CASTLEMAINE poet Ross Donlon has decided to put some of his fellow bards in prison.The seemingly drastic move is not because of some argument over rhyme and metre - it’s all part of an intriguing literature program he has been engaged to develop for the Castlemaine State Festival.A few years ago Ross Donlon was asked to run a small poetry event at the festival. At the time, no one appreciated how much poetry talent there was in the region, and how much demand for the form. The festival event was sold out, and the goldfields poetry scene has refused to stay small ever since.For the Castlemaine State Festival this year Ross is featuring presentations at historic sites.Two of the more unusual venues are the Castlemaine Art Gallery and the Old Castlemaine Gaol.In the Artlines tour, four prize-winning poets will take people on a walk around the gallery, stopping to read their poems next to artworks that inspired them. Each audience member is presented with a copy of poems by Sheryl Persson, Ross Gillett, E.A. Gleeson and Ross Donlon.In Poetry from Inside, the gaol offers a unique atmosphere for readings from three vibrant poets and performers.Nathan Curnow has just completed a tour of haunted sites, something that inspired his poems.Award-winning Karen Knight recently published her fifth collection, Postcards From the Asylum, which won the ACT Poetry Prize in 2007.Canadian-born Ian McBryde’s fourth collection, Domain, was short-listed for the Age Poetry Book of the Year in 2005.The gaol experience is on Saturday, March 28 at 8.30pm, and the gallery tour is on Sunday, March 29 at 4pm.For the full program of other literary events visit www.castlemainefestival.com.au/literaturePAGE.htmlFor phone bookings contact The Capital on 5434 6100.