Three Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics are on the 2010-11 judging panel for the prestigious Australian poetry prize, the Mary Gilmore Award, presented by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) for the best first book of poetry published by an Australian in the preceding two years. The academics include panel chair Mr David Gilbey, an adjunct senior lecturer in English at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr Mark Macleod, senior lecturer in English; and Director of Booranga Writers’ Centre at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Dr Derek Motion. Mr Gilbey said, “Poets from all over Australia were represented in this year’s Award and the preoccupations and styles showed the variousness, intensity and virtuosity of the current Australian ‘new’ poetry scenes: metropolitan/rural/coastal; professional/political/personal; formal/free; lyrical/surreal; and in size, from chapter books to full 100-plus page collections.” Six poets have been named on the short list from the 27 titles submitted by publishers. The winner of the Mary Gilmore Award for 2010-11 will be announced at the Association’s annual conference in New Zealand in July. This event draws together many of the people who organise the study of Australian poetry at universities, plus other writers, teachers, postgraduate students and librarians. The winning poet will have opportunities to meet many of these people during the conference.