016 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Immortal Diamond. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 poem; 14 lines; 78 words.
    2015 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Quest. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 poem.
    2015 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Cartoon Snow: And Other Poems. Description: N/A. Extent: 22 pages.
    2014 Authors: Coleman A. Title: Primary. Description: N/A. Extent: 1 page.

  • Curated or Produced Public Exhibition or Events
    Year Citation
    2019 Coleman, A. (2019). Reading and conversation with Graziella Sidoli (Centro di Poesia Contemporanea, University of Bologna) (No. Of Pieces: 1.5 hours) [Book reading]. Centro di Poesia Contemporanea, University of Bologna: Center of Contemporary Poetry of the University of Bologna.
    2019 Coleman, A. (2019). Reading and conversation with Graziella Sidoli (Centro di Poesia Contemporanea, University of Bologna) (No. Of Pieces: 1.5 hours) [Book reading]. Centro di Poesia Contemporanea, University of Bologna: Center of Contemporary Poetry of the University of Bologna.

I am an adjunct Lecturer in the Department of English and Creative Writing, and Course Convenor for Making Contemporary Poetry (CRWR 2005) and Honours Writers on Writing (CRWR 4002).

Courses taught and/or convened: Ideas of the Real (ENGL 1101), I Have a Dream: Political Writing (CRWR 2006), Shakespeare (ENGL 1107), Tragedy (ENGL 2107), Wild Spaces / City Places: Environmental Writing (CRWR 3003).

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 Principal Supervisor Tattoos as Ekphrastic Narratives of Otherness in Crime Fiction Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Stephen William Abram
    2021 Principal Supervisor A Woman is a State (Poet as Vandal): An intersectional feminist reading of Major Mitchell’s Australia Felix expedition and the production of a colonial poetics to legitimize dispossession Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Verity Rose Oswin

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Sketching Tom Gill Art, history, and a creative exploration beyond the frame
    of ST Gill’s utopian visions of colonial South Australia.    		 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Jennifer Lorraine Molloy
    2020 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Unanimal, Counterfeit, Scurrilous VOLUME 1: MAJOR WORK
    “expiation,For,the,sin,of,Nothing”: The Politics of Form in Queer Philippine Poetry in English VOLUME 2: EXEGESIS    		 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mark Anthony Reyes Cayanan

  • Community Engagement
    Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country
    2020 - ongoing Poetry Editor Public Community Engagement University of Sunshine Coast -
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