WA Written Championship 2015 - Results?

[Shelley Hansen]

Hi All

Just received a lovely surprise in the mail - a HC certificate for a poem I entered in the WA Written Championship. Hadn't heard a word about this and so I'd long since assumed it had passed me by.

I can't track down the remainder of the results online. Does anyone have them?

Cheers, Shelley

[David Campbell]

No, I don't know what's going on in WA, Shelley...the Toodyay festival finished three weeks ago, but there's no news on their website. I think Terry was there, so maybe he knows the details. My entry was HC, but that's all I can add.

Cheers
David

[Catherine Lee]

Congratulations to both of you, that's great news!

[Shelley Hansen]

Thank you Catherine - and congratulations to you, David!

I am especially delighted with my HC because it is the poem I wrote for this year's open section at Toolangi. It was inspired by Den's "The Singing Garden" and I was particularly pleased with it. I only threw it into the WA Championship as an afterthought and I'm so happy I did ... especially as it didn't make the grade at Toolangi!

If at first ....

Cheers, Shelley

[Terry]

Congratulations Shelly & David.

I know some of the results but not all,
I'll get onto the organizers of the comp. and see if we can't get the full results up.

Terry

[Irene]

Hi David
I put the results of the Cervantes comp up, but will follow up the WA Championships asap.
I wasn't organising that comp, but i think i have a copy of the results because i was doing paperwork on the day.
Thanks
Irene

[Brenda Joy]

Results finally through (I had the winning poems but not the poets) -- sent them straight to the web but Greg is away at present so, posting here as well together with my report
If you didn't receive the comments re your own poems, please let me know on <halenda@live.com.au> and I will send them direct to you --

ABPA WA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015
WRITTEN BUSH POETRY COMPETITION

RESULTS
from Rodger Kohn – Co-ordinator

ABPA WA WRITTEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015
OPEN SERIOUS
1st Terry Piggott The Last Frontier
H.C. …Shelley Hansen Qld…………………………Song of the Seasons
H.C. …David Campbell…………………………… A Last Goodbye
COM. …Terry Piggott WA………………………… Along the Canning Track
COM. …Tom McIlveen NSW……………………… Bobby’s Return
COM. …Tom McIlveen NSW…………………… We were Soldiers
OPEN HUMOROUS
1st Terry Piggott WA Droving Grasshoppers
H.C. …Peter Blyth WA……………………………… Basil’s Irish Stew
OVERALL WA CHAMPION POET -- Terry Piggott…………………………………….

NOVICE CATEGORY
1st …Tony Green WA……………………… King of the Colourbond Castle
H.C. …John Dooley Qld…………………………… No Job for a Shearer
COM. …John Dooley Qld………………The Drover, his Mare and the Dingo
COM. …Carolyn Carvalho WA…………………… Jack and Blue
LOCAL – Avon Valley Resident
1st …Carolyn Carvalho WA………………We Shut the Door on City Life


JUDGE’S REPORT

ABPA/WA CHAMPIONSHIP CATEGORIES
CATEGORY 1 Written -- OPEN SERIOUS
The subjects covered ranged from the love of Australia, to war heroes, to the hardships of farming and to inspirational people. The conditions of entry stated that poems should be ‘…an original story with an Australian theme’. This was taken into account in the judging. The standard of the top six entries was high and any one of the top three could well have been given first place.

Many other poems displayed good features but the required skills of accurate rhyme and metre let many down. Also, there was a tendency towards poor editing with avoidable errors creeping through.

CATEGORY 2 Written -- OPEN HUMOROUS
Poems in this section generally demonstrated the Australian ‘have a go’ characteristics. Some good yarns were marred by length. To retain interest, humorous poems need to be sharp, catchy and non-repetitive. Particularly where a poem’s comic element is confined to a punch line ending, brevity is a necessity. Some poems reliant on jokes or social comment could be better suited to performance where the delivery can support/bring out the humour.

NON ABPA/WA CHAMPIONSHIP CATEGORIES
CATEGORY 3 Written NOVICE
This section produced philosophical thoughts based on a man’s shed, a drover’s dangers, a shearer’s joke and a poignant story about a relationship between a man and a boy. Again, a couple of the poems would have benefitted from a reduction in length.

As there were so many difficulties with Rhythm/Metre in this section, I would recommend that more poets take the option of workshopping or consulting with established poets or of receiving a judge’s critique, particularly in the early stages of their development. My aim, as a poet, is always to improve my work and I am ever ready to receive and take into account constructive viewpoints. I have found, through comments received in competitions, that someone fresh to a poem can sometimes spot a minor ‘glitch’ that is preventing that work from fulfilling its potential. In addition, another poet’s objective perspective can often help to rectify a skill or stylistic error that might be hampering a poet across all of his/her works.

CATEGORIES 4 and 5 Written JUNIOR 5-12 and JUNIOR 13-17
We are all aware of the importance of passing on our love of our genre to the next generation. It was therefore very disappointing that there were no entries in either of the Junior categories.

CATEGORY 6 Written LOCAL -- Best poem by a resident of the Avon Valley.
Although there was only one entrant in this category, it was delightful to have someone share their feelings towards this very beautiful part of our country. The Avon Valley certainly is a special place to hold a bush poetry event and it is wonderful to have a written component with open, novice and local dimensions as part of the 2015 ABPA/WA Bush Poetry Championships.

OVERALL
I thank each and every one of you who have entered, for presenting your treasured and often heartfelt works for assessment. It has been my privilege to share this small part of your poetic journey with you.

Brenda Joy – ABPA Written Judge

[Shelley Hansen]

Thank you Brenda, for the results and your insightful report.

Congratulations Terry - on your two wins, your commendation ... and the championship!

Cheers, Shelley

[Terry]

Thanks Shelley
You always live in hope when you enter a competition, and if you're really lucky sometimes you win an award.

To pick up two 1st's in the one Comp. came as a great but pleasant surprise, and winning a humorous one, an even bigger surprise.
The awards were announced at the old time dance (organized by Dave and Elaine Smith) and the winning poems were read by Rodger Cracknell, who did an excellent recital of both poems. Up to that point I had no idea that I'd won, this added a really nice touch to the evening.

I've also had 3 consecutive lotto wins in recent weeks (mind you, on each occasion my winnings were less that the cost of each ticket, but wins-never-the-less) - might go number 4 this week.

Cheers

Terry

[David Campbell]

Terry, this is some year you're having...congratulations!

Cheers
David