Winter Edition #265 SEP 2019
Quarterly Bulletin of The Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc.
Anthology comes to fruition Celebrating 90 Years of the FAW 1928–2018* Featured authors include: Dame Mary Gilmore in the December 2017 edition Barbara Horton of Writers Voice, submissions B • Gavin Austin wereack called for inclusion in an • David Meyers Anthology to celebrate 90 Years of the • Malcolm Beazley Fellowship of Australian Writers. That • Colleen Parker call was made by Pamela Waugh on • Annie Didcott behalf of Canberra and Region FAW, • Glen Haxton Riley which was originally incorporated in • Rosemary Dobson 1950 as FAW ACT, then was rebirthed • Patricia Stone in 2018 as the Canberra and Region • Anne Edgeworth branch of FAW NSW. • Elita Thompson Pamela has since moved to Bowral • Jo Forestier and the challenge was taken up by • Carolyn Wanganeen Jenni Warren. The book—titled • June Foster In Celebration of Writers has now • Jenni Warren been published. It was compiled and • Miles Franklin edited by Malcolm Beazley, Jenni • Craig Cooper Warren and Jo Forestier. • Marion Halligan • * History of the FAW • Read the history of the FAW up to 2011 via a link on this FAW See report on the launch event held IN THIS ISSUE… NSW web page:
WRITERS VOICE ISSN 0817-0746 ISBN the Treasurer will assess recommendations. The DSA Committee’s decision is final. The official Bulletin of the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc A FREE ISBN (one number per publication) is available to members—contact the FAW is published quarterly. Opinions expressed are those of the Hon. Secretary Maureen Kelly
2 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au State Council News From the President to readers of our Gwonderful Writers Voice, especiallyreetings to new members who have joined our ranks. Annual Awards luncheon You can get to meet many of our members and our Committee at the
November 2nd (details in this issue). nextOur Awards special Luncheon, guest making Saturday a popular return is author of many books on Australiana, broadcaster, speaker, tale teller, Jim Haynes. The Radio Reunion cake. RADIO REUNION—four of some two dozen attendees. From left: Well-known media presenter Pete Graham, radio and TV presenter Ian Jim features in a segment on Radio Kelly, Trevar Langlands and Craig Denyer (yes Dad to TV’s Grant). 2GB at 11.30am every Sunday on the George and Paul show. Congratulations to the 100 authors I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed their His new book on Australian wars who have had their work selected experience and said it helped them a will be out soon. for publication; looking forward great deal with their writing. Join us for a rollicking lunch plus to seeing you all at the Parliament Thank you to Treasurer Kay our awards for competitions, meet Bakon for her ongoing help with I am happy to see that we again our luncheon and to Ken Driver our couple of new books from Canberra Househave a Launchnumber in of November. FAW members who Editor and Webmaster in helping theand Judges Southern and Highlands. also the Launch of a were successful in this competition— with Computer Tech aspects to assist A jam packed program at 99 on York, the project of course was open to all our Membership Secretary. just a short walk from Town Hall station. NSW Seniors Card holders—so there is quite a variety of authors from The Radio Connection Seniors Stories Volume 5 many regions. [see Project Manager’s Radio is closely related to writing… I want to pay tribute to all involved in report p14—Ed.] writing of advertisements, bios of this year’s Seniors Stories publication. Thank you to Cate and Colleen and people to interview, comedy sketches, Thanks to Colleen Parker, Maureen everyone involved in the excellent news etc. Kelly, Narelle Noppert, Cate Plink, workshops conducted around the I used to write advertisements for Pam Ferrari, and all the readers State to promote the Seniors Card a number of National Advertisers as involved as this year it has been Short Story Writing Project. well as comedy routines sponsored a huge success in the amount of I attended a couple of the by a major Sydney Department store. manuscripts received. workshops and all the people who Over the years I have worked for many radio stations commencing many years back at 4BK Brisbane and thereafter up to today employed at a number of stations in Queensland Distinguished Service Award and NSW. Honour Roll I recently attended a radio reunion of former presenters at Denise Aldridge Ken Challenor Maureen Kelly oam Albert Scott* Carolyn Alfonzetti Jan Dean Lyn Leerson Bridget Sharp previous reunion 25 years ago. Patricia Allen Beryl Dundas* Pat Lindsay Dr John Sheppard LithgowIncluded 2LT, above meeting are upa couple again afterof a Ellen Ash Margaret Ekin Helen Luidens* Margot Shugg photos from the event. The cake was Gavin Austin Thelma Flower* Johan Luidens Barbara Snel made in the form of an old fashioned Barbara Aylott Shirley Goodbar Elizabeth McVie Yvonne Sorensen radio receiver. Eileen Backhus* Eileen Gray Vince Morrison Dorothe Squires-Cooper If you read up on the history of Jill Baggett Pip Griffin Esther Osborne Frank Urban ABC presenters and journalists you Margaret Barlow Mavis Gunter Rosemary Peters Linda Visman Miriam Bates Mavis Hayes* Peter F Pike Margaret Wilkinson writing career in radio. Cyril Bentley* Dr Anne Howard Margaret Robinson* Margaret Young will find many novelists started their Meryl Bentley* Margaret Jackson Rina Robinson Looking forward to meeting you all Elaine Burton John Jacobs Alan Russell* *Deceased Trevar Langlands, at theState Awards President Lunch in November.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 3 State Council News From the Secretary’s desk grant from your local council or any and new membership cards. The other body, the State Committee December and March copy of Writers am very happy to announce the will always write a letter in support Voice will be the last bulletins issued DSA Assessment Committee I of your grant funding application— contact me at
4 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au FAW ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON ‘York Events’, Club York 95–99 York Street, Sydney Saturday 2 November 2019 11.30 am for 12 noon.
Back by popular demand, our special guest this year is Australian writer, entertainer, broadcaster, humourist, songwriter and historian, Jim Haynes. In 2016 Jim received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the performing arts.
Cost: $45 per person includes a delicious buffet lunch. Raffle Tickets are $1 each. King St
The order form is on the back of your Harbour Bridge Writers Voice mailing sheet.
To obtain tickets, please send your order Pitt St Mall LUNCHEON form and cheque to: VENUE 99 York St Hon. Treasurer, FAW NSW, Sydney Tower Unit 801, Henry Kendall Gardens Market St
150 Maidens Brush Road, Darling Harbour WYOMING NSW 2250. Clarence St
Kent St
Sussex St Make all cheques payable to ‘Fellowship York St
Pitt St George St George of Australian Writers’. Hilton And to help with our finances, please Hotel Castlereagh St enclose a stamped return addressed Druitt St Park St Sydney envelope for your receipt and ticket/s. Town Hall Town Hall We hope to see you there… Station and BRING FRIENDS!
DELEGATES MEETING For Delegates attending the State Council Bathurst St 280 Pitt St Meeting at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney, here is a walking map to the Luncheon (less than 15 minutes).
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 5 FAW Branch Reports Blue Mountains FAW shown the same spirit of being active
6 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au form of dramatic art. As Carolyn with an amazing collection of stories exercise using words with only one demonstrated to us, monodrama was a to read. The theme this year was ‘seed’ syllable. This was not easy and there which produced many very different were lots of giggles when members drama. She discussed the elements, ways of including the word. Reading read aloud what they had written. whichsignificant would and be ongoing necessary form to of produce modern the many entries was a delight but Writing exercises are a regular a successful play. Though there was feature at our monthly meetings and only a single person on the stage, a achieved by having a group effort. An July was no exception. Maureene Fries powerful, cohesive story could still be judginganthology difficult. of the winningThis was stories eventually was presented an exercise where members told through the monologue technique. given to the winners with the prizes suggested a long list of settings. Each Throughout the script, complexities for each section. of us chose a setting from the list and of character could be revealed as Our numbers have been down for made two lists of adjectives—one for well as relationship with others. The a while due to sickness and some of before the event and the other for after story needed to progress while the our members gadding about overseas. the event. This exercise inspired our Writing still goes on no matter what creative writing juices and was helpful allowing for satisfactory conclusion. and the next big event will be the in learning how to set up a framework However,speaker explored as Carolyn his/her pointed own conflicts out, for a piece of writing. the speaker did not simply speak this year musicians will be interwoven Some of our members are entering to nothing. The need for the actor withLiterary the Salons,artists andeagerly writers. anticipated as the Australian Writers Centre’s Furious to direct his speech to someone or One of our members, Judy Turner, Fiction monthly competition. Authors something was also discussed. The has had a short story, ‘Camping with have 55 hours and a maximum of 500 theatre audience could take this role, Crocs’, selected in the top 100 to feature or an absent friend, an object (such in the 2019 Seniors’ Stories, Volume 5 We enjoy hearing them read out at our as the wall in Shirley Valentine). We soon to be published. wordsmeetings. to refine their story-telling skills. were encouraged to think of a variety Our next workshop is inspired by Congratulations to Beatrice Yell and of “audiences” as well as an activity ‘The Fitzroy Diaries’, written and pres- Catherine Smith for their recent Tanka that speaker may be doing. As Carolyn achievements. Details are listed in the informed us, the actor was not static on stage. The person could be walking Weekendented by Lorin with Clarke—a the presentation walking diary. of issue. Colleen Russell’s short story, about, painting a portrait, knitting, to The evening group has had a Literary ‘BrothersLiterary Achievements and Sisters’, was section long of listed this name a few. We explored a variety of in the Peter Cowan 600 word Short Robmany Porteous. different The types only ofdownside poems, beingflash Story Competition. There were over tone and theme of the drama. Thank fictionthat it wasand anot chance long enough.to present work to 300 entries, so congratulations again you,activities, Carolyn which for weregiving significant us a challenge to the One of their members will be a Colleen. Yours truly, Mary Ann Napper’s of writing a 10-minute monodrama for guest speaker at a Health Conference our July writing task. in Sydney later in the year. long listed in the Birdcatcher Books Eileen Dillon-Smith 2019short story, Children’s ‘The Lost Adventure Frogs’ Home,’ Story was Competition Awards afternoon. We competition and will be published in spentAUGUST an enjoyable meeting timewas ourhearing Literary the an anthology to be released before judges’ reports and learning the names Forest FAW Christmas. of the winners of each category. Three For many of us it is tempting to switch Members have extended a warm categories were named after past into hibernation mode during winter. welcome to one new member, Margaret members: Short, short story after But it’s one of the best seasons to be Zanardo, and two former members who Pauline Walsh; Poetry after Phillipa creative when the evenings are chilly have re-joined, Margaret Gowanlock Holland (past president and member, and the days bursting with glorious and Verena Bacchini. died 2018) and the Memoir after Alan sunshine. Our members have not Keep writing! Russell, who died in 2017)—three been hibernating and have been very Mary Ann Napper friends still missed. Unfortunately, productive with their writing. there were only a few visitors as At our meeting in May, we hosted a winners were interstate. However, it Great Lakes FAW was delightful to meet those who came held by author, Amanda Hampson. This year we have had some interesting and to listen to winning entries. Amandaworkshop, was ‘Life generous Writing with and herMemoir,’ time, meetings with a guest speaker Helena Hamilton helpful hints and advice. and different subjects on slightly June was the deadline for our different themes. President Hermione internal short story competition. Eurobodalla FAW Author, Jo Riccioni, will attend our we had to choose subjects by shaking The Mayor’s Writing Competition August meeting to give her feedback introduceda dice. This workeda fiction very grid well, from and which the has come and gone for another year. on each submission (not just the stories which were produced were Members of our group were among the winners). At our June meeting, Jud most interesting as well as different. judges and were delighted yet again Barton challenged us to write an cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 7 FAW Branch Reports Great Lakes Membership totals sixteen writers— as an anthology of members’ writing cont. from previous page correspondence tabled from the FAW (each with an author bio) is under way. We will be able to tell FAW members It was quite popular. We are still using Ken conducted a poetry workshop more about that later in the year. them as our assignments. membershipon HAIKU, resource officer. book Writing and What is microlit? And what about In June our wonderful well-known Enjoying Haiku, a hands-on guide by local author Jacqui Winn gave a talk Jane Reichold. discussion of the various forms of short titled ‘The heart of the story’. We had Anne Doorn dribble, drabble and flash fiction? A several visitors for this meeting and, meeting. I gave a rundown of what as usual, Jacqui held our full attention. fictionmicrolit was is (tellingthe topic a storyfor our in Augusta very In April the assignment was to LAKE MACQUARIE FAW limited number of words), and outlined Chris Allen, Sydney-based action some of the techniques that we could examples of current Australian men thriller writer, last presented at one apply to produce outstanding stories. researchand women Outback writers. Noir, For the and following to find of our general meetings several years month we had to write a book review ago. So, members were delighted to writing exercise. of a chosen book, or to try writing have him return to speak at our May As Pamalways, Garfoot we finished with a related Outback Noir in 600 words. meeting. Chris’s fast-paced books In May we had to bring something include Defender, Hunter, Avenger, Helldiver, and Ranger. Again, he helped Lambing Flat FAW Australia (bushranging, mutiny, to really inspire our writing. togold discuss rushes, re convicts‘Life in the etc.). 1800’s’ In July in has continued its activities in the second Hermione presented information on members attended a new local writing Thequarter Lambing of the Flat year. (Young, Regular NSW) meetings branch ‘dialogue revisited’, which proved most festival—theLater in the Writemonth Here! several Festival, of our were held from May to July with good interesting, with some exercises on attendances for most meetings and writing a page of a story using mainly some excellent short stories written all dialogue. presentedan annual event.by the For Lake a new Macquarie festival as part of the ‘homework’ for members Hermione was away for our August Libraries.it was a great It is hopedsuccess. this The will program become were read at each meeting. meeting, which was held in the local was not huge, but the presentations Preparations for a workshop by library due to a power outage at Club were of high standard and there was Kerry Chater on memoir writing were Forster. Christine took Hermione’s much to inspire us. Our group had an information table at the festival and members were able to chat with finalised,Separate sessions, with the held workshop on the Saturday being muchplace, anddiscussion we discussed re the ‘flashbackpros and cons, and many aspiring writers and established heldand Sunday over the were weekend fully subscribed, of 22–23 June.with flashand itforward’ was decided in writing. everyone This produced would writers throughout the day. the workshop a resounding success. At our June general meeting, The annual writing competition present at the September meeting. attemptSeptember’s to find examplessubject will of both be onto poet David Musgrave was our guest in association with the Young Cherry witches, warlocks, magicians, wizards, nationallypresenter. David significant talked about Newcastle the way Festival,promoted hasby the been Lambing launched; Flat branch, with black cats etc. We’re expecting some modern poetry has largely abandoned sections for short stories and poetry— interesting discussions. Our in-house rhyme. Bush poetry, for instance, has for adults and for children. The very story competition closes in October, not been included in anthologies of successful competition is expected to and we are to hand our manuscripts modern Australian poetry. In keeping attract strong competition, as it does in for judging at the October meeting. with this topic, David gave us a writing each year. (Details on the competition These stories can be on any subject and exercise where we used ‘slant rhymes’ are available elsewhere in this Writers be 600 words in length. (or words with partial or consonant Voice and can be downloaded from the Christine Hayes rhymes, rather than vowel rhymes) in short poems. branch.) Kiama FAW The group’s Annual General Meeting FacebookWork to page celebrate of the Lambingthe fortieth Flat was conducted as part of our July gathering. Once again, the hard- branch, by issuing an anthology, is well convener being our ever popular working Kristen Mair was elected as underway.anniversary All going of the well, Lambing the anthology Flat Ourmember first AGM Ken was Methold. held in April, Ken the is our branch President, and our other should be available next year. The responsible for getting our group anthology will contain winning short together and now lives at a brand our AGM business, we then focussed on stories and poems from competitions new complex at Shell Cove. Executive writingroles were an alsoauthor filled. bio. Having I took completed the group dating to the early 1980s, as well as through the do’s and don’ts of bio short pieces on the history of the Secretary Sandra McCarthy, Treasurer writing, and we each had a go at writing branch. Steveofficers Hughes. are: President Anne Doorn, a short, engaging author bio. The The branch’s Annual General exercise was particularly timely for us, Meeting was held in May, with the
8 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au reading. In my case, it was the Victorian been invited to talk about the book at Peter Symes, Secretary Julie Alavoine novelist, Elizabeth Gaskill, whom the Mudgee Readers Festival with host newand Treasurer office bearers Joan Dwyer. being: President I admire not only for her brilliant Sam Paine. prose, but also for the psychological Our More Than Words competition FAW meets at the Young Services insights to be found in her work. Having has been a great success and we ClubThe from Lambing 5.30 PM Flat to 7.00branch PM onof the recently read three of Gaskill’s novels, are looking forward to hosting an second Monday of each month; except North and South, Ruth and Cranford, I exhibition of all the entries received. for December, when we meet for a was happy to share my impressions. People have sent us beautiful, creative, Christmas function, and January, when intriguing and surprising works that we take a break. Guests are always telling us about the novel, All the Birds have kept us both busy and entertained welcome and any enquiries can be Singing,Shona Levingston by Evie Wyld. then She took described over, for weeks. made to Peter (0413 827 217) or Julie it as a “haunting work about a woman Eila Jamieson-Avey is enjoying (02 6383 6005). who overcomes a dark past,” going on success with her recently published Peter Symes to say: “The woman’s ability to take book Simon Goes to Spain. good from a bad situation is what gives Jill Baggett the novel hope.” Shona was careful to Liverpool FAW add that this is not a book for the more Our numbers have dwindled since conservative reader. Finally, she gave us NORTH ARM COVE FAW my last report, and will do so again a review of Tim Winton’s latest novel, For the winter months, our branch soon. Our President, Rick Vincenti, The Shepherd’s Hut—about a young members have been holding afternoon has resigned his position due to man’s quest for a lost love and the meetings commencing 2pm, enjoying commitments with the Australian events that occur along the way. the warmth and comfort of the library Army. We will be looking for someone Established writer, Victoria Chie, which adjoins their usual venue, the continues to keep us informed about main hall of the community centre. big shoes too. Rick has undertaken so publication matters, though the news As a ‘warm up’ writing exercise prior muchcapable to ofenrich ‘filling and his foster shoes’—mighty our group isn’t always good. Apparently, it takes to the meeting getting fully underway, Yours Magazine in England up to twelve members have been producing some swept through like the proverbial ‘new months to consider a short story excellent two minutes of writing. One broom’since he and took with the officeenthusiasm, in 2013. many He submission. Patience is required. trigger, ‘a Twinings’ tea bag provided new ideas and a lot of conviction and Congratulations to Bob Bee and a lively and amusing discussion on all hard work, shaped us into a ‘new look’ aspects of ‘tea’ proving you only need a group. We will be very sorry to see him winners of our bi-monthly in-house subject to write about and imagination go. We will miss his hearty laugh and Shonacompetition. Levingston, The theme the for most the currentrecent well and truly takes over! his words of encouragement. competition is a story containing the May homework, ‘A senior’s moment’ Rhonda Rice words, “my knees went wobbly”. was a very popular subject resulting I am pleased to say numbers are Macarthur FAW holding steady, with some talented and poems. new members on the scene, as well in Speakingsome terrific, as wellCommunications written stories At the June meeting we were treated as a number of visitors; all making Manager for this year’s Seniors Card to a talk by Campbelltown librarian, for an interesting mix of genre and Short Story competition, I conducted Andrew Allen, about his book, More styles. Building on the foundations a tutorial on ‘the pitfalls or otherwise than Bricks and Mortar: Remembering laid by past-president, Margot Shugg, when entering a competition’. Campbelltown’s Lost Buildings. A Macarthur Branch looks optimistically Discussion was held on adhering to collection of images and stories—not towards the future. the word count, theme, style, format, overburdened with detail—the book Bernard Smith setting up cover sheets, footers as contains information about each building and when it was demolished. advancing the story by dialogue, and Among others, we learned about the Mudgee Valley FAW welladding as remindershumour—intentionally on the five ‘Ws’, or Wheelwright Arms which had a blood- Our major new project is collating unintentionally! I stressed these were stained hand print on the wall that was stories from senior residents of all very important points to observe apparently never able to be removed, Mudgee to compile their life stories when entering a competition, adding as well as another building that was in a book, which we hope to publish that if the rules are not adhered to, converted to a night club during by the end of the year. Pamela and World War II and renamed the Moulin Jill are conducting the interviews and For July’s assignment members Rouge. Plenty of inspiration for writers compiling the stories. We are hearing wroteinstant about disqualification what they love will about occur. their there. Thank you, Andrew, for a most some marvellous tales, there is so much present life. Joan Williams’ ‘love or not’ intriguing talk. depth in the lives we are hearing about of knitting was hilarious. She even At the same meeting, two members and marvellous achievements over a brought along her latest effort. This spoke about what they had been wide variety of areas. Eila and Jill have cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 9 FAW Branch Reports North Arm Cove Introduction of a Skills Session over In our June meeting we had guest cont. from previous page the last three meetings have been received with great interest… publishing [see photo below]. was well received as was Jan Furness’ Writing your story with the eye presenterEmail: < [email protected] Lane speak to us about> poem ‘I look in the mirror and who of a Cinematographer including Web:
10 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Rasmussen. At the August meeting ‘Winter in the hills’ from our 2017 Our poetry group regularly meets members voted on suggestions for Figments anthology to encourage the anthology title; the winning title newer members to submit items for Thursday of the month, to share and is Potpourri. the 2019 anthology. Gaylene shared discussat Mittagong’s their work; Glass ourCafé prose on the group first Our poetry group is continuing to her children’s story ‘Grandma, how meets at a member’s home on the third work towards publishing an anthology much poo does a wombat do?’, which Thursday of the month. showcasing a selection of poems by our has wonderful illustrations as well as Uta Purcell and Greg Baker talented poets. informative text. Brian read his poem Greg Tome continues to work ‘Egg shells’ which addressed the issue hard and supply regular etymology of political correctness. Greg Tome Stroud FAW exercises that are both challenging presented his very funny 10-minute In February we welcomed Michelle and and interesting. These have included play that showed the frustrations Ruth from Karuah, representatives of the origins of words; links between suffered by a lawyer (played by Ingrid) the Worimi people. They captured our words; crosswords; and lately a foray trying to help a father gain custody of interest with a comprehensive talk on into rhyming slang. Not only does Greg his daughter. Unfortunately, the father Aboriginal language learning for young supply hard copies of the exercises (played by Greg) is far more passionate indigenous students. to members but also the answers about State of Origin football than the for those extra hard questions. The legal processes involved in gaining Greg Wirt, has successfully launched exercises are now also available on the custody. hisLong-time book, D-Tour, member my unexpected of Stroud Writers,journey website for members who may have July saw the presentations of ‘Coffee to joy through PTSD, in America and missed a meeting. break’ a short story by Greg about here in Australia. Well done Greg! The What have you been reading We have received a great number meeting section is always followed by accident; Sylvia read a memoir about of thank-you letters from NSW Public a lively discussion. An average of six the work of first responders to a car High School principals, all very pleased members share information on what the Second World War; and Jo read to add to their libraries our donation they have been reading each meeting. hertravelling poem ‘Bayfrom Street Wales Brighton’ to London a vividafter of our re-printed 2011 publication, There is a strong belief within the picture of the Melbourne streetscape Battlefields & Homefires—untold stories. group that the more you read the better and its inhabitants. Some of our members attended you are able to write. President Greg Baker has begun the unveiling of a memorial plaque Our 100-word exercise topics for a series he has entitled Baker’s in honour of Rear-Admiral Phillip June, July and August were, respectively, Bugbears—tools for the grammar Parker King, noted explorer and ‘I wonder …’ suggested by Barbara police. This series is a light-hearted hydrographer, and commissioner, McKendry; ‘the bike is still in its usual approach to common writing errors. place …’ suggested by Sylvia Bevan; Company (AACo) which then had its and ‘sometimes I sit and think and prevalence in newspapers and 1839–49,headquarters of the Australianhere in Stroud. Agricultural The sometimes I just sit …’ suggested Greg’smagazines first bugbearof sentences was thethat increasing were not unveiling took place in the historic by Sandy Pemberten. They were sentences, that is, not including verbs. 1833 St John’s Anglican Church. It was very popular, with most members He also explained the correct use of the indeed an informative and enjoyable participating. The 100-word challenge semicolon and of the em and en rules. weekend of activities, including tours really make members think about how In the future he plans to have a look at of historic sites and an author talk by to use words effectively. that much-neglected word ‘whether’. King’s biographer, Brian Abbott. Every meeting features a 10-minute Stroud Historical Society has asked writing exercise. For June, Greg Baker our guest speaker at the July meeting. us to research and contribute material supplied the group with the line ‘I’m SheLocal presented writer Robyna very Arrowsmithinformative wastalk for an updated version of Stroud’s dying for a pie …’ to link in with Pie about her book All the way to the USA centenary book, Souvenir of Stroud, in Time in the Highlands. There were which started out as a research project preparation for marking the town’s many wonderful and varied responses for her doctorial thesis. It tells the story bicentenary in 2026. to it, from literally dying after eating of Australian war brides who married Our president, Susan Filson, a pie, feeding birds, and enjoying a US servicemen during and after the continues to lead an active and busy life. pie; even the Pied Piper featured. The Second World War. Robyn also spoke In January she was invited to a wedding most original was from Tony Mills about the process of self-publishing; in Malaysia. She brought back some who managed to use the mathematical amusing stories and challenged us to involved; and how to launch a book write on wedding favours. In May Sue July saw the words ‘wall’, ‘blue’ and finding the right publishers; cost participated in NSW Writers workshop, ‘echidna’symbol π inhaving his story. to be included and stressed that it is a longer process than ‘Writing and Publishing’. Her report August centred around ‘love is’. when it finally appears in print. She back inspired our members to write Presentations by members cont years of work which she celebrated and publish stories regularly. inued as a feature of monthly meetings. withfirst imagined;two book launches.her book took thirteen At the June meeting Sylvia read cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 11 FAW Branch Reports Stroud of the group with stories ranging from The Great Chicken Getaway cont. from previous page murder to the early days of Australia. Miss Warble A number of people were involved in • The Seal Slept on Sue and her husband Rex are now off developing this book. • The Purple Puppy on a trip across the Nullarbor, among Firstly, our members who wrote Clare• Hallifax from Scholastic will judge other adventures. We wish them a safe such wonderful stories. Secondly, • journey and look forward to the stories Margaret Ruckert who was the editor for all shortlisted entries. they bring back. and worked with such grace when 1st,Another 2nd and project 3rd places that with the Sutherlandcertificates On May 9 our members gathered critiquing each story. Finally, Helen FAW will be involved in later this year is for a workshop at Tahlee, on Port Armstrong and Pat Ruell who helped the SPARK competition for High School bring the book to published quality. students in the Sutherland Shire. Sylvia in 1826. Tahlee House served as If you would like a copy please go to Vago, secretary of the Sutherland Shire Stephens,accommodation where forthe its AACo commissioners, first settled Sutherland Shire website to order FAW is the co-ordinator of this event. became a private dwelling and then
Sutherland Shire FAW It has been an exciting year with the completion of a number of projects that were undertaken by the Sutherland group. The guest speakers at the monthly meetings have been particularly interesting. The June meeting hosted guest speaker Baz Radburn, author of The Crossing, which will be turned into a TV series. He led the group’s workshop focusing on how to build tension when you write, a stimulating workshop indeed. The July meeting was led by Stella Tarakson, another interesting speaker who encouraged the concept of how to develop a character. She promoted the thinking of ‘show don’t tell’. The 2019 Sutherland Shire Anthology
be launched at the Writers Unleashed wasFestival. finalised It showcases and is now the printed.diverse ability It will A meeting of the Sutherland FAW with speaker Stella Tarakson.
12 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au How exciting to see over 100 people paying to attend the Writers Unleashed Festival held on 17th August. What a great effort by all involved! [Full report next issue]. Fiona Johnstone
Wollondilly FAW There’s plenty of excitement in the Wollondilly camp! We have just received advice from council both our applications for grants were successful. monthly Scribblings magazine and the Thesecond first for is to a coverwriting costs workshop of printing titled our ‘Express Yourself: Writing & Poetry Workshop’ to be held on October 27th. Four of our members were successful in having stories selected for the 2019 Seniors Stories competition. Not a writing success but still a creative one, The supportive handouts were also very examples of this were given, along coveted prize for recycled artwork at appreciated. with great notes, followed by a ten- Picton’sour Librarian Illuminate Sue event. Southwood And, who won said a A short story by Mavis Gunter minute exercise to demonstrate that amateur writers can’t have successes? was critiqued with many interesting important skill. New Idea accepted (and paid for) a suggestions and considerations about In July, the very exciting news of story by Dee McKibbon, and Narelle the piece. This is always a valuable the success of Wyong Writers in Noppert had two poems published in exercise for all members. gaining a local Council Grant was FreeXpresSion. The annual poetry competition announced. This success was due to I addressed Wollondilly Evening results were announced with the the extensive hard work of our member, View Club and Picton Probus in July. Anne Nielsen. The grant was for the As well as talking about my books I Venning for her excellent poem, ‘Waking.’ sum of $3,053.95 and will be used told them about FAW which generated Equalfirst prize second being place awarded winners to Mei-ling were for the printing of our anthology for considerable interest. Elizabeth McVie with her lovely poem, 2019. The theme for this publication After asking members to suggest ‘Spring,’ and Jan Forrester with another, involved stories about community topics for exercises and workshops also titled, ‘Spring.’ Third winner was and belonging. This anthology will be we’ve had enormous fun examining Margaret Young with her beautiful launched on the morning of November and writing poetry and children’s poem, ‘The Shawl.’ Congratulations to stories as well as covering more all winners. serious writing topics including Our members, Elizabeth McVie, 16thA atcall the was Tuggerah made Libraryfor members located toin ‘Show not Tell’. Yvonne Sorensen and Mandy Byrne handthe Westfield in their prose Centre. competition entries Pam Ferrari attended the meeting of the Wyong by the August meeting. Community Centre Discussion Group Our member, John Christie, and gave an overview of the Wyong announced the date of July 31st for his Wyong FAW Writers’ meetings. excellent art exhibition to be held in In May, the topic of our in-house The June meeting kicked off with the Terrigal at the Poker Bar. competitions was discussed and critiquing of a short story called, ‘Raw Our visitor, Kathryn Coughran, gave the theme for the year’s prose was Challenge’ by Shari Whittick. It was fast- an informative talk on ‘mindfulness’ paced and enjoyed by all. in writing. Our member, Pat Webb drought’ within Australia. Entries were The anticipated launch of a new book gave assistance. The talk involved announced.due at our August It will meeting.be ‘flood, Ideas fire and for by Mei-ling Venning, called ‘Grace,’ will considering balance, meditation and the 2020 poetry competition were also be held on September 28th at Toowoon being grounded with an approach to discussed. writing. Mindfulness techniques were Our President, Mei-ling Venning, details visit
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 13 Seniors Card Competition SENIORS STORIES VOLUME 5: Project Manager’s Report for one moment did the Seniors Card Project Nteam members, or for that matter, our Webmaster, Pamela King, Narelle Noppert, Rosemary Peters, Sue everever envisage the onslaught we experienced with the SouthwoodSUTHERLAND and SHIRE: WYONG: Elaine Anne Staples; Nielsen, WOLLONDILLY: Patricia Webb. avalanche of entries in this year’s Short Story competition. It was a fabulous testimony to our efforts in conducting of Congratulations to these short story writers for their 6 workshops across the State and the promotion about the successPresident in being Trevar published Langlands in the will Seniors present Stories FAW Awards Volume 5 project but never in a million years would any of us have book to be launched by Seniors Card at Parliament House, predicted that 595 entries would arrive. Yes, nearly 600! Sydney on 18th November 2019. However, we will be a As Project Manager I want to pay a huge tribute to Ken little ahead of the game with our FAW Annual Function Driver, our website manager and Writers Voice Editor, being held this year on 2nd November with full details whose technology ability makes so much ‘happen’ for elsewhere in this magazine. FAW. Simplifying the submission process assisted our I encourage the branches who have a successful Competition Secretary, Narelle Noppert to manage the member to rally their troops and share their writer/s’
The six months from February to August which was from their writer by having some fun and fellowship. Details hugethe Competition flow and keep Opening track ofuntil everything Closing had on her the database.Team of cansuccess be found by attending in this Writers the Luncheon Voice on in page Sydney 5. and support 11 working day and night and weekends too while not Finally, Seniors Card makes these books available to neglecting their FAW branch commitments but appearing generous by sending a free copy to everyone who simply contactsall Libraries them throughout and places the an Stateorder. of I NSWencourage but are every also unflappableT doinghe impartial it. judging process… branch to take this opportunity to build your library Step 1. Submissions arrived through our website link. with the inclusion of Seniors Stories Volume 5. I will give Step 2. All entries were catalogued and after identities further details in the next issue of Writers Voice because were removed bundles of 25s were posted out
stories; the readers processing a few bundles each theI booksthank mywill Project not be availableTeam, Maureen until after Kelly the Official, Narelle toas designatedmore and more ‘readers’ entries to cullwere the received. first pass of LaunchNoppert in and November. Cate Plink for their huge effort including the typing of all the entries which arrived via Australiaoam Post, Step 3. the team of Readers aforementioned, and FAW President returned to the Competition Secretary. They were prioritised from 1–25 before being Step 4. The top 10 from each bundle were then merged all our activities—because without this fabulous band of and from those a short list was compiled. TrevarFAW loyal Langlands, members for the his rest unrelenting of us would support not be of successful FAW in Step 5. This year that short list was 180, from which we in our writing endeavours. needed the Top 100. Successful stories were then Colleen Parker matched up with their author names from the Seniors Card Project Manager original database of submitted entries. I want to thank the Readers; Jill Baggett, Carolyn Cash, Pamela King, Pippa Kay, Mo Kelly, Rosemary Peters and Cate Plink, who handled that very important part of the process. These readers are across the State without contact with each other and are never sent their own entry SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS FOR SALE in their bundles to read. All Books $10.00 plus postage $5.00 My point in explaining this to you is so you understand TRAVELLING VERSE POETRY—a collection of verses (40). The how many pairs of eyes the stories pass through before beauty of our rural landscapes, tropical forests and oceans. Seniors’ competition is to publish an interesting book CONSTRASTS—descriptive poems (50 pages). Word pictures of withthe final lots judgementof variety in is themade. stories, The ultimaterather than aim like of our most the glorious sunsets, raging storms and customs, from Western competitions where just one judge decides on the story’s Australia to the east and north of our beloved country. LOVE REIGNS—a coffee table collection (A4 size) of the power, It is with much pride that I can share with you that 14 pain and joy of Love in our lives. literaryof our FAW merit members for first wereprize. selected after going through To order, contact the author, Joan Lane, PENWRITE PUBLISHING, Port Macquarie. Telephone 0484 504 334 or e-mail
14 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Networking with Narelle ‘Sharing is Caring’ ‘A creative and social gal’
to our September chat Pamela Meredith Wand thank you to members I write very short stories. Mostly who haveelcome given positive feedback. family tales… the happenings of Please continue to let me great grandchildren, adventures know your thoughts to keep us all in life. inspired, productive and positive. I spin a bit, knit the chunky Inspiration is certainly contagious, wool into beanies, slippers, let us share it. Cold winter days Narelle Noppert mittens and a rug or two. haven’t been the best for outside Read, lots of reading, novels hobbies and I have often peered out, hoping for the and magazines, our library has Pamela Meredith, temperature to rise so I can get some mosaicing done. I an endless supply. U3A book club a Red Hat Lady have completed a few pieces on milder days. with discussions on the merits of Any weather is good for writing so hope a few the authors or not. Such a variety of opinions. masterpieces have been created during the bleak days, and many of you took the opportunity to attend one women who know how to laugh. Morning teas, coffee of the workshops and enter the Seniors Card Writing andRed cake Hat with Ladies. chat, Now they there’s discuss a thegroup day’s of matureevents, withaged Competition run by us. The committee travelled far and humour. wide to present these workshops and we appreciate And not the least I splash watercolour paints about at their great effort. There are many writing competitions class with other elders. Great fun, not a lot of talent from around at the moment so why not try your luck. me but company and more fun. I’m hoping to receive some creative ideas for Almost forgot the Friday lunch girls, we eat at various Christmas décor to share in our December issue. Now venues around town. Seniors mostly, women with life that spring is with us, Christmas is around the corner experiences worth recording. We should write more and handmades make lovely Christmas gifts. Your of the lives lived by these folk. Histories lost for future interesting submissions help to keep the Writers Voice generations who will say, “Wish I’d asked Granma and alive and enjoyable. Pop about their lives”. Our guest this month is Pamela Meredith from Too late. Mudgee Valley FAW. Pamela is a productive member of And of course, there is the writers’ group here in her branch and heavily involved in the many interesting Mudgee. We gather and read out our efforts, write about some object of interest and plan competitions. Pamela is a creative and social kind of gal! Her hobbies projectsand interests they haveare diverse on the andgo at I amthe pleasedmoment. she Like has many, Maybe this year we will record some of our locals’ volunteered to share them with us in this issue. I think lives and write them up and publish in a small book. A she may be slightly modest about her painting skills; I history of lives well lived. am impressed by them and I love her red hat! Wearing my other hat as membership secretary, I would like to keep the membership list up to date so no- one misses their issue and few copies are wasted. Please Pamela’s chunky email any address changes to me. Financial members wool and a detail of one of her will continue to receive their copy for the current year watercolours. even if they no longer attend branch meetings. A HUGE welcome to recent new members and I am pleased to share that all through the year we continue to receive newbies! I remind you that along with payment to our treasurer, Kay, can you also email me to let me know contact details for new members, as well as advising me as soon as possible if there has been any member who has not received an issue. Happy hobbying. I look forward to hearing from you. Narelle Noppert
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 15 Poets
Thoughts from the Poetry Editor
Way back when started writing poetry in the 1940s, I knew little Submissions to Poets Voice: I more than how much I liked it. I’ve lost track of how many workshops and learning groups I Send your poem by email as a typed attachment (shorter is better!) to our attended over the years. But a few things I learned honorary Poetry Editor, Shirley Goodbar have not only stuck with me, they seem still to be for consideration. self-evident… Shirley’s email address is: On language: I was told, “poetry is saying the most with the least [email protected] number of words.” Use a dictionary and a thesaurus. Please provide your name and FAW branch Build your personal vocabulary so you have a wide for publication. variety of word pictures at your command. Don’t Deadlines are, the beginning of February, May, be afraid of ‘uncommon‘ words: choose the most August or November—for March, June, Sept. accurately expressive ones. or Dec. issues respectively. On length: Please note, poems accepted for publication Poetry doesn’t need to be long to be good. The under the ‘Poets Voice’ banner will be deemed poet doesn’t need to spell out everything—give to have been published and therefore are not eligible for entry in FAW competitions.
picture.the reader some credit. Let them use their own knowledge and life experience to “fill out” the I once wrote a 30-line poem. My mentor went through the middle of a thought. This is especially through it and drew a line through ten of them. jarring when it involves emotion. Pay close attention “Now read the lines that are left”, she said. The to this aspect of layout. twenty lines, with some alteration of words and sequences, said everything that was important. The On publishing layout: The WV layout artist has “x” dimension of space to no purpose. to use. He receives a number of poems of different otherI get ten many lines of were those superfluous; kinds of submissions. mere repetition Edit your work. Are you being repetitious? Are you space. If your poem is very long, (e.g. more than belabouring your point? “Write in hot blood; edit in 36sizes lines), and orshapes has an which unusual have shape to be taking fitted upinto a longthat cold blood”. narrow slice of white space with one or two very the best you can do. long lines, he is limited in how many and which ones he can put into one issue. I would prefer not On style: Your first drafts are most unlikely to be to put any limits on your work, but I will reiterate All styles of poetry are legitimate. How the modern that shorter poems are very welcome. A mixture ones are set out may add to their appeal—and may of styles and sizes helps to make the page more not! A poem should not dribble down the page like visually appealing, and more interesting. a shopping list. This suggestion does not eliminate short lines; it simply means one should pay more I enjoy being the editor of the poetry page for attention to line breaks. A good line break can Writers Voice. make a poem; a careless one will often change the computer screen; I’m in awe of the talent I see every meaning when you don’t intend to! quarter. And I’mSo happy much watching fine work the shows progress up on being my Line breaks made by many members who are trying to develop …are a bug-bear for many poets using the modern time. You’re doing well. Keep at it. their sense for poetry, some perhaps for the first where a line ends. Modern style leaves that up That’s all… for now. tostyle. the Meteredpoet according poetry tohas what specific meaning “rules” the about poet Shirley Goodbar is suggesting. Where a line ends should not cut
16 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Poets Voice
Caught in sport Something Out Of Nothing To watch a sport distracts the mind, It’s hard to write of something when nothing comes to mind… at venues or on screen. Poetising’s even harder when key words are hard to find. The viewer there will quickly find There was this lengthy tribute that I thought read pretty strong a bright new world of gleam. But then the editor she said, “best make it not too long!” Away the world of trouble goes— “…and humour wouldn’t go astray,” she finally requested. the conflict and the stress. (I’m not sure I’m the man for that—my wit is sometimes tested) A bubble then surrounds our woes. For while chuckles of the hearty sort are the kind I value most I like it, I confess. Very often when I tell a joke the punch-line just gets lost. There’s drama and there’s skills galore Yet life’s a comedy of sorts with the crazy things it does that we appreciate, With its highs and lows and in-betweens we often laugh because while seeing players in a war— ‘If we couldn’t laugh we’d cry!’ we say: our sanity this saves the battle can be great. No matter how we’re tossed, let’s laugh beyond the grave. The viewing of the game distracts Timothy Grant, North Arm Cove FAW the usual defence— the glitter of the scene attracts a lack of common sense. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos The players spend a lot of time Gold-crested in chasing leather balls. cloaked with feathers soft as ermine The waste of effort is a crime, Wild Haunt they think they’re royalty: their payment really galls. A Ghost Story brassy and bully strutting, squawking How did the world come to this place? A ghost, a spirit, haunts the halls storm trooping down the valley While nonsense rules supreme, An elf makes spooky, eerie calls hooting to lesser creatures inequality’s in our face Our backbones shiver in the dark ‘This is ours. Make way.’ and fixing it’s a dream. The night has noises shrill and stark. Their screeching rips the gentle air The keeping up with Mister Jones Oo-ah, oo-oo-ee wah-de-woo sends tiny wrens to shelter can take a lot of work But not a whimper, not a coo. leaves proud trees with no option but and set our mood to darker tones, We-ee-ee descends from somewhere near to bow. where discontent will lurk. To make us tremble, bring us fear. They vandalise our gardens The stresses of our way of life A gurgle here, a shuffle there shred our balconies, can call for a short break And then we soil our underwear invade our meditations, away from things that cause us strife Ee-eek, a shriek, a mournful groan And yet but don’t go to a snake. To let us know we’re not alone. I’ve seen them on a windy afternoon Spectator sport contributes to Ah-ark, ah-we-woo on it goes soar up to height the growing of our ills. Through thunder claps and winter snows and hold Some tension held attributes to The dark brings Oden’s wrath and rage still as silence the sight of clashing wills. To this our modern, carefree Age. surrendering The competition, of itself, The haunting’s nightly so they say to bliss. can cause a lot of stress. And though this tale may bring dismay Wendell Watt, Moocooboola FAW It’s hard to put back on the shelf I tell it truly as it was and, with our calm, can mess. A ghostly spectre here in Oz. Society that aims to share, And if you doubt my story’s true A sometime feeling with caring as the goal, Then I have more bad news for you Flat days can stop the waves of stress that tear Ah-wark-swee-eek gur-oo-goo-ree flat ways at pieces of the soul. I bring this message with no glee. with barely a wrinkle This ends the need for mixed support Brian Tolagson, such smoothness accelerating some seek by watching sport Port Macquarie-Hastings FAW their ease of moving by and stops the things they lead to nought— without being marked just as The Master taught. by particular joy or sadness © J.P. Coyne, 2019 leaving in their slipstream a merest hint of grim satisfaction that they keep recurring. Greg Tome, Southern Highlands FAW
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 17 Prizewinning Short Story ASYLUM At this, Mr Cleary settled back into his chair and, closing his eyes as if to better remember, began his story. Alison Ferguson, Lake Macquarie FAW “It was late and my usual nightcap of milk and cardamom Williams cleaned his spectacles and, after refolding Dhis handkerchief into his top pocket, tried again to make the evening. I woke abruptly, coming into full wakefulness out ther scribble under the blots of ink that raced across each withouthad gone acold trace by theof lingeringtime I finished stupor. reading I was and seized retired by for a page in the dog-eared bundle on the desk before him. He sensation of great energy and I threw on my coat and sighed. It was useless. Perhaps if the light were better? It walked out of my cottage into the winter night. I strode off, heedless of where my footsteps were taking me. The streets through, he selected a page with relatively fewer crossings- of Parramatta were dark and, without a lantern to guide wasout andtoo earlysmudges to call and for took an orderly it over toto lightthe long the lamp. windows Rifling to me, it was by the radiance of the stars sprayed across the peruse again in the shaft of afternoon sunlight. This time he heavens that I found my way into the park. Two points of made out a few words: flying machine, rotors, strange alien light emerged and grew steadily larger. As they came closer, figures. He sighed again. It was no use. The lunatic’s account I saw they were vaporous and swirling. They hung before of his visitation was indecipherable and, no doubt even if he me, unsuspended by any means I could discern, and their could read the writing, incoherent. shapes reassembled till I perceived that they were two heads, “Dr Williams?” One of the orderlies hovered by the door. “Was you wanting to see Mr Cleary? It’s just that we puts the the Governor of New South Wales. I began to shake, fearing the first appearing as our Lord Bishop and the second as inmates out in the garden of an afternoon. ’elps settle ’em that I had lost my mind.” Mr Cleary stopped talking abruptly for the night, you see.” and leaned forward. “You know I’m not insane, don’t you?” Dr Williams was caught off guard and stammered, “I, I …” Drawing his fob watch from his waistcoat pocket, Dr “I’m only in here for my protection. They are after my Williams considered whether he’d make the three o’clock discoveries, you see. Dr McIntosh suggested this would be coach back into Sydney town if he left now. Caught between the safest place.” going and staying, he shifted his weight from one foot to “Of course, Dr McIntosh is very wise in these matters.” Dr the other. If any other colleague but Dr McIntosh had urged Williams looked to the door. The orderly seemed to be taking a very long time to return with the hot water. of reading a patient’s journal, he would have dismissed thehim notion. to delay Well, his hereturn was hereto London now and, solely since for the the journal purpose in sure tones of one telling an oft-told story, continued. question could just as well have been in hieroglyphs, he’d “Darkness,Mr Cleary resumed heavy with his dew,reflective fell like posture, a cloak and about in the me same and might as well see the patient in person. I turned this way and that, unsure of how to return home. “Bring Mr Cleary in to see me. Oh, and,” he added, “when Then came a vibration, a thudding so intense that the beat Dr McIntosh arrives, bring him straight up to join me.” He of my heart leapt to join its rhythm. How was it that no-one felt the tea-pot “And bring some fresh hot water.” Mr Cleary must have been waiting just outside the door and louder it came until I was upon it, whereupon the noise for he came in directly. He was short, rail-thin and his eyes, fromfell to the a low town hum. came A cylindrical running out shape, to find tapered the source? at both Louder ends, wide and staring, looked to be strangers to sleep. hovered at waist height above the ground. At its highest point “Glad to meet you,” Mr Cleary said, holding out his hand it would have been perhaps twelve feet; its diameter perhaps in greeting. “Dr McIntosh told me about your interest in my twice that. However, its gleaming surface was what drew my discoveries.” gaze. I longed to touch it, so smooth did it look, without any Dr Williams was taken aback. If it weren’t for his oddly visible rivet or join. Although it looked seamless, an aperture startled gaze, the patient had every appearance of any sane appeared and a creature such as I had never seen, nor could man meeting another of his professional class. Mr Cleary have imagined, emerged and beckoned me to follow. It was was a civil engineer. Dr Williams reminded himself that oddly humanoid, though its arms seemed disproportionately even a professional man could lose his grip on reality and long. Strangely, as soon as I saw it, I felt calm and certain: he repressed a shiver at the thought. as certain, in fact, as I had ever felt in my fretful life. I have “So, what are your thoughts on my journal, Dr Williams?” no memory of how I entered the vessel; for now, it seemed Mr Cleary had seated himself in one of the large leather to me that it must be a kind of ship, though propelled by chairs by the window, the lines in his face now cut in sharp some mechanism unknown to me. Once inside, the being shadow in the slanting light. indicated a kind of table, although closed on all sides, and “I confess I cannot say,” Dr Williams began, “I found the centrally located before a curved porthole, through which I could make out the dark shapes of trees in the park. Inlaid “Ha! You doctors are usually the ones with the bad within the surface of the table were banks of brightly- writinghandwriting, difficult what?!” …” Mr Cleary’s joviality edged toward a coloured lights and buttons. The creature began to explain note of hysteria. Dr Williams took the chair opposite him something to me, with some urgency. I could not make out and spoke slowly and, he hoped, soothingly. its language, but I recognised the mathematical symbols it “I’d like to hear your story directly from you, if I may. As was using and I realised it was a series of formulae, though Dr McIntosh has told you, I am most interested.” unfamiliar to me.”
18 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Reprinted here is the winning entry in the inaugural 2019 When Mr Cleary fell silent it took a moment for Dr Williams Margaret Cech Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy, to break from the spell that his story had cast. organised by the FAW Southern Highlands branch (FAWSH) “Ah, the tea,” Dr Williams said, clearing his throat, as in collaboration with FAW NSW. the orderly re-entered. Close behind him, Dr McIntosh manoeuvred his bulk through the door. “Ah, good. So, you two have got to know one another,” he said, vigorously shaking their hands. can fly. Indeed he took his designs to New York to show to “If I might interrupt, Dr McIntosh,” the orderly said. “It’s described. However, he refused to leave the material with American government officials shortly after the events he time for Mr Cleary’s walk.” them so they dismissed him out of hand. He ended up on Cleary opened his mouth as if to object. There were tea- buns on the plate beside the freshly-primed teapot and for the streets and it was only through the good offices of his a moment Dr Williams feared that Dr McIntosh would invite friends and workmates in the Parramatta office that funds the patient to stay. for work, so I convinced him to come here, but governments were raised to bring him back. By then he was clearly unfit “Yes, yes, can’t disrupt routine, can we?” Dr McIntosh, his arm loosely draped across Mr Cleary’s back, accompanied are interested in flying machines, you know. Their military him out after the orderly. “Safest time for you to be walking dabbling in that direction elicited a letter of enquiry from advantages are obvious. Why, even my own scientific abroad, my good fellow, with these chaps on watch.” Cleary shrugged off the doctor’s arm. “I’ll be having my the British Colonial Office.” notes back before I leave.” wasn’t what they were paying you a stipend for?” Dr Williams’ lips“Were twitched they whiletelling Dr you McIntosh that designing chuckled a flying ruefully. machine clasping them tightly to his chest, Cleary followed the orderly “Well, yes. But it’s going to happen someday. My own withoutDr Williams a backward shuffled glance. the pages back together and, design used steam, but the thing that’s so interesting in the schematic that Mr Cleary has drawn up is that some kind of alternative propulsion is involved.” vacated chair. “And that is, what? You’ve seen the drawings?” Dr McIntosh After“So, filling then, hiswhat plate do with you bun,make Dr of McIntosh all that? satExtraordinary, on Cleary’s fell silent. “Ah, he doesn’t know or he won’t tell you.” don’t you think?” “I’ve seen his sketches but he won’t let them out of his Dr Williams sipped his tea thoughtfully before replying. sight. It took every ounce of persuasion for me to convince “I really don’t know what to make of it.” him to leave his journal here for you to read. I honestly don’t know what’s going on. These strange beings seemed these sorts of cases. It’s not everyday that colonials such as to have imparted something to him but whether he actually myself“Go on. get I knowto hear you any London of the latestchaps thinking.”are making strides with understands what they, or his own mind, has told him, I “Well, I think you dissemble, good doctor, I’m quite sure don’t know.” you have read as much of the new writings in philosophy as I have. Why, I saw you had a copy of Schopenhauer in the The two doctors looked down to the garden as the orderlies original German on your bookshelf. Well, all right then, if you rounded up the straggling patients to bring them inside for insist.” He took a breath. “If we consider that our experience the night. Finally only Mr Cleary was left as the indigo-blue of the world, as received through our senses, shapes our of twilight infused the scene. perception, then visions such as Mr Cleary’s might be said to “What’s that?” Dr Williams gasped. arise from a temporary disturbance of sensation caused, for As they watched, seeping through the shadows, vapours example, by some passing illness. To some extent, his vision of mist assembled into a long cylindrical rolling cloud, reminds me of the common occurrence of hallucinations in too low to the earth to be of the natural world. It moved cases of fever and the like.” independently of a light zephyr stirring the tree branches. “And yet?” Dr Williams couldn’t wrench his eyes away to gauge his colleague’s reaction but he felt Dr McIntosh’s hand grab his his manner and certainly excitable in temperament, but it “Yes, there’s something that doesn’t fit. He is eccentric in of Mr Cleary below stretched out its arms as the cloud, if rational and his account of his experience is cogent and lucid. cloudshoulder it was, as if moved clinging to to engulf the physical him. world. The tiny figure But,is difficult at the tosame consider time—” the Dr man Williams a lunatic. broke He off is and,essentially rising to his feet, returned his empty cup to the tray. He walked the scene. back over to the window and looked down to the grounds, The two doctors remained, transfixed, till darkness obscured now bathed in gold in the setting sun. Dr McIntosh came to There was a soft knock on the door. stand beside him, munching on the last of his bun. “At the “Will you be wanting to take the night-coach back into same time, he’s suffering from considerable paranoia. He is Sydney town, gentlemen?” The orderly enquired. convinced that the American government …” “Yes, yes indeed,” Dr Williams huffed, “nothing else to be “The American government?” Dr Williams’ eyes narrowed. done here.” He turned to his colleague, “Dr McIntosh?” “Now, he really must have lost his reason.” “No, you’re right,” puffed Dr McIntosh, “we’re all done “No, no,” said Dr McIntosh smiling. “There’s a lot of here, best to be off.” interest in the idea of developing some kind of machine that o
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 19 Eastwood/Hills FAW David Terelinck Carolyn Alfonzetti ‘Those Champagne Days’ tanka sequence with B. George International Tanka No.5, 2019 The School Magazine ‘Spicy’ a tanka sequence Ribbons Vol 15, No. 2, Spring/ Around the Globe with Gramps shortlisted Literary AchievementsSummer 2019 Shortin the storySpeech ‘Nana’s Pathology Terrible Australia’s Trifle’ sold Book to of the Year Awards, 2019.Junior fiction title (Grenfell) Anthology 2019 Anne Benjamin ‘AppalachianWrote endorsement Nights’ freefor Kirsten verse poem Cliff Elliot’s, in Henry Patient Lawson ‘abandoned’, a tanka in Ribbons Café, Spring/Summer, Property: a journey through leukaemia Vol 15:2, 2019 Distinctive Scribbling Award (June 2019) for tanka ‘Discoveries’, tanka prose in Haibun Today, published in Eucalypt 26 ‘Motherlode’ poem 1st place Poetica Christi Press 2019 May–June 2019 Presentation on Saffron and Silk, An Australian in India to Love’s Footprint Poetry Competition ‘Last night on Mount Zion’, Short-listed, ACU Poetry Prize, 2019 Tanka Society of America: 3rd place 2019 Sanford Goldstein Erina Booker International Tanka Contest WAIG, Lane Cove, 1 July 2019. ‘Hyacinths & Biscuits’ poem 2nd place in the Eastwood/Hills Memorial, Willoughby FAW 2019 Competition Read herpoems poem ‘Passing ‘Inspired Years’ by andthe Huang‘Morendo’ Shan at Mountains’ Les Murray at ‘Nanna’s Undies’ poem Highly Commended in the Eastwood/ NSPP poetry dinner Hills FAW 2019 Competition. Read 2nd placed poem, in FAW Eastwood/Hills Annual Julie Thorndyke Poetry Competition Awards ‘A Scent of Cinnamon’ short story sold to The School Magazine Co-judged FAW Eastwood/Hills Annual Poetry Competition tanka in Ribbons Spring/Summer, Vol 15:2, 2019 Co-presented with Beverley George a tanka workshop for Beverley George Eastwood Hills FAW. June–July 2019. Tanka sequence with David Terelinck published International Tanka 5 2019 [Japan] Forest FAW Tanka sequence with Kent Robinson published International Beatrice Yell Tanka 5 2019 [Japan] Two tanka published in TSA Ribbons Edition Mrs Rickaby’s Lullaby Tanka published in Eucalypt Issue 26. at Hartog bookshop Catherine Smith Launchedhaiku published Julie Thorndyke’s on Per Diem first The novel Haiku Foundation website Two tanka published in Eucalypt Issue 26. 26/5/19 [US] 4 haiku published Blithe Spirit 29 (2) 2019 [UK] LAKE MACQUARIE FAW Convened White Pebbles haiku group winter meeting at Pam Garfoot Gosford/Edogawa Gardens June 15th Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 2 haiku published Echidna Tracks 3 15/6/19; 4/7/19 2 tanka published Red Lights 15 (2) 2019 [US] ‘The give and take of the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival’. Highly Commended Australian Haiku Society Winter Solstice PublishedMid May 2019–Early in Hunter Professional Jul 2019, short Arts story Magazine, ‘Sixteen’; issue article 3 2019 2 tanka published in Ribbons 15 (2) 2019 [US] new writing festival’; poem ‘Her hands’. haiku sequence with Kent Robinson published Presence #64 Mid Jul 2019–Early Sep 2019, article ‘Steady baby steps by a [UK] an author bio’ and ‘Microlit’. Honourable Mention Award in Mt. Fuji Grand Prix 2019 LedElizabeth two workshops Horwitz for the Lake Macquarie FAW, on ‘Writing [Japan] Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 2 Co-presented with Julie Thorndyke a tanka workshop for Eastwood Hills FAW. celebrations, and changes’. Karen Lieversz PublishedMid May 2019–Early in Hunter Professional Jul 2019, editorial Arts Magazine, ‘Festivals, issue other 3 tanka in Eucalypt 26
Awards and published in the anthology The Scientific Method TonyMid Jul Lang 2019–Early Sep 2019, editorial ‘New waves on the Lake and other regional innovations’. ‘PrivateApril 2019 Lessons’ [short story] HC Stringybark Erotic Fiction Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 2 The School Magazine painters and poets, of story and song’. ‘TheFirst Kookaburra’s in April 2019 Laugh’ Eastwood [short Hills story] FAW accepted monthly forcompetition, PublishedMid May 2019–Early in Hunter Professional Jul 2019, article Arts Magazine,‘Of love and issue desire, 3 of short story First in May 2019 Eastwood Hills FAW monthly competition, Kristen Mair short story. Mid Jul 2019–Early Sep 2019, article ‘Under the influence’. Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 3
Festival 2019’; short story ‘The teaspoon or the umbrella?’. Mid Jul 2019–Early Sep 2019, article ‘Write Here! Writing
20 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Jan Mitchell Story ‘China Flower’ Positive Words July 2019. Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 3 John Egan Too much lip by Positive Words February 2019 Poems ‘For months’, ‘Chimes of Morning’, ‘Closer to the Earth’ Mid Jul 2019–Early Sep 2019, book review ‘ sharks’. Poemand ‘Finally’, ‘Lavendar Positive Bay’ Words April 2019 Melissa Lucashenko’; travel memoir ‘Ningaloo and the whale Anita Richardson Poem ‘Angels of Dawn’ Positive Words May 2019 Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 3 Poems ‘Wolves Need Affection Too’, ‘Toy Trains and Schoolgirls’ and ‘Spaces’, Positive Words July 2019 Rina Robinson Mid Jul 2019–Early Sep 2019, reflection ‘Interlude’. Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 2 The WriteLimericks Angle ‘Thanks 64 March for 2019the mug’, ‘A Russian Lady called Lena’ Linda Visman Poemand ‘Lady, ‘The ifOld I give Brewery my heart Site’ to Positive you’ and Words poem March ‘Partners’, 2019 Mid May 2019–Early Jul 2019, poem ‘Nature’s gift’. Published in Hunter Professional Arts Magazine, issue 2 Poem ‘Speak Body, Speak Mind’ The Mozzie February 2019 Tankas ‘Fill the birds bowl’, poem ‘Then and Now’, The Published in Echidna Tracks, issue 3, June 2019, haiku. Mozzie April 2019 Mid May 2019–Early Jul 2019, poem ‘Turning point’. Tankas ‘Under your pen’, ‘Smoke on the water’, KOKAKO Liverpool FAW (New Zealand) April 2019 Cyrus Alanis Poem ‘The Saronis’ Poetry Matters 35, March 2019 ‘2049 Work Memo’ FreeXpresSion August 2019. Tankas ‘South-west Sydney Approach’ and ‘Rain’ in The Peter F Pike Mozzie May 2019 Presented papers, ‘Wood’ and ‘Storm Chasing’ at Cobbitty Polestar and ‘Breathe In—Inspiration’ and ‘A nose by any other Name 36, May 2019 Poems ‘The GardenEdge of Window’Reality’ and and ‘Calling ‘Both Sides’ Crucifixion’, in Harbour Writers in the Window anthology, Harbourside Poets, Ginninderra Twowould new smell sonnets, as sweet’ ‘Duke at theLiverpool Clydesdale’ U3A, FAWand ‘The and BlueCobbitty Press, Port Adelaide, May 2019 Whale’ and an article ‘The View from Here’ in August Edition Chapbooks This Here And Now, The Survivor, In Danger and of FreeXpresSion. Fire and Stone, Ginninderra Press Port Adelaide Rhonda W Rice Verse Novel The Mahogany Ship, Ginninderra Press Port Adelaide. Poem, ‘Friend’, FreeXpresSion August Poem ‘Charlie’ H/Comm in Scribes Writers Poetry Comp 2019. Mudgee Valley FAW Macarthur FAW Miriam Bates ‘Monkey Business’ published in FreeXpresSion. Robert Bee Winner of in-house competition with a short story on the Bob Campbell theme of ‘Dirt Cheap’. ‘This Moment and Red Earth Dreaming’ published in The Ink Spot, Mudgee Guardian. Shona Levingston Winner of in-house competition with a short story on the Kevin Pye theme of ‘Horse Sense’. Highly Commended ‘I Regret to Advise’ and ‘A Figure From Moocooboola FAW Henry Lawson Gulgong Literary Awards: Third Place ‘Valour’, Mary Bramston Scribes Competition, Commended ‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’the Past’, Commended ‘For the Love of Money’ Story ‘On Parade’ Positive Words March 2019 Poems published in The Ink Spot, Mudgee Guardian. Story ‘Casting Pearls’ Positive Words May 2019 Positive Words June 2019. Jill Baggett ‘Zack’ accepted for One Last Story Anthology by ICOE Press. Liz Hamlin Poem ‘A Light in the Window’ Story ‘My Dream’ Positive Words April 2019 Southern Highlands FAW Story ‘On the Balcony’ Positive Words June 2019 Brian Hayden Essay ‘Wilderness’ Positive Words July 2019. Play The boyfriend announced as winner of the audience Bob Sealey vote at Bundanoon Crash Test Drama Poem ‘Four Paces’ The School Magazine June 2019. Poem ‘Gallipoli’ achieved spontaneous applause when read Paul Vallis at the U3A course The Aegean—4000-years of history. Story ‘The Obsession’ Positive Words May 2019 Poem ‘Wilderness (What Wilderness?)’ Positive Words 2019. ‘Pie Time’ in the Highlands. Locating 70 songs about pies for local radio in support of Pamela Taylor Greg Tome Essay ‘What to Write About’ Positive Words March 2019. Poem ‘Pitiful attempt to rain in the middle of the night’ Dai Fei Yang published in Writers’ Voice June 2019. Story ‘In a Sick Bed’ Positive Words May 2019 cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 21 Southern Highlands Ongoing research and writing for new project Verse novel on cont. from previous page an Australian woman Two poems ‘all the birds’ and ‘the nest’ in Mozzie Vol 27 Press Anthology Wild volume and accepted by the National issue 5 June 2019 PoemLiterary ‘Lone tree silhouette’ Achievements published in the Ginninderra Research for new writing on the history of The Gully Tilting at time his second book of poetry accepted for Katoomba July 2019 Poetrypublication. Library, London. Poem ‘leitmotif’ in Poetry Matters Issue 35 March 2019 Gwen Willats Haiku (1) in Windfall Australian Haiku Issue 7 2019 Collection of poems self-published initially for her Workshop for U3A on the Indigenous Australian Poet Ali immediate family. Cobby Eckermann Guest Speaker for July Probus Wahroonga Group on Stroud FAW ‘Enjoying Australian Poetry’ John V Potts Haiku (2) in Echidna Tracks online July 2019. Published his book of poems and stories. WYONG FAW Elizabeth Bradhurst Margaret Young Three short pieces published in Hornsby Shire Historical ‘Round Eye in Vietnam.’ Society’s magazine Local Colour: Change. Pat Webb and Anne Nielsen Sydney City FAW Short stories selected in the 2019 Seniors Card Competition. Colleen Keating Publication of Hildegard of Bingen: A Poetic Journey, Ginninderra Press, to be launched at The Writers Centre,
Rozelle, Sunday 13th October 2.30 –4.30 pm. All welcome Out and About with Trevar 90-Year Celebratory Anthology Launched The launch of In Celebration of Writers at the Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka, Canberra on Thursday 15 August was an exciting night with a large number of people present. It became standing room only. Thanks to the bookshop management who have a shop choc-a-bloc with books galore. Jennie Warren, Canberra and Region FAW president, spoke and introduced me. I read two poems from the book. Author Marion Halligan, who wrote the preface for the book, was present. Also, Mrs Ellnor Grassby JP, member of ACT. A wonderful night of Fellowship with Canberra FAW members. Trevar Langlands
Pictured at the launch event (above): Jenni Warren with Trevar; (l-r): contributing authors Jo Forestier, Glen Riley and Jenni Warren, with member Eve Warren; Craig Cooper and Malcolm Beazley, designers of the book cover.
[See also front page story and Trevar’s Book Review p24—Ed.]
22 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Workshop ‘A nose by any other name would A Writing Workshop presented by Peter F. Pike smell as sweet’ at Liverpool FAW 10 August 2019 Exercise 1. Exercise 2. Write eight words that have a relationship to Write eight words that have a relationship to Vision—for instance, view, vista etc. Smell—for instance, odour, stink etc.
writers we’re not often called on to use many of the words associated with our olfactory nerves. When we think ofIf yousomething are like thatme, isyou on would the nose, have we found are not that likely exercise to think two of was pince-nez much more or spectacles difficult than(either exercise of these one. would As have been acceptable answers to Exercise one, but hardly qualify for this exercise.) But something that is ‘on the nose’ is an idiom, meaning that it is malodorous. There are however quite a few other little-known words
Addled: An adjective for a rotten or foul-smelling egg. It has Noisome: Frequently noisome is mistakenly associated with associated with our sense of smell; and here is a list of fourteen with their specific meanings… been in use for almost eight hundred years. noise (excessive sound) but noisome doesn’t come from that Alliaceous: The smell of garlic. Two different languages word at all, it comes from an archaic English word, noy and allium and the is closely related to our word annoy. aceous. Osmagogue: Stimulating to the sense of smell. Bromidrosis:combine to create Foul-smelling this word; the body-odour. Latin word English has two Redolent: olēre (to smell) and is related to Englishother words suffix, for sweat that smells unpleasant, osmidrosis and our word olfactory. kakidrosis Sagacity: ‘acuteness From the Latinof smell’. Although the most common smelling sweat!) meaning of sagacity is ‘discerning or acuteness of perception’ Cacosmia: (sorry—can’t An hallucination find ofany a worddisagreeable that means odour. sweet- The (it too, could have been a candidate for exercise one) but root Cac means ‘bad’ and is incorporated in other words since the seventeenth century people have used Sagacity for disagreeable things like, cacophony or cacography and to describe a keen snozzle. (Yiddish slang word “schnoz” even agathokakological (meaning composed of both good [big nose]). and evil.) Stinkard: An animal that produces a foul odour. Often it Farinaceous: The smell of freshly ground wheat. It can refers to a small carnivorous mammal, the teledu found in also be used to mean ‘starchy’, ‘containing or made of meal Java and Sumatra, which resembles a badger. A mean or or flour’ and ‘like meal in texture or quality’. contemptible person, not necessarily one who smells bad Hircine: Smelling like a goat. English also has a word can also be described as a ‘stinkard’. for resembling a sheep (ovine) as well as synonyms for Vibrissae: (Plural noun). The visible coarse hairs protruding resembling a goat (caprine and goatish). from noses. It can also be, just the cat’s whiskers and some Mundungus: Foul-smelling stale tobacco. It can also refer hair-like feathers that some insect eating birds have around to garbage or trash and derives from the Spanish word their bills. The singular form of the word is vibrissa. mondongo, meaning tripe. There you go—next time you go to write ‘pungent odour’ Nidor: The smell of burning meat. In 1755 Samuel Johnson have another stink, I mean think, in case you can make more sense or should that be scents? the word nidorosity as an ‘eructation (i.e. a burp) with the Peter F. Pike publishedtaste of undigested his dictionary roast of meat’. the English language and defined
Competition Results SCRIBES WRITERS ‘POETIC LICENCE’ AWARD Results: 2019 Margaret Cech Awards Traditional Verse: 1st: ‘A Solution To Our Problems’, Janeen Samuel, Morgiana, VIC Science Fiction/Fantasy Section 2nd: ‘The Light of Dawn’, David Atkinson, Beecroft, NSW The FAW Southern Highlands branch (FAWSH) announces the H/Comm: ‘An Empty Chair’, Jenny Macaulay, Portarlington, VIC winners of the inaugural Margaret Cech national competition H/Comm: ‘Charlie’, Rhonda Rice, Heckenberg, NSW for writing Science Fiction and/or Fantasy. Comm: ‘The Man Who Came To Dinner’, Kevin Pye, Mudgee, NSW Comm: ‘Among the Dead’, David Campbell, Airey’s Inlet, VIC The winner of the $1000.00 first prize was Alison Ferguson of the Lake Macquarie Branch for her story ‘Asylum’. Free Verse: Alison’s prizewinning story is reprinted on page 18—Ed. 1st: ‘Reading in a Maldon Cafe’, Judith Green, Wonga Park, VIC 2nd: ‘Full moon in a city hotel’, Anne Benjamin, Toongabbie, NSW Open Short Story Section H/Comm: ‘Events’, John Egan, Ashfield, NSW The winner of the $250 Open Short Story Award was Susannah H/Comm: ‘Prayer Stool’, Denise O’Hagan, Northbridge, NSW Russell for her Short Story ‘Miracle Baby’. Comm: ‘Wild Chanterelles’, David Terelinck, Biggera Waters, QLD Congratulations to you both! Comm: ‘The Refugee’, Elizabeth Wilde, Belmont, VIC
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 23 Book Reviews In Celebration of Writers Canberra Region FAW August I was delighted to launch the latest book by ICanberra Region Fellowship of Australian Writers, titled INn CELEBRATION OF WRITERS. Poetry, short stories and plays by past and present members of the Fellowship of Australian Writers.
the 90th year since the establishment of the FAW. ThisIt was is compileda significant and publication edited by Jenni as it isWarren, published Jo Forestier to mark and Malcom Beazley with a foreword by Marion Halligan. GRACE A photo dedication is included of long time member, the Mei-Ling Venning late June Foster, celebrating her 89th birthday at the National I have been reading a book called Grace Venning from Wyong FAW. The preface of the book gives an excellent look into by Mei-Ling LibraryCanberra of FAW Australia. (originally FAW ACT) and some early history of the FAW. It will be launched officially September 28th, 10amPelican at The book begins with two poems from Dame Mary ToowoonBay and Baythe Surfadventures Life Saving of Club.Michelle who has Down Gilmore and then a debate between Miles Franklin and SyndromeThis book and follows a search on forMei-Ling’s her own previous independence. book George Ashton in 1943 on “Is the writer involved in the It is wonderful to see such a young woman have the political life of his country?” This makes really interesting courage to go forth into the world of today with its many reading—looking back at ideas from 1943. prejudices and knockers. I have great admiration for such The book contains poetry and prose from local and guest people. That search has a marvellous ending with Michelle Australian aspect of the publication. having a partner and eventually a baby called Grace. writers and many have been selected to fit in with the very Included are, Barbara Horton, Jenni Warren, Anne Nothing is impossible. Edgeworth, Glen Haxton Riles, Jo Forestier, Rosemary Grace commences Dobson, David Meyers, Colleen Parker (from FAW State around eleven years after Pelican Bay. TheMei-Ling’s author newhas aYoung really Adult good graspnovel of young adult life, Wanganeen, Malcolm Beazley, Annie Didcott, Craig Cooper. the pitfalls as well as family life with Grandparents and Office), June Foster, Patricia Stone, Gavin Austin, Carolyn I was trying not to single out any particular item as they coastal adventures. are all very different and have been written over a number Much of the problems from today are involved such as bullying and the support of friends and family especially the bond with mother. of years but it’s just too difficult to keep my word. Dragon’ by Barbara Horton, from her days in Malaysia, and The wonderful work of surf lifesaving is part of the Just a little personal reflection, I must mention ‘Magic story as well and any coastal loving young adult will enjoy thoughts of so many of us as the years go by. this adventure which has quite a moral to it as well. ‘The Autumn of my Life’ by Jenni Warren. Jenni echoes the Colleen Parker gives the reader a wonderful glimpse of Yes, it is about an 11-year-old girl but is not aimed at children and it is told in the popular diary form over a read any of Miles Franklin’s work it will set you on a search period of two years. Miles Franklin (1879–1944) and I am sure if you have not to do so. It is heartening to see so much good quality writing I just can’t help myself… just one more mention… ‘In being published when the bearers of doom a while back Memory of Myrtle’ by the late June Foster, donated by her told us the ‘book’ was doomed… that it was the end of daughter Nerida. books as we have known them for so many years. I do love the crepe myrtle, I have a pink and a white one Your screen readers have their place but I just love and our old home in Queensland had a pink one for many, to hold a book in my hands; to me a book is a friend, many years. sometimes a casual friend that goes with me in the train or on a picnic, other days a life-long friend that I could Get the book and indulge yourself with all the others. never part with. June has written such a reflective and amusing poem. The cover is excellent, designed by Craig Cooper and The one thing I regret about leaving this planet is not Malcolm Beazley. Printed by Ingram Printers. being able to take my favourite books. It can be purchased for $15 for FAW members and $20 GRACE for others, plus $3 postage. It will be $25 at Paperchain. See There is good family value within its pages—not easily ‘Bookshelf’ back page for details on how to order. found today is available. from Mei-Ling via the Wyong FAW. Reviewed by Trevar Langlands There are quite an interesting cast of characters each See also cover story this issue and a report on the with their own personality. I do hope readers enjoy it. launch event held in Canberra on August 15 (p22). Reviewed by Trevar Langlands
24 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Writing Competitions
Closing date 27 September 2019: Closing date 31 October 2019: LAMBING FLAT (YOUNG) FAW The Best of Times short story 2019 WRITING COMPETITION competition #28 – Spring 2019 Adult Open – $5.00 per entry. For humorous short stories (any theme) up to 2500 words. First prize: $300 or $400 (depending on number of 2nd prize $50. • Short Story – Word limit: 1,500 words. 1st prize $200, highly commended and commended. Noentries), entry secondform is prize:required. $100. Include Certificates a cover for sheet third with place, your • SchoolPoetry –section Line limit: – 50All lines. entries 1st areprize FREE $200, 2nd prize $50. name and address, story title and word count, and where Short Story and Poetry sections are also offered in four you heard about the competition. School categories: Entry fee is $10 per story. Send a cheque or money Junior Primary (Years 1, 2 and 3) order made out to Chris Broadribb or use PayPal to pay Primary (Years 4, 5 and 6)
[email protected] NORMAL COMPETITION CONDITIONS
Closing date 30 September 2019: Unless stated otherwise, these conditions apply to SCRIBES WRITERS – “SHORT TAKES” ALL WRITING COMPETITIONS Entries should be submitted in English, using one side OPEN LITERARY COMPETITION 2019 of A4 paper, typed double-spaced (except poetry) in a Category A: Fictional Short Story (excluding Fan Fiction) • standard typeface (12 pt min.), using generous margins. Category B: Memoir (not a mini autobiography or obituary.) No fancy fonts, clip art or decorations of any kind. Theme: Open. Word Count: 1000 Maximum (excl. Title) separate COVER SHEET must be attached, containing Prizes (each category): 1st $200; 2nd $100. • NOthe namestitle of or the addresses entry, competitionto appear on name,manuscripts. section A category if applicable, word or line count, author’s name, address, telephone number and email address (if EntriesHighly Comm. should and be addressed Comm. Certificates to: at judges’ discretion. Entry Fee: Postal – $7 per entry per category. should appear on each page of the manuscript. Scribes Writers Prose Competition available). Title and page number (ONLY) of the entry South Barwon Community Centre cash prize in any other competition nor been published 33 Mount Pleasant Road • Entriesin any form, must as be at original the closing work date and mustof the not competition. have won a
For full competition details, conditions, and entry form at the time of entry HOWEVER the entry must be BELMONT Victoria 3216 • withdrawn Entries may from be entered any subsequent in more than competitions one competition if the visit the Scribes Writers website Prose Competition page at writer is advised prior to the closing dates that the
to the organisers, unless otherwise stipulated. Multiple • Chequesentries may and/or be paid money with orders one chequeshould be or made money payable order Closing date 30 September 2019:
The 2019 Buzz Words Short Story prize –returned do not send and willcoins be or destroyed stamps. after the announcement This prize is presented by the Australian children’s • Copyrightof results. remains with the author. Entries will not be literature e-zine Buzz Words and celebrates excellence in Short Story writing by adults writing for children aged 8 pondence will be entered into. to 11 years. • The judges’ decisions will be final and no corres Word limit: 1,500 words. 1st Prize: $1,000. 2nd Prize: $500. • Ifenvelope you require (SSAE) a copy with of yourthe results entry. mailed to you, please Entry fee $10, payable through PayPal or cheque payable Thesesend are a standardgeneral guidelines. DL-sized stamped,For complete self-addressed conditions to Di Bates. Terms and Conditions and downloadable relating to individual competitions, and to obtain entry entry form can be found here: forms (where required), contact the relevant competition
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 25 Branch Meetings and Contacts
BLUE MOUNTAINS FAW HUNTER FAW MOOCOOBOOLA FAW SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS FAW 1st Sunday – 1.45 to 4.45 pm 1st Wednesday – 10.15am 3rd Thursday – 1.30 pm 2nd Saturday –10am to 1pm Springwood Court Function Room, Dining Room of Sydney Junction Gladesville Library The Henrietta Rose Room, 133 Macquarie Rd, Springwood. Hotel, Beaumont St., Hamilton Pittwater Road, Gladesville. Bowral Library. Enquiries: Jeanette Temesvary Enquiries: Brian Noble (Pres.) Enquiries: Robert Dickins 9713 8048 Enquiries: Uta Purcell (Sec.) (Publicity Officer) 0423 908 199 0427 597 276 or Christine John Egan 9799 3077 or 4464 1719 Telephone: 02 4862 1793 PO Box 125, Springwood NSW 2777. Brotherson (Sec.) 0412 030 427 Email:
26 WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au Fellowship of Australian Writers FAW ISOLATED WRITERS Branch NSW Inc. Membership Enquiries: ABN 59 557 152 715 Carolyn Cash, Isolated Writers Convenor General correspondence: Hon. Secretary, FAW NSW Inc. Email:
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 265—SEPTEMBER 2019 27 FAW Members’ Bookshelf Canberra Region FAW In Celebration Of Writers An anthology of poetry, short stories and plays by past and present RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS FOR SALE members of the Fellowship of Australian Writers, published to mark Please send updates and details for inclusion in this section of the 90th year since the establishment of the FAW. Writers Voice to: