DOROTHEA MACKELLAR POETRY AWARDS 2017 All Over the World optional theme PresentationCeremonyNational NATIONAL PRESENTATION CEREMONY Our Trophies From Strength to Strength Gulargambone artist Alison Dent We have taken big strides into the future this year with the opening of the has created the trophies from Mackellar Centre and the provision of a permanent home for the My Country a fusion of found objects. The collection of 32 watercolours by Jean Isherwood. Through the sourcing of Japanese glass floats had been sponsorship, donations and grants, the centre is slowly transforming to a lying idle at the family’s western vibrant, interesting resource facility with new furniture, computer stations for NSW sheep and cattle farm since students and other learning materials. Alison picked them up, with the fishing net still attached, in Intended as a tourist destination that will contain memorabilia and historical an antique shop years ago. Her items from the poetry competition, the centre is a welcoming airy space that intention was to give the net to has already attracted numerous visitors. The dedication of the W.R. (Bill) her daughter to make a curtain Clegg gallery, named in honour of a late councillor, has given the magnificent but after unravelling it, the size Isherwood collection an attractive venue for visitors to view the unique set and smell changed her mind! of watercolours. The works, depicting lines from the iconic poem by Dorothea Mackellar, hang in a professionally lit space replete with seating. Also the The beautiful hand blown administrative base for the poetry awards, now in their 34th year, the centre glass floats - no two are the is open Tuesdays to Thursdays or by appointment. same - were detached and left for inspiration to strike. When With a bronze statue of Dorothea on her horse opposite the building, the the commission came from the adjacent Gunnedah Shire Band Hall, the Water Tower Museum and the War poetry awards for their highly Memorial Swimming Pool, soon to undergo a multi-million dollar refit, the individual trophies, which have centre is ideally placed in a tourist precinct. become a hallmark of the event, The poetry awards are run by members of the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Alison designed them to reflect Society, a group of volunteers who cherish the written word, are passionate this year’s theme. The pine bases about ensuring that schoolchildren experience poetry and are proud of the were made by members of the land in which they live. Among the committee ranks are farmers, school Coonamble Men’s Shed, the teachers, writers and retirees as well as two delegates from Gunnedah Shire springs around the floats are Council which, together with the Australian Government, are the primary recycled from a lounge and the sponsors. The competition, which is open from March to June, runs with map was produced with the help the help of part time project officer Ruth Macauley whose background in of a friend and an atlas. As Alison children’s theatre has added another dimension to this year’s awards. explains “there were no round maps of the world!” Our patrons The Hon. Margaret White AO, a former judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal and currently co-commissioner of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory and the Hon. Mark Vaile, Chairman of Whitehaven Coal, find time in their hectic schedules to lend their support for which we are grateful. The competition receives up to 12,000 entries per annum, presenting a daunting task to the judges, James Roy, Leonie Tyle and Catherine Bateson, all eminent and well known names in the world of children’s literature. The Honourable Mark Vaile AO, Chairman, Whitehaven Coal (left) and The Honourable Margaret White AO, former judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. 2 | DOROTHEA MACKELLAR POETRY AWARDS 2017 Primary Judges’ Report ‘We have chosen Judging any writing competition has been the dominant form since is always a difficult task, but the the early 20th century. Rhyme can be poems that raise Dorothea Mackellar Awards offers predictable and can trap a poet into particular challenges. The sheer using contrived and inappropriate the ordinary to the diversity of themes and poetic words or phrases simply for the forms make it a delight to read the rhyme. Repetition, while effective, rank of entries but can also make it difficult should never be confused or to compare one poem’s merit inadvertent. The title of a poem acts extraordinary.’ against another’s. The difference as a key to the poem – choose it in vocabulary, too, between the as carefully as choosing words for youngest poets and those just the first line. Remember, every word one or two years older has to be must count in a poem – there is no taken into account. Our selections room for ones that don’t pull their reflect these challenges. All the weight. Verbs are the muscles of poems we’ve chosen display that language and nouns are the bones little extra flourish. Some brought – it is better to choose a strong verb self-deprecatory humour to a to describe a subject, rather than subject. Others created images that relying on adjectives. And, finally, resonated long after the poem had the last line needs to be memorable. been read. Still others played with Many of the poems we read suffered rhythm and rhyme in an unusual from throw-away lines which gave way. us the impression the poems had been too hastily concluded. Revision Our judging criteria was simple – we is your friend! CATHERINE BATESON looked for poems that displayed An award winning author original voices and a deft use of Although it’s true that few writers for children and young poetic devices – whether that was become poets – it is also true that adults, Catherine began her tight, unpredictable rhyming, strong writing poetry sharpens all your writing career as a poet, with images or the intense snapshot other writing - and that includes collections for both adults brevity of a fine haiku. We wanted essay writing. Poetry is, after all, an and children. Her latest novel to honour the diversity of subjects art of persuasion. Every poet wants Lisette’s Paris Notebook, was and themes chosen by the young to persuade the casual reader to written after a three month writers and not neglect humorous look more closely at the world, an residency in Paris from the poems, traditional subject matter emotion or a life experience and see Australia Council. or those poems that explored those through new eyes. The awards this year’s theme in an effective encourage all young writers across way. It was heartening to read Australia to enter this rich world, so many poems that confronted and all students who submit their important social and environmental work with care and enthusiasm are issues – and even a handful of rewarded by their own efforts. poems that commented on recent current affairs both at home and Congratulations to all the winners abroad. These demonstrated a high and the commended entrants. Our level of political awareness and thanks to all who entered – and to sophistication – Australia’s future is those who didn’t make the shortlist in good hands! this year, don’t be discouraged. Writers, like athletes, need to In the end, the poems we have practise their art, so keep writing, chosen often raise the ordinary to keep editing and keep reading! LEONIE TYLE the rank of extraordinary by their A lifelong dedication to assured poetic attention and the Our thanks to the committee and children’s literature has young poets who achieved this are project officer for all their work – it’s seen her work as a librarian, to be congratulated. been a pleasure to work with people reviewer, speaker, editor and actively encouraging poetry in our publisher. Leonie is a partner For future entrants, here are half a schools and for our young writers. in Tyle & Bateson Publishing, dozen pointers that will help them a multi faceted publishing hone their submissions. Poetry does Catherine Bateson and Leonie Tyle services enterprise based in not have to rhyme. Indeed, free verse Melbourne. DOROTHEA MACKELLAR POETRY AWARDS 2017 | 3 Senior Judge’s Report We had more than 1,400 entries were love poems, hate poems, silly in the Junior Secondary category, poems, funny poems and, yes, one or almost 100 in the Secondary two dark and disturbing poems. Learning Assisted division, and over 600 in the Senior Secondary The common thread in so many of category. Many of these 2000 poems the entries was a clear desire to dealt with the optional theme, “All search for solutions to what ails us Over The World”, with a number of as a species, either by questioning different approaches – travel, food, the status quo, or by pleading to the unity of humankind, geo-politics, our common sense and our instinct and the environment. for justice. Thank you to the young JAMES ROY people who dug deep down into An author of more than 30 I was especially amazed and their creativity and passion to share books for young people, James encouraged by the large number their thoughts and ideas with us – it has been awarded a slew of of entries that confronted difficult was an honour to read your words. literary prizes in NSW and social issues: war and peace; the WA and nominated for the conservation and protection of our James Roy German Youth Literature planet; the plight of refugees and Prize. A former member of the homeless. And of course there the Literature Board for the Australia Council for the Arts, he is currently in the final stages of his Master of Creative Writing at the University of Sydney.