John Forbes 1969
John Forbes
1950-1998

John Forbes was born in Melbourne in 1950 and lived in New Guinea, Malaya and Townsville until his family settled in Sydney in the early sixties. He gained a BA (Hons) at the University of Sydney in 1973 and moved to Melbourne in 1989. John Forbes continued to work in various jobs, including writer-in-residence, reviewer, freelance poetry tutor, and voluntary mentor to many younger poets. Over the years, he received a number of poetry prizes and Literature Board grants, allowing him to travel. John Forbes was widely published in Australia and esteemed by his many fans, students, peers and colleagues. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1998.

from Collected Poems

Writings Online
In Memorium
Publications
  • Collected Poems, 1970-1998
        Brandl & Schlesinger: 2001
        ISBN 1 876040 27 0
  • Damaged Glamour
        Brandl & Schlesinger Poetry : 1998
        Review by John Tranter
  • New and selected poems
        Angus & Robertson : 1992
        ISBN: 0207169519
  • Thin Ice
        Surfers Paradise Press : 1990
  • The stunned mullet & other poems
        Hale & Iremonger : 1988
        ISBN: 0868063061
        ISBN: 0868063053
  • Stalin's holidays
        Transit Poetry ; Allbooks Distribution : 1981
        ISBN: 0959437703
  • Drugs
        Black Lamb Press : 1979
  • On the Beach
        Sea Cruise Books : 1977
  • Tropical Skiing
        Angus & Robertson : 1976

Collections
  • Made in Australia The OZlit Collection Vol. 3, Poetry
        Gan Gan Publishing1994
        ISBN 1-86336-002-6
  • Book of Modern Australian Poetry
        edited by John Tranter and Philip Mead
        Bloodaxe ISBN 1-85224-315-5
        published within Australia as the
        Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry
        ISBN 0-14-058649-0
Journals
  • Heat 4
  • Jacket #3
    (April 1998) : dedicated to the memory of John Forbes.
        Antiromantic; Dean Martin's definition of happiness; Love Poem;
        Ode to Karl Marx; Satellite of Love; Speed, a Pastoral
  • New American Writing number four, Fall 1988.
  • Overland : issue 150     Anzac Day
  • Surfers Paradise 4 (Spring 1986) : Editor
        Watching the Treasurer

Resources
Links

John Forbes Collected Poems Homage to John Forbes Online Poems
©: adapted by afactor Dated: 16 February 1998 Updated: 23 January 2007
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