I am a poet who occasionally writes prose. I have worked as a lawyer, a university tutor, a union organiser and a tea lady. I wrote a PhD on animals in the works of Charles Dickens, at the Australian National University, and also have a law degree from The University of Melbourne. I give frequent readings of my work in Canberra and elsewhere, and often dabble in the foul pit of literary competitions, sometimes with success. I have judged poetry competitions, too, which probably puts me on a particularly interesting level of Dante’s Inferno. I currently edit poetry for The Canberra Times, a newspaper.
Latest publications:
V8, a joint poetry collection written with Sandra Renew
Utterly Short-listed for the ACT Book of the Year, 2021
Monstrous OUT OF PRINT (But if you are interested in purchasing direct from me, please use the Contact Form of this blog)
Both the books above are available as ebooks as well. They can also be purchased from a large number of on-line bookshops.
Quick Bright Things: Poems of Fantasy and Myth. It can be ordered from the publisher for $5 plus Australian postage, or contact me via the contact form to arrange a signed copy, if you are overseas.
Here is the cover of the prose pocket book Paths Into Inner Canberra published in 2015, with a photo by Geoffrey Dunn. It can be ordered from Ginninderra Press, and is part memoir and part an essay on nature in the city. It costs $4 (plus Australian postage). Contact me for overseas sales via the contact form to this blog.
The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry edited by Tim Jones and P.S.Cottier is published by Interactive Publications and is available at this page, or at many on-line sellers.
The following books are out of print and therefore harder to obtain! (If I were a salesperson I’d say they are to be particularly cherished.)
Canberrans can still buy from The Source (me).
A suite of poems called Selection Criteria for Death can be found in Triptych Poets Issue 3, was published by Blemish Books, who have now closed down. The book is therefore no longer available from the publisher.
My first poetry collection, The Glass Violin, was published by Ginninderra Press in 2008, and they also published my first short collection of short stories, called A Quiet Day. This was followed by The Cancellation of Clouds. That’s poetry. If you would like to order a copy of any of these for the special price of $10 (AUD, including postage in Australia) please contact via the contact form on this blog.
Overseas sales are welcome, and I will quote with postage if you contact via the contact form to this blog. These GP books have been successful in literary prizes, or have been highly commended, which is the same sort of thing only rather less so…Signed, if you want.
My poems have appeared in publications including Australian Poetry Journal,extempore, Eureka Street, Verity La, Plumwood Mountain, Cordite, The Mozzie, Poetrix, The Canberra Times (all Oz) Hand Luggage Only (UK, an anthology of sonnets edited by Christopher Whitby), Gloom Cupboard (international), The Atlanta Review (US), Shakespeare’s Monkey Revue (US), Star*Line (US) and Contemporary Verse 2 and ChiZine(Canada). I have been both anthologised and anthologized, depending on the countries involved. Reviewing is something I do, as is excessive commenting on other blogs. I was the inaugural on-line Poet in Residence for Australian Poetry Limited, and I have tutored for that organisation.
I live in the peaceful burg of Canberra, Australia, after growing up in Melbourne.
Available from P.S. Cottier direct (see contact details buried in text above!):
The header image on this and other pages is from a photograph by Bryna Bamberry. The photo below is by Geoffrey Dunn.
PS Cottier 
And now I spend as much time living on the south coast of New South Wales as possible. Makes Canberra look busy.
This is the first time I’ve ever commented within a site such as this – partly thru reserve, partly because of technological stupidity, but I just wanted to say how bowled over (or out?) by your young Jesuses/cricketing poem. It’s simply so rich, so complex and – not simple but unforced at the same time. I admired it immensely, esp. the transition you so bravely pulled off with the “He recalls/another day, when he was darker skinned’, which, in one sense, you shouldn’t be able to get away with but in another, is so strong and solid, it can’t be questioned, and I also thought all the resonances in the final three lines – none of them competing with but just working in harmony with one another – was spectacular. I think this is a very special poem. Congratulations, S Cottier. I’m looking froward to reading more of your work. And if I now push the wrong button, as is likely, and this flies off somewhere beyond both my and your reach, I hope the thought it expresses reaches you by force of its own admiration for what you’ve achieved. More practically, I could copy it to nigel. Best wishes, John Clanchy
Thank you, John, for tracking down this site! The poem is from the Triptych collection, and there is a note in there about the origin of the poem. I was in St John’s Anglican Church in Reid, and noticed how Jesus looks like David Gower in many representations in stained glass windows.
Of course, Jesus can be represented in any way; I have seen Aboriginal Jesuses, for example. But the historical Jesus was, presumably, dark haired, not golden!
I an very pleased that it was my poem that made you break your blog duck. But please, if you wish, forward this to Nigel as well!
Perhaps I will meet you at his novella launch later this month? I am not sure where you are in Oz.
Still Canberra, I see! So no doubt we’ll meet, (if we haven’t already).
Perhaps we already have, Penelope (met, I mean), but my mind is not entirely ‘steady’ these days (daze?). Yet I will be at Nigel’s launch, and look forward to meeting you (again?) nthen.
Best,
John
Look forward to it!
Congratulations! I like your blog so much I have nominated it for the Liebster Award. To accept your award visit my blog http://wp.me/p3O5Jj-cY and follow the instructions.
Happy blogging! Best wishes. Norah
Thank you so much for thinking of me Norah, but I don’t really see my blog in terms of seeking an award, so I won’t be pursuing the opportunity.
I am so glad you like the blog!
Just read “Lord A of Yarralumla” – much appreciated, astute, even compassionate.
So glad there are people like you out there!
Thank you Geoffrey.
I hope we have more compassionate governments, one day.
Cannot seem to find how to ‘follow’ this blog, nor yet subscribe by email. Can you please enlighten me?
Generally a little button appears down the bottom right side, but I’ll send an invitation Rosemary.
Thank you.
I have added a new widget too, Rosemary.
Thanks. I am now following. 🙂