Les Wicks

Les Wicks is an Australian poet, publisher and editor. He has published more than fifteen books of poetry.

Early life and education

Wicks grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Asian and Australian History at Macquarie University and worked at a variety of unskilled and semi-skilled jobs while living in Sydney and London.
In the late 1970s, he established Meuse Press which mixed text and graphics. He helped set up the Poets Union of Australia in New South Wales. From the 1980s, he worked as a union industrial advocate for several unions after obtaining qualifications in Industrial Law from the University of Sydney.

The Vanguard Sleeps In
Cannibals
Tickle
Nitty Gritty
The Ways of Waves
Appetites of Light
Stories of the Feet
The Ambrosiacs
Shadows of the Read English/Ukrainian
Barking Wings
Sea of Heartbeak
El Asombrado English/Spanish
Getting By Not Fitting In
Belief
Time Taken – New and Selected
As editor/co-editor or organised
2024 * Class Meuse Press
2022 * Meuse Press
2018 * "To End All Wars"
2015 * Meuse Press
2011 "AU/UA: Contemporary Poetry of Ukraine and Australia" Meuse Press
2010 "from this Broken Hill" Meuse Press
2009 * Meuse Press
2000–2008 co-organiser Poets on Wheels.
2002 Heritage Light including publishing a poem on the surface of a river.
1999–date editor of Australian Poetry Collaboration
1998–2003 Written in Sand Project Meuse Press.
1999–2000 editor of Hobo.
1993 to date director of Island Press.
1992–1999 Artransit Project Meuse Press.
1985 Musicians Union Band Guide. 1978.
1984–1997 to Senior Industrial Officer Musicians Union & Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
1990–93 Sec. NSW ALP Communications & Leisure Policy Committee. –
1977–1981 Meuse Press Magazine, supplements & anthologies.
Part of Poets Union of Australia original steering committee, Jnt Sec./Treas., Federal Secretary 1983.