National Year of Reading 2012

I have accepted an invitation to be Ambassador for the National Year of Reading 2012 a pleasant duty which involves promoting a reading culture to all Australians. I will also be acting as Poetry Ambassador for the State Library of NSW where poems from my book, The ABC Book of Australian Poetry will provide the basis for A-Poem-a-Day.

Society of Women's Writers' Biennial Awards

Both I Love You Book (junior fiction) and The ABC Book of Australian Poetry have been shortlisted for the SWW Biennial Awards to be announced 9th November in the Dixson Room, NSW State Library.

Australian Poetry Since 1788

Attended the launch of Australian Poetry Since 1788 edited by Geoffrey Lehmann and Robert Gray and published by UNSW Press. The itself is a weighty tome containing over 1000 poems from 170 poets. The launch was a  glamourous affair at the NSW Art Gallery, where poets and poetry lovers enjoyed food, wine and conviviality.

And, two more poems from the ABC Book of Australian Poetry

Also from the ABC Book of Australian Poetry - Parrots by Judith Wright

From the ABC Book of Australian Poetry - Tree Australia Tree

I've been recording my poems on video for a bit of fun. Please enjoy!

Celebration Poetry

At the special poetry luncheon with the Society of Women's Writers NSW, I listened to selected members' poems and then heard an erudite address by award-winning poet Judith Beveridge on the ways in which poetry involves us, mentioning many poets:- Keats to Rilke, Neruda to Les Murray and Michael Longley, among them. I loved the way Judith talked of the way in which poets, real poets write firstly for themselves, and of the "high seriousness" of real poetry and its resistance to often degraded language of mass media - and its eventual 'soul-making' function.