In her editorial, Gina Mercer observes that this ‘is a decidedly poetic edition of Island’. Mercer bids farewell to poetry editor James Charlton, and announces the 2008 Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize. Also, the journal showcases the work of writers who are committed to what Mercer refers to as ‘the joyous and endangered art of poetry’.

The edition opens with a conversation between prominent Australian poets Judith Beveridge and Dorothy Porter. This piece is titled ‘Poetry Animals’ and describes the way in which both poets have used animals in their work. In the following pages, we find a range of poems, as well as essays on poetry-writing by Myron Lysenko and Kris Hemensley. There are also several short fiction pieces and reviews.