Tag Archives: Australian children’s poetry

Weekly Updates

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Here are this week’s updates.

 

Articles:

In May this year, Walker Books is publishing a collection of Stephen Whiteside’s poetry for children, The Billy That Died With Its Boots On and Other Australian Verse.

Dr Stephen Whiteside shares his journey – The Fulfillment of a Lifetime Quest: Writing the Billy That Died With Its Boots On and Other Australian Verse.

Link here:

https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/articles/the-fulfillment-of-a-lifetime-quest/

 

Competitions:

Don’t forget to check our  ‘Competitions‘ page for end of April submission deadlines.

 

Writers sought

As per my recent blog post, if you are interested in assisting as a  researcher and writer for the Australian Children’s Poetry blog site, more information can be found here:

https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/2014/04/18/writers-sought/

 

That’s it for this week.

 

Di  Bates

VIVA LA POETRY REVOLUTION!

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Today I have sent the following email to numerous children’s poets and poetry lovers:

‘Through the new blog site, Australian Children’s Poetry (which now has over 8,500 hits), I am trying to revitalise poetry in Australia, starting with poetry in schools. You might have read https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/articles/why-are-booksellers-afraid-of-childrens-poetry/ and the responses from poet Stephen Whiteside and myself, Di Bates.

Here’s a thought: if all of us with a love of and connection to Australian children’s poetry united, we might just put poetry and Australian children, teachers, publishers and booksellers on the same page. United, we can be a powerful force! We can bring poetry into schools and into bookshops. We can exert pressure on organisations such as the CBCA to fund prizes, competitions and/or otherwise promote poetry.

So, what I’m asking you today is for you to consider approaching school/s to offer to present a poetry reading. Have you done this before? Why not now? Then, send an article to me at dibates@outlook.com about your experience and the responses from children and teachers.

Your articles will be posted on the Australian Children’s Poetry blog site and then the CBCA and Australian children’s publishers will be notified that there is the beginning of a groundswell…

Am I being too optimistic? What do you think? Do you want to be part of the Poetry Revolution?’

Subsequent to sending this email, I’ve had an undertaking from our Children’s Laureate Jackie French that she would blog it on her website www.childrenslaureate.org.au and post it in her newsletter. (Thanks, wonderful Jackie!)

Poet and verse novelist Sherryl Clark wrote that she is undertaking a May Gibbs residency in Brisbane in May, part of which is presenting workshops in schools. Initially, when Sherryl suggested poetry workshops, the State Library thought that maybe there wouldn’t be enough interest and that she should offer story writing as well. Sherryl recently received a draft schedule and four of the five schools requested poetry!

You don’t have to be a poet to present a poetry reading! If you are keen to promote poetry in schools, find a half hours’ worth of poems (preferably Australian) that you think children would love to hear recited, and then contact your local school and offer to do a reading.

Become a part of the Australian children’s poetry revolution!

Poem of the Day

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Naked Nonsense: Guundie’s Ridiculous Rhymes

 

  The Edible Swarm

 

By my door are massive trees,

swinging in a storm,

dropping lots of peas –

a gigantic swarm.

It comes in – the peas have keys –

and I squash them just like fleas,

get them on the stove to warm,

put them on a plate,

and eat dinner, thanks to fate!

 

Guundie Kuchling, born in Salzburg, gained her Master of Fine Arts in Vienna and arrived in Australia in 1987 with her husband Gerald, a world turtle expert.

Guundie has published 11 picture books and exhibits widely: oil paintings, water colours, lino prints, and sculptures. Her interests include throat singing, native wildlife, ear rings, growing vegetables, dry felting, labyrinths, and encouraging others to live creatively.

 

Competition result

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There was a healthy response to the 11th Kathleen Julia Bates Memorial Writing Competition for a poem suitable for a child up to 12 years. A good number of the 78 poems entered were thought to be suitable for publication; scoring on individual sheets reflects this. The average score (out of a possible 133) was 70.

Comments on each of the poems were made in good faith by the two judges, Dianne (Di) Bates and Bill Condon. www.enterprisingwords.com.au

The winners, after much deliberation, were as follows:

 

First prize ($150) Dianne Ellis of Wombarra NSW, with ‘The Family Cat’

Second prize ($100) Shey Marque of Two Rocks WA, with ‘Sometimes behind the Wallpaper’

Third prize ($50) Sophie Masson of Invergowrie NSW, with ‘Building Site Zoo’

 

Highly commended certificates were awarded to Pat Simmons, Sophie Masson, Michelle Lewry and Darrelle Spenceley.

 

This competition is run in the memory of my daughter, Kathleen Julia Bates (1971 – 1973).

All poets – and those interested in children’s poetry – are advised to read and follow the blog, Australian Children’s Poetry http://wwww.australianchildrenspoetry.com.au which lists competitions for children’s poetry and other valuable opportunities.

Di Bates

Poem of the Day

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Sea song

 

I took my teddy down to the sea

Thinking what fun it was bound to be,

But he took one step and his paws got all wet

He doesn’t want to go for a swim just yet.

 

I took my budgie down to the sea,

Thinking what fun it was bound to be,

But he took one look and he flew away,

He just won’t go to the sea today.

 

I took my puppy down to the sea,

Hoping she’d love it just like me.

She barked at the waves, then ran in to play,

I think we’ll stay at the sea all day!

 

© Sophie Masson

Poem of the Day

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THE FAMILY CAT

 

Nestled on my lap

in a crevassed curve

to his liking

sharp edges unseen

body rounded

relaxed

rested

like a freshly placed pudding

plumped yet pleasing

to the eye

 

I feel the warmth

the beat

the motor mechanics

within

 

Purrrfectly Purrring…

Purrrfectly Purrring…

Purrrfectly Purrring…

 

I smooth his soft silkiness

and see

sleepy slits

slowly open

to reveal

 

green

golden

globes

gleaming

in contrast to black beauty

 

His eyes look into mine

adoringly…

speaking to my soul…

I trust you to care.

 

© Dianne Ellis

Throughout my life, I have enjoyed the company of cats in my home.   I find the majority of cats are very soulful creatures, particularly the pure black ones who gracefully prance around taking confident ownership of property and loved ones.

One day I was sitting down writing when my gorgeous black Shadow effortlessly leapt onto my lap and settled there, as he always did.

It was only a moment in time but I felt the need to share my feelings and highlight Shadow’s special silent message through this poem. I hope you enjoy my words.

I have written poetry all my life, however in recent years, my love of writing has steered me towards children’s stories. Rusty Rumble and his Smelly Socks and Rusty Rumble’s Day at the Beach are my first published picture books and excerpts from my books can be seen on www.diannellisbooks.com.au

Friday Update

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Here are this week’s updates:

 

Competitions:

The Ipswich Poetry Feast website has now released details on the 2014 International Poetry Writing Competition.

The Competition Opening Date: Sunday 6 April 2014; Closing date  is Fri 1 August 2014 at 5.00 p.m.

Please click our Competitions  page for the updated details.

Don’t forget to check our  competition page for end of April deadline submissions.

 

Reviews:

Poetry Book Review – Verses for Children by various poets (Pine Street Poets, 2013)

To view, please click on the Review page.

 

That’s it for this week.

Friday update

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Just advising you of new information and links that have been added to the site pages this week.

Articles:

 

Competitions:

Please remember to check the  Competitions page for ‘fast approaching’ deadlines.

New competitions have been added:

  • Children’s Poetry Anthology on Food and Agriculture – submission deadline:  14 June  2014
  • Peace Train Poetry Festival – submission deadline 30 June 2014

To view all the competitions just click on the ‘Competitions’ title to view listings on the one page. Competitions are listed in order of their deadline date.

 

Interviews:

If you are interested in an interview with the well-known ‘peace poet’, Professor Ada Aharoni, click on the interview link here: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/interviews/peace-poet-ada-aharoni/

 

Links:

New links have been added here: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/links/new-links/

 

Poets A-Z:

Two poet bios have been added to our growing list of talented Australian poets.

All listed poets can be viewed here or via the drop down menu (Poets A-Z).

 

That’s it for this week’s updates.

 

Friday update

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Just advising you of new information and links that have been added to the site pages this week.

Competitions:

Please remember to check the  Competitions page for ‘fast approaching’ deadlines.

Links:

The following links have been added on the Links page.

        Australian Poets featured online – this is a new category.

        Children’s Poetry websites – additional links are added to the top of each respective listing.

Poets A-Z

Two poet bios have been added to our growing list of talented Australian poets.

All listed poets can be viewed here or via the drop down menu (Poets A-Z).

That’s it for this week’s updates.

Greetings and Welcome

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Balloons-AnimatedGreetings and welcome to all poetry lovers visiting this brand new site!

Within two days of the Australian Children’s Poetry site going up, there were well over 2,000 hits, a fair indication of the interest nationally and internationally in Australian children’s poets and their poetry.

Thanks so much to all of you who have left congratulatory comments and offers of future support. There’s more to come, so remember to keep popping over, and do spread the word, please. (Don’t forget to contribute poems, articles, links, reviews and interviews, as well.)

The inspiration for creating the blog came about seven years ago when I was compiling Australian children’s poems for an anthology. While trying to track down poets’ contact details (to ask for permission and to offer payment), I soon found that most Australian children’s poets do not have an online presence. Why isn’t there a dedicated site, I asked myself when organisations such as the National Library of Australia were unable to locate one.

Believing that it if it’s got to be, it’s up to me, I began exploring the options for a website. I stopped short at a quote of $25,000 to build one. Then I found Helen Ross, a children’s author, who agreed to create a blog for far less money. Thank you, Helen! (When my funding application is approved, I will let the world know which organisation has given its much welcomed support.)

Meanwhile, the anthology I’d compiled was (finally) contracted, and Our Home is Dirt by Sea will be published by Walker Books Australia in 2015. Thank you, Sarah Foster, one of the few Australian publishers who give ongoing support to publishing children’s poetry.

I asked all contributing poets if they would like to leave their contact details with their biographies so that anthologists, festival, conference organisers and schools could apply to use their poems and/or to invite the poets to speak publicly, and to present poetry readings. I also asked them to provide up to three poems each to give a sample of their talents.

Poetry is a big deal in the UK where it is common for children’s poets to strut their stuff in schools, etc. And, too, although I don’t have statistics to support my claim, I believe there are more poetry collections and anthologies published there each year than here in Australia.

My aim is to put Australian children’s poetry on every map there is. Please help spread the word. And in the meantime, enjoy what’s on offer here and leave your comments. Thanks!

Dianne (Di) Bates

11/3/14