The Unapologists are a happy accident: a collision between art and circumstance.

The first stage on which all three unapologists read was at the Riverina Poetry Caper, Ardlethan, NSW. The poetry caper was the brainchild of the doyen of Australian literature, and president of the ALRS, Robert Nowak. Robert invested his own time and money to organise the wildly successful Riverina Poetry Caper, which featured many well known Australian poets, including Chris Mansell, Ken Smeaton, Kerry Loughrey, Lauren Williams, Randall Stevens, Anya Walwicz, Cam Black, Bill Cobbett, and, of course, Steve Smart, James Jackson, and Howard Firkin.

Despite the widely different backgrounds, styles, and ages of the poets, the Caper proved an enormous success and promises to become a favourite fixture in the Australian poetry scene.

Out of the Caper came the idea of more collaboration between the featured poets. With this in mind, the three poets pooled their life savings, drew lots to sell a kidney, and raised $5k to fund The Unapologists and The Unapologist Press.

Three poets in charge. Money to spend. What could possibly go wrong?

© 2010 Smart Jackson Firkin