Do not pat a cranky cat!
Do not jig with a pig!
Do not steal a seal!
Do not lick a chick!
Do not wear a llama’s ‘jamas!
Do not dine with swine!
Do not stare at a bear!
Do not smile at a crocodile!
Do not force a horse!
Do not pull a bull!
Do not twirl a girl!
Do not annoy a boy!
Here are this week’s updates:
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.
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.
Just advising you of new information and links that have been added to the site pages this week.
Please remember to check the Competitions page for ‘fast approaching’ deadlines.
New competitions have been added:
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.
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/
New links have been added here: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/links/new-links/
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 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
Australian Children’s Poetry 