Ken Bolton (born 1949) is an Australian poet, editor, art critic, and publisher.

Early life and education

Ken Bolton was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1949. He studied

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, where he also tutored.

Career

In the late 1970s Bolton edited the poetry magazine ''Magic Sam'', and began the small press Sea Cruise Books with Anna Couani. Bolton's first book of poems, ''Four Poems'', was published in 1977. In 1982 he moved to

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

to work at the

Experimental Art Foundation ACE Open (Adelaide Contemporary Experimental) is a contemporary visual art organisation based in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 2017 after the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia and the Australian Experimental Art Foundation ( ...

. He edited the now defunct literary magazine ''

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter who has been long revered as one of the creators of modern Chicago blues; though he was respected and praised, the success he sought e ...

'' and collaborated with

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

writer and poet John Jenkins on several books of poetry, verse novellas, and other works. His ''Selected Poems'' was published by Penguin in 1992. In 2005 Wakefield Press published his monograph on the contemporary sculptor

Michelle Nikou Michelle may refer to: People *Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael * Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle" * Michelle (German singer) * Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish w ...

. His collection (''At The Flash & At The Baci'', 2006) was described by Heather Taylor-Johnson as "prov ngto us that Ken Bolton is a prime example of a poet breaking new ground in Australian poetry."

Recognition and awards

Bolton's 2019 book ''Salute'' was shortlisted for the 2022 John Bray Poetry Award.

Bibliography

Poetry

;Collections and chapbooks * Limited edition of 300 copies. * ''Blonde & French''. (Island, 1978) * ''Talking to You: Poems 1978-1981''. (Rigmarole, 1983) * ''Blazing Shoes''. (Open Dammit, 1984) * ''Airborne dogs'', With John Jenkins. (Brunswick Hills, 1988) * ''The Ferrara Poems'', With John Jenkins. (Experimental Art Foundation, 1989) * ''Two poems''. (Experimental Art Foundation, 1990) * ''Selected Poems''. (Penguin, 1992) * ''Untimely Meditations & Other Poems''. (Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 1997) * ''At The Flash & At The Baci''. (Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2006) * ''The Circus''. (Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2006) * ''A Whistled Bit of Bop''. (Vagabond Press, Sydney, 2010) * ''Sly Mongoose''. (Puncher & Wattmann, Sydney, 2011) * ''Selected Poems, 1975—2010''. (Shearsman Press, Bristol, UK, 2012) * ''Threefer''. (Puncher & Wattmann, Sydney, 2013) * ''London journal London poem or "Pendant"''(Vagabond Press, Sydney, 2015) * ''Lonnie's Lament''. (Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2017) * ''Species of Spaces''. (Shearsman Press, Bristol, UK, 2017) * ''Starting at Basheer's''. (Vagabond Press, Sydney, 2018) * ''Salute''. (Puncher & Wattmann, Sydney, 2019)

Non fiction

* ''Michelle Nikou''. (Wakefield, 2005) * ''Art Writing: Art in Adelaide in the 1990s and 2000s''. (CACSA, 2009)

Notes

References

External links

3 poems
at Big Bridge

at Sport Magazine

at ''

Jacket Magazine ''Jacket'' was an online literary periodical founded by the Australian poet John Tranter, published from 1997-2010. The first issue was in October 1997. Until 2010, each new number of the magazine was posted at the website piece by piece unti ...

''
The duck at the top of the stairs
long poem * *

* ttp://jacketmagazine.com/bio/bolton-ken.shtml Ken Bolton Author Notesat ''Jacket Magazine'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, Ken 1949 births Australian art critics 20th-century Australian poets 21st-century Australian poets Living people Writers from Adelaide Poets from Sydney University of Sydney alumni