ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

The full results of the Lambing Flat FAW [iSouth West Slopes Credit Union Writing Competition][/i] will be up on the ABPA website shortly. The winner was Jenny Blackford, Second Tony Hammill, 3rd Mark Miller, 4th HC Gavin Austin and 5th HC David Campbell with 'Outside Looking In' and 6th Commended Elizabeth Egan.

A couple of ABPA members. Congratulations Tony and David

Thanks, Brenda. I hadn't caught up with this, but it should be noted that my "Outside, Looking In" is free verse. I suspect Mark Miller and Gavin Austin's entries will also be free verse.

Cheers
David

Congratulations David.
I still enter this on the strength of somehow managing to win it once - I think they ended up dividing it into two comp's because of the large number of rhyming poems that were entered. From memory I think I may have also had one or two other awards over the years.
Perhaps we just need to flood it with Rhyming poems?

Cheers

Terry

Thanks, Terry. As far as I know this comp has only ever had a single section for poetry, and I've never had any success with rhyming verse...just a second prize with free verse a few years ago. I assume, however, that Tony Hammill's entry is traditional verse. Not sure about Jenny Blackford.

Cheers
David

Congratulations on your success, David!

This was the first competition I ever won - back in 2011 - and it was with a rhyming piece. Since then, despite realising its "open" status, I've persisted with rhyming poetry, but have never got anywhere. So this year I opted for free verse as you did, David. I also entered the short story.

As you say, Tony's entry would likely be traditional. It would be interesting to read and compare the genres of all of the winners, along with the judge's report. I think Tom has had success here with rhyming verse in the past, if I remember correctly.

Cheers
Shelley

From your archivist (beginning from 2014) --
2014 there were two categories Adult Rhyming Poetry and Adult Free Verse. Our Terry won the former, another Terry, Terry Norwood came 2nd and Tom Mc came 3rd.
2015 There was only one category - 1st a rhymer -- Helen Harvey The Last Light Horse, Terry P H.C. (probably 4th) The Old Mine, Jim Kent Com. (7th) Mum's Canary
2016 One combined category again -- 1st a rhymer -- John Davis Clancy's Answer, HC (probably 5th) Tom Mc A Terrible Dream, Com. (7th) Max Merckenschlager Jeanne Calment

Apart from Max's which is about a French woman, all the rest are (if winners they're on our site)/or likely would be, very traditional style 'bush' poems.

So, it is worth entering with Free or Rhyming verse. I like Terry's idea of flooding the 2018 comp with the latter. LOL

BJ

Just to clarify, Brenda. There was only one poetry section advertised in 2014...the entry form is still available on the internet. Entries closed on November 14 and there was a line limit of 40 and a first prize of $150. But the results on the ABPA page show two poetry sections. I think they received so many rhyming entries that they decided to create a separate category to deal with them. That was the year I picked up an equal second with a free verse piece.

Cheers
David