Writers Voice September 2011 - Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW

Writers
Voice
S p r i n g E d i t i o n
# 2 3 3 S E P 2 0 1 1
FELLOWSHIP OF
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
Q u a r t e r l y B u l l e t i n o f t h e f e l l o w s h i p o f a u s t r a l i a n w r i t e r s n s w i n c .
Historic FAW Memoir
to be published
Colleen Parker
Treasured manuscript found
It is always my pleasure as part of
my FAW Secretarial duties to help
people who contact us looking for
support with their projects. Many
have simple enquiries regarding
finding Literary Agents, publishing
opportunities, manuscript assessments
etc. However, one exciting
enquiry late last year, which initially
came through our President, Trevar
Langlands, was from Kathy Berryman
who asked if the FAW would be
interested in looking at a long­lost
manuscript that she and her sister
possessed which was written by
Marjorie Quinn in circa 1966.
Trevar invited Kathy to one of our
Management Committee meetings
and to say we were stunned at the
treasure displayed before us would
Kathy and Trevar inspect the manuscript
Marjorie Quinn
1889-1972
be an understatement. The bulky,
carbon­copied manuscript with a
cardboard cover wrapped in calico
and ‘sewn’ with safety pins was as
exciting to behold as any artefact
found in a dusty, tattered state
anywhere in the world.
Beginnings of the Fellowship
To explain the relevance to those
newer members we have or those
who have not read Dream At A
Graveside (the history of the FAW
compiled and edited by Len Fox),
Marjorie Quinn was our first Hon.
Secretary.
On 8th December 1928 it was
reported in The Sydney Morning
Herald that a literary organisation
had been formed in Sydney, under the
title of the Fellowship of Australian
Writers. There are a number of
writers deserved to be honoured
as pioneers and founders but there
is general agreement that foremost
among them were two writers,
Mary Gilmore and Marjorie’s uncle,
Roderic Quinn.
ThE FAW CoNNECTIoN
Roderic Joseph Quinn
Marjorie’s Uncle.
Co-founder of the FAW
Patrick Edward Quinn Marjorie Quinn
Marjorie’s Father. Author of the Memoir.
Journalist and MP First Secretary of the FAW
Noreen Quinn
Marjorie’s Cousin.
Stored the manuscript
after Marjorie’s death
Kathy Berryman and
Deb McMahon
Sisters, Noreen’s Nieces.
Copyright holders
for publication
Kathy Berryman and her sister,
Deb McMahon have the right to
publish Marjorie’s manuscript after
obtaining copyright approval.
Kathy and Deb’s mother and her
family were cousins to Marjorie
Quinn and therefore also related
cont. page 14…
in this issue…
State Council News 3
Annual Luncheon Notice 5
Letters to the Editor 6
FAW Branch Reports 7
Roundup 16
Poets Voice 18
Competition Results 19
Workshop: Writing for the Stage 20
Articles:
– Keeping the Short Story Alive 21
– The Writers‘ Life of Interaction 21
Literary Achievements 22
FAW Members’ Bookshelf 25
Writing Competitions 26
Branch Meetings and Contacts 30
About the FAW 32

FELLOWSHIP OF
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
Fellowship of
Australian Writers
NSW Inc.
ABN 59 557 152 715
General Enquiries:
FAW NSW State Office
Lower Ground, NSW Writers’ Centre,
Rozelle Hospital, Balmain Road, Rozelle
Mail: PO Box 488, Rozelle NSW 2039
Telephone/Fax: 9810 1307 or Ph 6559 5427
Internet:
Patrons:
Prof. GA Wilkes, Mr Thomas Keneally ao,
Prof. E. Webby am, faha
State President:
Trevar Langlands – 0402 209 267
Vice President & Public Officer:
Helen Luidens – 4363 2627
Hon. Secretary:
Colleen Parker – 6559 5427
Hon. Treasurer:
Kay Bakon (nee Gould) – 4321 0935
Unit 801, Henry Kendall Gardens,
150 Maidens Brush Road, WYOMING NSW 2250
Membership Secretary:
Barbara Simmons
Committee Members:
Cate Plink
Jo­Anne Harris
Maureen Kelly
Isolated Writers Branch Convenor:
Adrienne de Bouvier
PO Box 29, PINGELLY WA 6308
WRITERS VoICE ISSN 0817-0746
The official Bulletin of the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc
is published quarterly. Opinions expressed are those of the
individual authors and not necessarily those of the FAW or the
editor. The editor reserves the right to edit or delete submissions
for length, content, or policy. All advertisements and items
are accepted in good faith but the FAW NSW Inc cannot accept
responsibility for misrepresentation by advertisers nor does
inclusion of any item imply endorsement by FAW NSW Inc.
Editor: Ken Driver. Copy for submission should be sent to:
The Editor, Writers’Voice
65 Barbara Boulevard, Seven Hills NSW 2147
Tel: (02) 9831 6808
Email:
*** NOTE QUARTERLY COPY DEADLINES ***
15 NOVEMBER, 15 FEBRUARY, 15 MAY, 15 AUGUST
2 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
FAW NSW Inc. State Council – Branch Delegates Meeting
Next meeting: Saturday, 5 November 2011, 10:00am at City of Sydney RSL Club.
The Executive Committee and Branch Delegates meet quarterly on the First Saturday
of February, May, August and November each year. Minutes are mailed to each Branch
Secretary.
General Membership and Subscriptions
Membership is open to anyone who has a love for writing – writers, whether amateur
or professional – or anyone interested in promoting Australian literature.
AFFILIATION FEES – $34pa Full Membership ($17 U18/Student Membership) – are
due by 31 DECEMBER each year and should be paid to the Branch Treasurer where a
member attends meetings. Please make cheques/money orders payable to Fellowship
Aust Writers (exactly as written).
Each Branch sets it own ANNUAL FEE from which the $34 (or $17) affiliation fees are
forwarded to FAW State Council for costs involved with printing and mailing Writers
Voice, public liability insurance and administration.
ISOLATED WRITERS – $40pa ($45 overseas, $20 Youth U18) – pay their subscription
direct to the FAW Isolated Writers’ Branch Convenor. Please make cheques/money
orders payable to Fellowship Aust Writers (exactly as written) and mail to
FAW Isolated Writers’ Convenor, Adrienne de Bouvier, PO Box 29, PINGELLY WA
6308. Enclose a SSAE if receipt is required.
Writing Fellows
FAW Writing Fellows are listed at .
The broad criteria for this class of membership, are that the applicant should have
had a substantial body of work published and should normally have been a member
of the FAW for at least two years. A committee of the State Council adjudicates on
each application, which should be forwarded to the Registrar of Writing Fellows, FAW
State Council, PO Box 488, Rozelle NSW 2039. The application should:
a) be accompanied by a $50.00 cheque, payable to ‘Fellowship Aust. Writers’.
b) indicate the Branch where the applicant is currently a member and the number of
years of FAW membership.
c) have attached a list of published, performed or broadcast works, with dates and
details of publication. Also list any literary prizes awarded, although such works
may be unpublished. Unpaid contributions to newspapers etc. and self­published
works (unless widely sold and acclaimed) should not be included.
The one­time fee of $50.00 will be used to cover costs of administration and cost of
certificate. Excess funds will be used to further the work of the FAW. If the application
is unsuccessful, the cheque will be returned, perhaps with a suggestion to re­submit
an application when a greater body of work has been published.
Distinguished Service Award
This annual award recognises FAW members confidentially recommended by
their Branch Committees and approved by the DSA Assessment Committee. DSA
members will be honoured in the following way: a ceremony will be held at the
Annual Presentation Luncheon and the successful candidates will be presented
with certificates acknowledging their outstanding service. In addition, a permanent
Honour Roll in Writers’ Voice lists the names of recipients of the DSA.
Guidelines for assessing recommendations for Distinguished Service Awards:
1. Recommendations must be as a result of a unanimous decision of a current Branch
Committee.
2. Qualifications to include the following features:
(a) Length of service as a current financial member to be at least ten (10) years.
(b) Required to have a regular attendance record at Branch Meetings.
(c) Required to have participated in activities organised by the Branch Committee
on a regular basis for at least eight years or to have served on the Branch
Committee for at least eight years.
3. All recommendations to be submitted to the DSA Assessment Committee,
PO Box 488, Rozelle NSW 2039, by 30 June of each year.
4. A committee comprising the State President, the Vice President, the Secretary and
the Treasurer will assess recommendations. The DSA Committee’s decision is final.
ISBN
Members wanting an ISBN should contact Alan Russell on 02 9680 3374 or email
Public Fund
Donations of $2.00 and over to this account are tax deductible. When there are
sufficient funds, Branches may approach State Council for an amount for a specific
purpose. Without donations FAW cannot grow and achieve this aim. When a member
makes a donation, a note of his/her Branch is made.
FAW Manuscript Assessment Service
Critical reading with general criticism, editing including interpolation of articles,
short stories and novels. A fee of $45 for a sample assessment of 2 chapters and $25
for poetry up to six poems of no more than 60 lines each. A detailed quote for the
critical assessment of the remaining work will be supplied should the author require
further editorial or constructive advice. For manuscripts, please include a synopsis
and approximate word count and a stamped self­addressed envelope for return
of all the assessments. For further information phone 9810 1307 or write to FAW
Assessment Service PO Box 488 Rozelle NSW 2039.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

State Council News
ANNOUNCEMENT: ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS
The Special General Meeting, held on 6 August 2011, unanimously
passed a special resolution to adopt the amended Constitution of
the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc. It conforms with the
new Associations Incorporation Act of 2009 and the Associations
Incorporation Regulation of 2010.
The change to the objects/constitution has been registered by The
Department of Fair Trading and takes effect from 16 August 2011.
Henceforward the word “Regionals” will no longer be used, the word
“Branches” has replaced it. There have been some small changes to
the draft of the amended constitution which was sent out to Branches.
These have been made in response to feedback which was always
constructive.
The registered constitution will be sent to all Branches and
individual members may obtain a copy by emailing or phoning me.
It gives me great pleasure to make this announcement.
Helen Luidens (Public Officer)
IMPORTANT: INFORMATION FOR ALL MEMBERS
All subscriptions are due by 31 December 2011, and are to be paid to
your branch Treasurer, who will then forward $34 for each member to
the State Treasurer. All payments received by the end of December go
into our “Early Bird” draw for $50.00. To help with our finances, please
enclose a SSAE for return of your receipts.
The March copy of Writers Voice is the last magazine issued to
unfinancial members. If fees are not paid by 31 December, there will be
no Writers Voice.
Renewals must be forwarded to the state treasurer as soon as
received. Current members, when renewing, must pay the whole year’s
fee. Only new members pay half fee of $17 from 1st July. And from 1st
October, for new members, payment is a quarter fee of $8.50. There is
no such thing as membership for half a year, except for new members
starting after 30 June.
Lists are sent out every quarter to the branch treasurer, and should be
returned to the Membership Secretary by the date specified. The aim of
these lists is to keep the membership details up to date, and treasurers
should note on them any changes of address, resignations, and new
members. If they are returned by the proper date, every member will
receive a copy of the next Writers Voice. Any last minute names of new
members/renewals can be emailed to Membership Secretary with
follow­up of money and list to the State Treasurer.
Every year branches are asked to supply State Council with a copy of
their annual financial statement. This can be checked and verified by
any responsible person such as another branch’s treasurer/committee
member and does not require to be audited by a qualified accountant.
At the same time, treasurers are asked to supply names of any tutor/
speaker hired by their branch in the last 12 months, together with how
much was paid to each one. This information is required for the GIO to
assess our workers’ compensation premium for the next twelve months,
and MUST be sent to the state treasurer by the end of January.
INSURANCE. Any branch wanting a certificate of Currenty of the Public
Liability insurance policy for their landlord, contact the state treasurer
who will send one out.
Please make note of my new name and address: Kay Bakon, Unit 801,
Henry Kendall Gardens WYOMING NSW 2250.
Kay Bakon (nee Gould), Hon. Treasurer, FAW NSW
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au
We have a new constitution!
Probably for most of us this is not that
exciting but as history has shown, you
only need a strong leader in times of
trouble and for an organisation like FAW
NSW we need a strong constitution for
the same reason. The constitution is a
very easy to read document and should
assist any Branch which may experience
a problem.
I have to admit to standing on the
sidelines in this whole process and
marvelling at the tenacity of Ken
Challenor, Helen and Johan and the
others who have participated over the
years. Well it’s done and hopefully will
last the organisation for many years
as it is in line with the latest rules and
regulations for our type of entity.
So what does this mean for the rest of
us? Firstly a revamp of the Membership
and Branches’ packages, yes Branch not
Regional anymore. This will be done
as soon as possible and can I ask that
these are made available for all members
and especially office bearers in all the
Branches. You will have the choice of
photocopying the original or using the
electronic format. Every Branch has a
folder with the original in and so it will
just require substituting the new pages.
The last of the major administrative
work has now been completed and so
we can work on the future and how we
can grow our organisation and support
each other in our writing endeavours.
Barbara Simmons,
State Membership Secretary
Marjorie Quinn’s Book Launch
10 December 2011
The MC for the Launch of The Years The
Locust Hath Eaten (see cover story) will
be our FAW President, Trevar Langlands.
The NSW State Library’s Dixon Room
is an excellent venue for a function such
as this and the Saturday afternoon time
slot will be appropriate for those of us
who don’t like being out at night.
Full details of the Launch will be
included on the Open Invitation to all
members from Kathy Berryman and
Deb McMahon. Keep a lookout for it
and please remember to RSVP to Deb or
Kathy as numbers are limited.
Do note the date in your diary and
invite a couple of your friends along
as this promises to be a very special
occasion for our FAW.
Colleen Parker, Hon. Secretary
WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 3

State Council News
FRoM ThE PRESIDENT
Hello Members.
Having had a bout of illness
at time of writing (August), I am
somewhat short on news this issue.
Right now I should be overseas
having made arrangements to return
again to Russia and follow it up via
Poland to Scotland. However fate
intervened and I have had to put it off
till next year due to not being able to
fly for a little while. But now feeling
much better and thank you to those
concerned folk who contacted me,
not than many really knew.
State Council General Meeting
We had an excellent General Meeting
on Saturday August 6. It was great to
meet Jenny Crozier from Southern
Highlands and also Annette Brown
from Blue Mountains. Good to meet
some new faces and have them take
part in the meetings on behalf of their
Members. We all enjoyed a nice lunch
after and there was plenty of social
chit chat, it was the real fellowship
as meant to be… a lovely day to meet
and talk and get to know new faces.
Radio Guest
A recent radio guest has been Lyn
Drummond, author of Where to go
for a seven-year cycle.
Originally from the UK, Lyn
worked in Chuuk in the Federated
States of Micronesia, Slovenia,
Albania and also for the Australian
Embassy in Budapest during the end
of Communism in Russia. She also
worked for Foreign Affairs a number
of years. Lyn was also a friend of
famous Australian writer Randolph
Stow who settled in her home town
in England. Now a resident of Sydney
Lyn still has itchy feet. I will be
reviewing her book in our next issue.
Annual Luncheon
Just want to remind you of our
Christmas Luncheon on December 3
and hope that Branches will all try
and get a group together and come
along for a lovely day of Fellowship.
And our Special Guest may entice a
few more of your males along for a
good afternoon out; Ladies… have
your photo taken with an Aussie show
business legend.
Awards, raffles, Special Guest, and
absolutely wonderful food at the NSW
Bowlers Club in York Street, Sydney.
This venue is very handy to Town
Hall rail and but a short walk via the
Queen Victoria Building . Please roll
up and have a great time.
Special Guest
Let me tell you a little about our
Luncheon guest… Maria Venuti has
recently released her life story in
book form, aptly titled A Whole Load
of Front.
MARIA VENUTI am is a vivacious
personality and one of great natural
warmth and exuberance. Combined
with a dynamic singing voice, these
traits have made her career as a
performer, actor and entertainer
highly successful. As one of this
country’s leading performers, Maria
has played in every major cabaret
venue around Australia, New
Zealand, the Far East, Japan as well
as entertaining our ‘boys’ in the Sinai
Desert.
How does one begin to describe
this dynamic, remarkable and
passionate singer and dedicated
Charity Worker? This Aussie showbiz
icon was recently decorated as a
Member of the Order of Australia in
the Queen’s Birthday Honours List
for her ‘services to the community
as a fundraiser for Charitable
Organisations, particularly those
involved with medical research and
as an entertainer’.
Maria is still ‘over the moon’ at
being the subject of Channel 9’s This
is Your Life paying tribute to her
outstanding and interesting career
and her years of charitable works.
She started in Television on Brian
Henderson’s Bandstand; Graham
Kennedy’s IMT; The Mike Walsh Show;
Variety Italian Style etc. Many well
known stars paid homage to her
incredible personality and talents
– Rolf Harris declared Venuti a true
character and talent of Australia;
Barry Creyton and Noeline Brown
called her a ‘National Treasure’; Bert
Newton filmed a five minute tribute;
Mike Walsh and many others.
SBS’s top rating, Logie nominated
comedy series PIZZA is into its fifth
series. Her role of Bobo’s Mama and
Pizza shop owner requires her to be
fierce, feisty, volatile, bossy. Of course
in real life Maria is a very loving
Mama to her very successful daughter,
who is working in London at Price
Waterhouse Coopers.
Venuti ‘s acting ability has
caught the eye of producers on
television, stage and feature
films – her critically acclaimed
one­woman Jazz Cabaret ‘Venuti’s
Dates’; her ability to encourage and
pass on her knowledge to talented
young performers in the Talent
Development Project; her busy festive
seasons performing her unique
‘Mama Claus Christmas Cabaret’.
Some of her proudest moments
have been… accepting the ‘Heart of
Variety Award’ for her outstanding
work with Variety, The Children’s
Charity; being asked to be an
Australia Day Ambassador; and now
in her 10th year, being honoured with
numerous Entertainment Industry
Awards.
Venuti, being a vibrant and
colourful character, has been
painted ‘more often than The
4 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Sydney Harbour Bridge’! Twice a
subject for the prestigious Archibald
Prize by renowned artists Wynne
Armstrong and Nafisa Naomi; and
most recently, May 2005, opened an
exhibition of works by internationally
acclaimed painter Eva Hannah,
featuring – to Maria’s surprise – a
vivacious, rubenesque depiction of
the Entertainer herself, named ‘Maria
and The Girls’.
After a lifetime in show business,
Maria finds herself as busy as ever;
her passion and vitality has never
waned, singing being her first love…
and her dynamic personality says –
‘LIVE FOR TODAY’!
Trevar Langlands,
State President FAW NSW
FELLOWSHIP OF
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
Fellowship
of
Australian
Writers
NSW Inc
DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE AWARD
HONOUR ROLL
Irene Acland*
Denise Aldridge
Patricia Allen
Barbara Aylott
Miriam Bates
Cyril & Meryl Bentley
Elaine Burton
Ken Challenor
Jan Dean
Beryl Dundas
Thelma Flower
Eileen Gray
Margaret Jackson
John Jacobs
Pat Lindsay
Peter F Pike
Margaret Robinson
Albert Scott
Bridget Sharp
Margot Shugg
Barbara Snel
Dorothe Squires-Cooper
Frank Urban
Margaret Wilkinson
Margaret Young
*Deceased
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au
Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW
ANNUAL PRESENTATION
LUNCHEON
When: Saturday December 3rd, 2011
11.30am for 12 noon
Where: The Bowlers’ Club, 95-99 York Street, Sydney
Cost: $45 per head – includes buffet meal, entertainment
and lucky door prizes.
Presentation of Prizes awarded to winners of the:
FaW nSW 2011 Marjorie Barnard Short Story award
Hilarie Lindsay 2011 Young Writers Short Story Competition
2011 Branch newsletter award
SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTER:
Maria VenuTi am
Performer, Actor, Show Business Icon, Charity Worker and Writer
RAFFLE TICKETS:
$1 each for 1st Prize $100 and 2nd Prize is a ‘Special Delight’ –
See reverse side of your mailing sheet with this issue for tickets –
send SSAE with name, cheque (made payable to Fellowship Aust Writers)
and the number of luncheon and raffle tickets required, to:
FAW hon. Treasurer, Kay Bakon,
Unit 801, henry Kendall Gardens, WYoMING NSW 2250
Point 4 of the published ‘Normal
Competition Conditions’ [see page
26] was amended at the recent
August State Council meeting.
It now reads:
Entries may be entered in more
than one competition at the time
of entry HOWEVER the entry must
be withdrawn from any subsequent
competitions if the writer is advised
prior to the closing dates that the
entry was successful elsewhere with
a cash prize.
The Motion Moved by H Luidens,
Seconded Cate Plink, UNANIMOUSLY
ACCEPTED.
Not a part of the Motion, but
important relevant information to
the conditions should also be noted
as a guideline:
1. It was also advised that if
‘Normal Competition Conditions’
Receipt and tickets will be forwarded.
CHanGe To norMaL CoMPeTiTion ConDiTionS
as will be published in the Spring
Issue of Writers Voice and thereafter,
do not cover the conditions for
any specific competition, then the
Competition Secretary should set
specific conditions of entry for their
particular competition.
2. Cash Prize does not mean (gift
eg. trophy, vase etc). Therefore such
items are NOT deemed to be a cash
prize. Your committee appreciates
the feedback from ‘Branches’ (yes
our new constitution refers to
Regionals as Branches), who took
the time to respond to this item from
previous Minutes and trust now,
that competitions should run more
smoothly.
Colleen Parker,
Hon. Secretary FAW NSW
[As per Minutes from August 2011
Quarterly Meeting].
WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 5

Letters to the Editor
Feedback from Writing Competitions
Dear Editor,
I read with interest Sue Filson’s letter in the Writers
Voice regarding the ‘Judging of Writing Competitions’.
Firstly, may I say I write this letter as a member of FAW
and not as President of the Hawkesbury Writers Group
therefore my comments do not represent the opinion of
the HWG. I will canvass the opinion of the HWG on this
matter at our next meeting.
I have no argument with the reasons Sue Filson
lists which might lead to an award not being made. If
set out in conditions of entry, one enters under those
rules. I am uninformed of the issue in question so am
not commenting on that at all. Rather seeing that letter
prompted me to write this letter which has been in my
“Gunna do” file for too long.
When I first began entering literary competitions and
later encouraging others to do so, it was in the mistaken
belief, promoted by competition organisers and teachers,
that by entering competitions one would learn the craft.
At the least we hoped to receive some feedback which
would enable us to do better next time. However, very few
sponsors of literary competitions offer such information.
Once the manuscript is posted it might as well have be
flushed down the toilet, because unless one is fortunate to
be at least shortlisted, the only sound we hear is perhaps
the entry fee leaving our cheque account.
I know how much work goes into judging a
competition. But I think that a set of FAW rules and an
example of how the MS should be set out, information
that can be easily found, is not enough to assist the
unsuccessful writer or even a successful writer to write a
better story. What cannot be had for love or money is the
judges’ opinion of the work. A few sentences scribbled on
the MS and returned in the entrant’s supplied stamped
envelope would suffice. The judges must make some notes
for their own information so why not on the MS? On the
few instances when I did receive such feedback, from
Partners in Crime and a Henry Lawson competition, I
found it helpful.
The entry fees for the competitions continue to rise.
Is it not time to give value for the money and contribute
to the advancement of the writers so that prizes can be
awarded? I would pay more to enter a competition which
offered feedback. The Romance Writers of Australia had
a great system of judging, using printed forms, which
when filled in by judges and returned to the writer, gave
helpful feedback to the entrant. There was a higher entry
fee (the competition was for chapters of a novel) and the
result was worth every cent. I congratulate the organisers
of literary competitions who are already offering such a
service.
Enter an Art Competition and you can view all the
entrants and compare your effort with that of the winner
and understand why you didn’t get the blue ribbon.
Literary competitions leave us in the dark, we do not see
our competitors, rarely are we able to read their work, we
have no way of knowing why the winners won.
6 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
I would like to hear what the FAW, competition
organisers, and competition entrants think on this
matter, one which I consider could be easily dealt with by
returning the marked up entry with the results notice in
the envelope supplied by the entrant.
Yours sincerely,
Laurie Forth
Ye olde Bush Ballad
© 2011 David Campbell, Vic.
In older cultures ballads were okay,
says David Berger, but he thinks today
a modern poem should be wild and free
reaction to emotion that can be
“linguistically encrypted”, sent through time…
so what, then, of ye metre and ye rhyme?
Are all the balladeers from days now past
consigned to musty books and rudely cast
to history’s destructive, fickle flames,
and memories that die with poets’ names?
Are Banjo, Henry and the great C. J.
abandoned, disregarded, and passé?
Have all the stories that we once enjoyed
just vanished into time and been destroyed?
Are Clancy and The Bloke and Mulga Bill
now dead and gone, the subjects of a skill
that cannot represent this modern age
when we set out our thoughts upon the page?
I’d like to think we’d keep an open mind,
for often, in the old ways, I can find
a story and a style that strike a chord
which leaves me fascinated, far from bored,
rejoicing in a tale and turn of phrase
that set imagination well ablaze.
For modern poets using ballad form,
though not, perhaps, the versifier’s norm,
write lines that, when “unpacked” like some new toy,
reveal a sense of anger, fear and joy.
They deal with current issues that portray
the challenges that face us day by day.
While free verse might leave many satisfied,
those ballads, I assure you, haven’t died.
Thus, Mister Berger, I must disagree…
both old and new are pretty fine by me.
Ignoring one, I think, would be remiss,
and so I’ll keep on writing…just like this.
(David Campbell won the 2011 Bronze Swagman Award
for bush verse with a poem about the devastating impact
of dementia).
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

FAW Branch Reports
Blue Mountains faw
The past few months have seen
some fine readings of members’
work at our regular meetings; a
number of these have been included
in our latest anthology. This is
presently at the printers and will
be available shortly. We have also
had some memorable presentations
by visiting writers. Dawn Hort who
writes as Dawn Meredith, gave us a
rare insight to what it takes to be a
successful writer, revealing effective
methods of achieving publication;
emphasising the importance of
knowing and using the restraints
insisted on by publishers.
We are still feeling the loss of
our dear Joan Vaughan Taylor who
bravely continued her writing whilst
fighting disability and illness but
finally succumbed at the age of 91
in February. She was a wonderful
influence on our writing and
presentation. Though sadly missed,
her influence lives on.
Introducing variety and fun to
a recent meeting our president
produced a lagerphone to enhance
the sense of rhythm when giving a
reading of a poetic item. We soon
got the hang of it and it was not
long before we all joined in a fine
chorus of Botany Bay that resounded
through the length of Springwood’s
High Street.
Our committee has been
refashioned with the following
members and posts: Ron Lyons has
agreed to remain as President. Vice
President and Publicity Officer, John
Smith. Rosemary Baldry is continuing
as Treasurer and Membership
Secretary. Secretary and Minutes
Secretary is now David Berger (who
is also Hon. Poetry Editor for Writers
Voice). Other committee members are
Margaret Skiller and Lilliana Reljic;
delegates to the State Council are Ron
Lyons and Annette Brown.
John Smith
Bondi writers Group
Bondi Writers Group has been
very busy in recent times. In July,
actors Kay Dunne and Hugh Watson
read aloud from members’ works,
including poetry and prose. The
rationale for this was to enable the
writers to hear their “voice” and to
receive feedback on the writing. This
was very well­received by all present,
and the high standard of both
the writing and the feedback was
commented on.
In June Anne Skyvington and Peter
Richmond presented a seminar on
Blogging for those members who
were interested in creating and
developing personal blogs to support
their writing endeavours. Feedback
groups on Prose and Poetry ran at
the same time for those members
who were not interested in internet
blogging.
Notification that we received our
Waverley Council Grant was relayed
to members, as was an in­house Short
Story Competition. Our 2011 external
Short Story competition was also
announced, and advertisements were
subsequently placed in appropriate
journals.
Our speaker in May was Walter
Mason, a travel writer who had his
novel, Destination Saigon published
to high acclaim in 2010. He gave
a lively talk about his writing and
publishing journey, and led informal
workshopping tasks as well.
There have been some changes in
our future program, viz our Annual
Public Reading is to be held in
November instead of October, and
our August meeting would entail a
workshop led by well­known writer,
Libby Hathorne.
Anne Skyvington
central coast faw
The last few meetings have prompted
some lively debate about writing
competitions in general. This year’s
Mona Brand Short Story Competition
has been well supported so far,
especially as the closing date was still
some weeks away at time of writing.
As an added incentive to new and
emerging writers this time, a written
report and feedback sheet is available
for a small additional cost to entrants
in the competition.
In June we held a writing
workshop on the topic of ‘Structure:
beginnings, endings and in­between’.
The workshop, which was presented
by Jacqui Winn proved to be very
popular and was well attended. After
the workshop, members voted to
hold a second workshop with Jacqui
on October 23 on the topic of ‘Pace
and Impact’. The workshops make a
difference to writers with a focus on
the essential ingredients of writing a
successful story.
We were all especially pleased last
month when Sheila Drakeley was
shortlisted in the Common Thread
Short Story Competition 2011 for
a longer short story with her entry
‘One Man’s Mountain’. The winner
of our first in­house short story
competition held in April was Shirley
Goodbar and she was delighted
with the beautiful leather briefcase
as first prize. Second prize went to
Paul Radcliffe and third prize went
to a new member Meredith Gilmore.
Congratulations to everyone.
On 3 June our treasurer was
married and we would send many
happy wishes to Kay Bakon (nee
Gould) and Geoff. We would also
like to extend a warm welcome to all
our new members, Susan Hourigan,
Meredith Gilmore and Ellen Cook.
Considering we have come through
the cool winter months with so much
wet weather everyone appears to
be still invigorated judging by the
attendance at our monthly meetings.
Happy writing,
Mary Cribb (Sec.)
eastwood/hills faw
The presentation of our Annual
Literary Competition awards was
held on Saturday August 6. There
were many outstanding entries. The
first and second placed works in all
sections were read to an appreciative
audience (see ‘Competition Results’
page 19).
Our June workshop ‘Sister Arts’
conducted by Julie Thorndyke and the
July workshop by Mark Tredinnick
‘Nature Writing’ were both very well
received and appreciated by those
who attended. They were both very
stimulating workshops.
September 3 was our AGM,
followed by a critiquing session.
cont. next page…
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FAW Branch Reports
Eastwood/hills FAW
cont. from previous page
Future plans are:
• OCTOBER 1: Workshop will be
a restricted ‘Writing Ramble’
conducted by Alice Suttie. This will
involve outdoor time regardless of
weather, so come prepared!
• NOVEMBER 5: ‘The Short Story
Toolbox’ conducted by Jacquie
Winn, published author of short
stories.
• DECEMBER 3: Our last meeting for
the year and will be our Christmas
Party, venue to be advised.
Margaret Longhurst
euroBodalla faw
Our group of writers have been very
busy during the winter sessions.
We have introduced a new type of
writing, just to spice things up a bit
and challenge the grey matter. It is
called a drabble. When the criteria
are met, many interesting and varied
written pieces emerge. We are
always asked to extend our writing
skills, meaning more words, but this
confines us to 100; it can be less, BUT
no more. An emotion and place have
to be treated as one writing task. It is
amazing what the group can do with
so few words.
Hard to believe that the year has
rolled around so quickly, but eight
of our members have been working
on the judging of the Eurobodalla
Mayor’s Writing Competition. This is
open to children aged 5 to 16, who
must reside in the Shire. This year we
received 129 entries – fantastic! The
quality and the imagination of these
children, makes selecting winners
very hard.
Syd and Mavis Hayes hard at work marking the
Eurobodalla children’s writing competition.
8 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
Syd Hayes was guest speaker at
Moruya Probus and he talked about
his career at a one teacher school,
way out western New South Wales.
He then read some of his written
pieces from our anthology ‘Where
Pelicans Fly’. Our anthology has been
selling very well and we have had
some nice reviews, even receiving
one from the Internet.
Winter is usually a very quiet time,
but not for our writers. The following
members have all had work accepted
for publication or published: Betty
Williams, Eileen Bacchus, Raj Rittman,
Barry Lake, Cat Sheely and Robin
McPherson.
Louise Falcioni
Correction: forestville faw
In the June issue, the title of Ellen
Ash’s booklet should read, The RSPCA:
An Ideal Desecrated and Destroyed.
[Apologies for the misprint—Ed.]
Great laKes faw
We have had some very interesting
meetings in the last few months. Our
June meeting was on the importance
of family heirlooms, and who should
keep them. Members brought in some
of their own family heirlooms and
gave an explanatory talk about them.
The July assignment was to write up
one’s own particular heirloom story,
and what it meant to the writer.
In July we studied traditional and
modern poetry, given by Hermione.
Members brought in examples of
both styles of poetry. The August
assignment was to try writing one
poem in each style on the same
subject.
Our guest speaker at the August
meeting was well­known local writer
Jacqui Winn, who gave a wonderful
talk on ‘Conflict in Writing’. As usual,
her talk was both interesting and
enjoyable, and we all came away
quite “pumped up”, ready to apply
some of her advice to our own
writing.
Gary Taaffe, our web master,
has been writing a trilogy for
young adults, and has now begun
E­publishing them as a series. He
had the launch of his first one during
the first week in August, and has had
plenty of “hits” and enquiries already.
He even had a film crew at his house
last week interviewing him, so we
feel we have quite a celebrity in our
midst! We wish him the best of luck.
Our September meeting will be a
talk on how to be brief in our writing
whenever possible, as it is all too easy
to write much too much detail, and
editors are always asking writers to
cut down on too much of it.
Our last couple of meetings were
down on members attending, as we
had two members away on trips,
and several others on the sick list.
However, we have had several new
members in attendance as well as
some visitors who may become
members.
Noelle White has put together a
book for friends and family consisting
of letters she and her then fiancée
wrote to each other during the
second World War while awaiting
her arrival in Australia to marry him.
It is a lovely record of a wartime
romance. Well done, Noelle! The
coming months will see the compiling,
editing and printing of our sixth
Anthology, and it will be launched at
our December meeting.
Christine Hayes
hunter faw
At our June meeting, Louise
Berry took us through a writing
exercise in which we were given an
opening sentence and questions to
consider when writing our story.
This encouraged us to look at the
background to other stories and
how this affected what we wrote.
We looked at our use of adjectives
and adverbs, deleted them, then
compared both stories and decided
which one we liked best. We found
some adjectives and adverbs were
necessary to give a more rounded
sense to our stories.
In July, we participated in Jacqui
Winn’s workshop, ‘Pace and Impact’.
In a dynamic presentation, Jacqui
shared her strategies for moving
a story along, giving great tips on
characterisation, especially the main
character; on conflict in the plot,
cause and effect and escalation of the
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

plot; on the quality of the narrative
voice and many hints on improving
style.
Julie Simpson led our August
meeting with a talk and exercise on
‘3D or Layered Writing’. Using two
black & white graphics as inspiration,
we tried our hand at weaving three
narratives or narrative points of view
to plait the different characters lives
and settings and experiences together.
This gives the reader a more rounded
understanding of the plot and
characters. This was a brainteaser of
an exercise.
Jo Tregellis
isolated writers’ Branch
It would be extremely gratifying if
I could report on the outstanding
number of isolated writers who
have registered any interest in an inhouse
literary competition. Instead,
I can only offer my apologies to
those few members who offered
their support and looked forward
to the competition, only to be let
down. Such an undertaking can only
be successful if no less than twenty
submissions are received. As there
are sixty isolated writers, I can only
surmise that you all have the winter
blues. It’s all about fellowship and
helping each other along, you know.
That’s how we improve our own
writing – assisting others. We have
sufficient funds to enable payment
of modest monetary prizes, award
certificates and pay judges for such
competitions. Because we can’t
meet and hold workshops or fundraising
activities, please support the
Isolated Writers’ activities. Do give
this matter your consideration as any
organization is only as good as the
members want to make it. I’d like to
hear your views.
Thank you to those members who
have sent me their short, short stories
(ten sentences) for publication in Fair
Copy. I also appreciate those stalwarts
who continue to send me work for
inclusion in our newsletter. We have
so many good writers/poets and I
commend you all, not only those who
have been fortunate enough to have
their short stories or verse published
in magazines, but also those who
submit work to both the Round
Robins.
I’d like to welcome a new member,
Harry Baxter of Narrogin, in WA.
Harry is a self­published author and
I’m looking forward to reading his
book and viewing his DVD. Harry
intends to participate in our electronic
Round Robin (ERR), coordinated by
Brian Armour. We hope you enjoy
fellowship with us, Harry.
Vice­president and Public Officer
Helen Luidens, tells me the amended
FAW (NSW) constitution was adopted
unanimously at the Special Meeting
convened prior to the AGM on the 6th
August, 2011. On behalf of all Isolated
Writers’ members, I’d like to thank
the committee for all their hard work
in making the necessary alterations.
Ah red tape, don’t we love it?
Be careful when reading health books; you
may die of a misprint. (Mark Twain)
Adrienne de Bouvier, Convenor
Kandos faw
We launched our inaugural anthology
‘Kandos Moments’ on July 1.
Contributors are Kay Andos
(pseudonym of Pam O’Connor),
Shannon and Tania Pennell, Judi
‘Martinelli’ Rasmussen [see photo,
‘Roundup’ p17], Deborah Stone,
Pamela Tan, Maureen Turner, Leanne
Wicks and Wendy Williams.
Leanne Wicks was successful
in her application to be one of
Australian Poetry’s Café Poets for a
6­month residency in Café on Louee,
Rylstone. Her poem ‘Garden Party’
was published in Tamba Issue 48.
Leanne Wicks
laKe MacQuarie faw
Writer’s Expo
Saturday August 6 was blessed with
clear sunshine, glittering on the
beautiful waters of Lake Macquarie.
We took this all in from the lightbathed
balcony of Toronto Library. A
perfect day for some reading, a book
launch or three, a cuppa and a chat.
We kicked off with a brief
introduction from Jan Mitchell, our
president. She apologised for not
being able to do a better comedy
routine – no matter, a member of
L to R: Linda Visman, Christina Batey and Rina
Robinson, who all launched their novels at the
Lake Macquarie writers’ expo.
the audience stood up and told a
joke instead. The crowd relaxed,
listening to some amazing work from,
in our opinion, some of Australia’s
finest writers. Biographical works:
an excerpt from Linda Visman’s
biography of her father, Jo Hanrahan’s
Cracker Night and a sample of Jan
Mitchell’s soon to be published
biography. We were entertained by
Carol Heuchan, with her bush poem,
‘Angels on Horseback’, about a bikie
gang who decides to take up horse
riding with hilarious results. New
member Grace Gazzara read her
charming children’s story about a
girl whose dearest wish was for a dog
of her own, and we also heard Vicki
Norton’s gorgeous story about teddy
bears stealing cake.
Linda Visman launched her debut
Members’ novels launched at the
Lake Macquarie writers’ expo.
novel, Ben’s Challenge, an enthralling
tale of twelve year old Ben’s search
for the person responsible for his
father’s death. Christina Batey
kicked off her debut novel, Kicker, a
punchy, action­packed story about
a seventeen year old freestyle
motorcross rider. Rina Robinson
introduced Tarnished Threads, an
intoxicating collection of short stories,
weaving the reader into their web.
It was clear that two hours just
weren’t long enough to show our
members’ talents to their full, as we
heard some more fromVicki Norton’s
work, a chapter from her upcoming
thriller, His Words Fell At My Feet, and
cont. next page…
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FAW Branch Reports
Lake Macquarie FAW
cont. from previous page
squeezed in a short poem from Linda
Visman. There was barely enough
time for Jan to thank everyone and
wrap things up before it was time
to spill out the doors, buoyed by the
beautiful day and the wonderful
words we had heard.
Christina Batey
Macarthur faw
We see the picture of an elderly lady
with a glowing smile leaning over a
kitchen table cutting pie into slices
with a large knife. Also on the table
are some plates, one displaying food
from an unfinished meal.
This was the picture­prompt for
our July creative writing exercise.
We loaned ourselves to the power of
suggestion in making the image tell
its thousand words. Brains skipped
a beat as members put meaning into
this innocent­looking snapshot. Were
four and twenty blackbirds under
short­crust pastry whetting that
sweet smile? Well seriously, practical
jokes aside, the suggestion of human
steak and kidney under aspic with
a light glaze came to mind, the sick
harvest of a demented butcher/killer/
cook. Needless to say, yet we try: the
writing exercise was a lot of fun.
And getting their brainchild
down on paper proved to be greatly
satisfying to all members present.
We had a catered afternoon tea to
warm our cockles that cold winter’s
afternoon.
There was a general consensus
social interaction and chat help to
stir the creative juices. This may
become an annual event… food and
people, people with food… a wellrespected
formula in the stoke and
stir department.
We are looking at ways to
accommodate junior members. Some
readings are unsuitable so we have
decided to leave them until the last
half hour of the meeting to read
aloud. Suitable timing may be one of
the important considerations.
Margot is currently featuring
a series of articles on style in our
prestigious in­house magazine,
Inkblot. Each month we are able
10 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
to glean something new from its
pages. Inkblot has a light­hearted
tone, but tackles the art of writing
with a helpful approach. We would
recommend its format to everybody.
Paul Phillips
Manly and peninsula faw
Our multi­talented group continues
to be busy writing. In June acclaimed
poet Dawn Bruce presented an
outstanding workshop ‘Close
Observation – Inspirational Imagery
for all Genres.’ It certainly opened
our eyes to the fine detail which can
bring objects and people to life in our
writing and produced some excellent
work read out and workshopped inhouse
at the July meeting.
We welcomed some new members
of varied ages in July and they
have joined in our activities with
enthusiasm; we should have an
impressive display of stories and
poems to pair with the canvases
being painted by the children
attending the special programs
conducted by the Cerebral Palsy
Alliance at Allambie Heights.
Together they will be on display for
our Awards Event on 11September
in Manly Library when the Annual
Competition results are announced
and certificates are presented to
the winners. Then on a school day
we will meet the young artists aged
from three to twelve years old who
will come to see the exhibition of
their work in the Library and enjoy
afternoon tea with us.
We were able to congratulate
our long term member Patricia
Jones, who read out some poems
from her book of poetry which has
just been published by Ginninderra
Press; a wonderful achievement.
Another member, Margaret Grace
has had several poems published in
international publications and online.
Also, Aleesah Darlison has just
launched another junior novel in the
Totally Twins series – Tropical Trouble,
and this month her picture book
Warambi will be released. All this
success is the result of hard work and
serves as an inspiration for all of us.
In July Margaret Grace and I,
along with other poets, read out our
tanka at the launch of an anthology
‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine.’ This
delightful occasion was held at Pearl
Beach. Margaret and I each had
a haiku accepted for the UK June
edition of Presence.
Zena Shapter has won the 2011
Oberon Writers’ Competition; also
her short story ‘Breakthrough’ is in
Stringybark Publications Short Story
Anthology ‘A Visit From the Duchess’.
Also a short story ‘Trigger’ in the
Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild’s
Short Story Anthology ‘Winds of
Change’.
For our August meeting we
have had Crime writer and tutor
Robyn McWilliam who engaged
us in a workshop on ‘Character’;
a vital ingredient essential for
story­writing. This had each of us
engrossed in creating a believable
character with some unexpected
twists. Our individual responses to
the ‘suggested exercise’ will be read
out and workshopped in­house at the
September meeting.
In October we’ll attempt to cowrite
some quirky/humorous
pieces for our December meeting,
and in November we anticipate an
entertaining afternoon when talented
thespian Angela Smith presents our
monologues. Visitors are always
welcome to attend our meetings.
Beatrice Yell, President
north arM cove faw
Mid­May members spent a glorious
day at the rural home of member Bob
Bush and his wife Bev, for the 10th
anniversary of Poetry in the Paddock.
It was a day filled with excellent
poetry readings and camaraderie;
members fully appreciating the warm
hospitality of the hosts.
At the beginning of June, the
group welcomed retired teacher,
mathematician and political scientist
Ron Williams, publisher of Boom
Books, to the cove. Boom Books are
a series of books covering the baby
boom years and set out the social
history of Australian life during those
years. He discussed the ‘finished
product’ and the research that led
to each book’s completion. A very
informative workshop.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Shawna Hartley’s May assignment
was ‘Sense of Place’ researching the
five senses, while in June Wayne
Jarman discussed various ways of
critiquing work. In July Irene Cook
took members back to Ancient Greece
and Rome in an evening discussing
the works of the poets Sappho and
Catullus and ‘the person in the word.’
During July, three members took a
trip over the bay to attend the launch
of Port Stephens Writers’ latest
anthology ‘Time and Tide’; a wellwritten
and produced book.
Ron Stewart is celebrating the
completion of his novel which is,
at present, in the first stages of
assessment by various readers.
An exciting project is in the
pipeline for the group at present –
North Arm Cove Rural Fire Service
has held preliminary discussions with
members regarding the writing of the
brigade’s history since 1969. If the
project receives approval it should
prove a challenging but rewarding
task for everyone involved.
National Bookshop Day August 20,
members Bob Bush, Garry Boyd and
Wayne Jarman were in attendance at
Sunset Books and Music, Raymond
Terrace to participate in readings
with other local authors. Avid readers
also took part in ‘book busking’ in the
street – reading favourite sections
from their favourite books.
Jacqui Winn will be conducting
another workshop for members
September 24.
North Arm Cove FAW is also
launching its 2011 writing competition
in this edition of Writers
Voice [page 28] and look forward
to receiving plenty of entries from
writers in FAW NSW.
Maureen Kelly
north shore [fawns]
Judging has been concluded in the
FAWNS Vibrant Verse competition
and ‘Roots’ by David Campbell,
‘Solitude’ by Jan Foster, ‘Mungo Man
Walking’ by Vickie Walker, and ‘The
Whale Boat’ by Zondrae King are the
four prize winning entries. Results
are published in this issue of Writers
Voice. Full results and judges’ reports
can be found on the FAWNS website
.
Christmas in June was celebrated
again at the Blue Gum Hotel, Waitara
in a convivial atmosphere. No literary
progress was made but friendships
were definitely strengthened.
Hornsby Shire Council is holding
a Festival of the Arts in October/
November at Wallarobba Arts
Centre, 25 Edgeworth David Avenue,
Hornsby, and FAWNS members are
contributing work for display. Poems
and short prose pieces will be printed
on display boards and hung at the
festival.
Also a reminder to anybody who is
contemplating entering the FAWNS
Super Short Story competition that
entries close 30th September [details
page 26].
Richard Brookton
port MacQuarie-hastinGs
Although our group has been
somewhat nomadic this quarter we
are hoping to return to our regular
venue in the near future.
This July we celebrated our 33rd
Birthday with a wonderfully amusing
party. Our members turned thespian
for the day and performed several
skits of their own creation with a
variety of comic acts that tickled
us all. I can honestly say I never
expected to see our President as a
long haired shearer and he played the
part so well along with others of our
group. “Good On Yer Bluey”.
The skits covered everything
imaginable. The medical profession,
aged care, eating out, and English
history. Nicholas our youngest
member sang for us and it was
beautiful. Dennis Williams a local
musician played piano for us and
a great time was had by all who
attended. I for one am looking
forward to our 34th.
Prior to the afternoon’s
entertainment we had a brilliant
meal and the cutting of the cake by
Laurie Barber and Gwen Rees­Hopton
topped off a great day.
Our speaker for the August
meeting is to be Frank Jennings who
will speak on ‘Politics and Journalism’.
Just a reminder here of our
competition for September, the
results of which will be published
in the Port paper [details ‘Writing
Competitions’ page 26]. Also Port Life
Style will be printing the works of the
winners in their holiday edition in
January 2012.
NOTE: Our group will be meeting
at the Maritime Museum in William
Street, Port Macquarie for the rest of
this year.
Joie Black
port stephens faw
Our ‘TIME and TIDE’ Anthology is the
fourth achievement by Port Stephens
Branch’s 15 members. This anthology
came on the back of the success of
their 25­minute documentary, ‘Inlet
Port Stephens’, which provided council
funding to write an anthology about
Port Stephens Shire. Initially it was
titled ‘Mosaic’ (at that stage we had
no idea what it would contain).
At the first 2010 meeting we
writers discussed what we could
write and throughout the year group
outings, interviews and sharing ideas
encouraged writers to write.
cont. next page…
L: Port Macquarie FAW Life Member, Gwen Rees-Hopton and Patron, Laurie Barber cutting the cake.
R: Frank Urban as shearer bribing the wool classer Nicholas Kable at Shear-Off,
with Denis Williams on keyboard.
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FAW Branch Reports
Port Stephens FAW
cont. from previous page
Finally in February
2011 we had enough
stories, articles and
poems to compile
a book. Our new
title ‘Time and Tide’,
suggested by Wendy
Zirngast, was chosen
as we travel from past
to present with our
writings.
In March Penny
Lane kindly offered to type everyone’s
work, and soon a stack of A4 text
was sent to the publisher who added
his creative touch with interesting
headings for our first draft.
Draft two included Wendy’s black
& white illustrations and Andrew
Gregory’s front cover photograph
(which also represents past and
present). Christine and Wendy cut
and pasted through 3 more drafts
until the book was ready to print.
We writers are very proud of our
effort and the book launch was held
in our local Tomaree Library on July
22 during torrential rain and hosted
50 people. Janice Love played her
guitar as some of us sang “Time and
Tide” to the tune of auld lang syne
[photo page 17] and some of you
read our work before serving
afternoon tea.
Copies of ‘TIME and TIDE’ are
available for $20.00 by phoning
Christine Gregory 4982 2004, or
Annette Jones 4923 2555. [See
Trevar’s review, page 16].
Christine Gregory
12 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
Attendees at the Port Stephens launch.
shoalhaven faw
This quarter the club introduced a
welcome change to our traditional
meeting format. In the past each
club meeting contained a ‘business’
session, but the number has now
been reduced to one every quarter,
to allow greater focus on our writing.
The extra time is intended to provide
members with the opportunity to
discuss their homework exercises
and invite constructive criticism, to
encourage fuller dialogue in the
creative writing workshops and
to give members the opportunity
to read selections of their current
work and receive feedback. The new
meeting format has been a great
success, resulting in livelier meetings
and greater stimulation.
This quarter we basked in the
reflected glory of poet and club
member, Irene Wilkie who won
the free­verse section of the Henry
Lawson Festival Award for her poem
‘Living Sculpture’. Irene also beat off
the competition from the humorous
and traditional poetry sections to
become the overall poetry winner.
Irene and her husband were invited
to the festival in Grenfell to attend
the award presentation night and
receive her monetary prize and a
bronze statuette. The town was full
of poets, writers and artists and
according to Irene, participating in
the events and mingling with the
talent was an inspiring experience.
While at the festival, Irene entered
the Poetry Slam competition hosted
by Miles Merrill and Bravo Child and
held on the platform of the beautifully
restored Grenfell Railway Station
where she placed third amongst the
strong competition!
The Shoalhaven Literary
Competition closed at the end of May
and our judge is currently assessing
all the short stories submitted.
Winners will be announced in
September. This year we decided to
outsource the administration of the
competition which took a lot of worry
out of our hands and enabled all our
members to enter the competition.
Entries this year were down – well
below the several hundred entries
received in previous years. We are
hoping that the quality of the entries
will compensate for the shortfall in
quantity but we await our judge’s
report. The winner will receive
$1,000 and a two week writer’s
residency at Arthur Boyd’s beautiful
Bundanon Artist’s Retreat on the
Shoalhaven River. We are able to
provide this attractive prize only
because of the financial support
provided by the Shoalhaven Arts
Board and the generosity of the
Bundanon Trust.
Nicky Beardmore
stroud writers
Our day in Copeland National Park
proved to be a rewarding experience.
A mini bus was hired and we set
off with a picnic lunch and much
laughter for a very interesting day.
We were given a guided tour of the
old mine works, followed by a very
pretty boardwalk through rain forest
and bushland. It was very cold, very
green and most rewarding. Not only
did we enjoy ourselves but we are
now encouraged to write accounts
of those old mining days, the people
involved and the hardships they
encountered. Fresh ideas are always
needed by those who love to put pen
to paper.
Putting pen to paper, or perhaps
fingers to computer keys, Sue Filson
and Paul Gannon are now guiding
the group through the intricacies of
computer language from the very first
step of actually turning the thing on.
We have turned over several of our
regular meetings to a very capable
Paul for ongoing instruction in font
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

sizes, margins, headers and footers
and other various mysteries. We
are eager to assist all our members
to follow correct procedures when
entering writing competitions. Our
last internal competition has been
decided and chosen entries will
now be submitted to an external
competition for consideration.
Fingers crossed for all those involved,
hopefully competition rules have
been adhered to and the standard of
writing upheld.
Sue and Rex attended the book
launch for Port Stephens FAW at
Salamander Bay. They were treated
to a very enjoyable day and found
the anthology ‘Time and Tide’, to be
an attractive book full of interesting
local snippets. Our congratulations
to everyone involved. Bernie and Lila
Butler were also to attend but found
themselves land­locked in the very
wet weather which had visited the
area at that time.
Numbers at some of our meetings
have been a little down; Jean Moase
was a welcome face at the last meeting
and is on the mend we hope. Sadly,
Barbara Robinson has left us due to
home requirements and we will miss
her humour and interesting stories.
Some have taken holidays, others
have had family members unwell and
in need of their time and care.
However we all keep writing, and
after all, everything in our life can be
a catalyst for another story.
Happy writing, Trish Van Eyk
wollondilly
We are awaiting the result of our
application to Council for a grant to
publish our third anthology. This
publication will have a Wollondilly
district theme with many poems,
articles and stories reflecting the
diversity of our part of New South
Wales.
Our members are planning to
organise small workshops on short
story and poetry writing. The poetry
workshops will include free verse
writing and bush poetry writing.
Our library is now set up. Members
are encouraged to borrow the books
and articles and to submit a critique
in our monthly newsletter Scribblings
Vince Morrison (left, Wollondilly FAW President)
and Keith Coombes (former Secretary) promoted
the group to potential new members at the
Wollondilly Family Day Expo, held at the
Tahmoor Community Centre in July.
of their findings, and to inform
members how the book helped them
in their story and poetry writing.
At our recent AGM Keith Coombes
retired as secretary of our group. The
new committee is; Vince Morrison
(Pres), Joanne Dellit (VP/Librarian),
Olivia Mulligan (Sec), Narelle
Noppert (Magazine Editor), Richard
Bell/Rosemary Peters (Treasurers),
Clare Bell (tea/coffee facilitator) and
Glorya Gray (Publicity).
Olivia Mulligan
wyonG writers
Signatures – signs off!
The last issue of Signatures has been
produced, collated and distributed
to those people who contributed or
supported our magazine in any way.
The issue began with an Editorial by
Shirley Goodbar, Signatures Editor
and who is currently overseas. Shirley
began her editorial:
“With this issue we celebrate the
demise of a grand experiment, as
to whether a small group of writers
could produce quality publications
for the public display of their work.
That experiment worked very well for
three and a half years. Nevertheless,
there are many facets to such an
adventure, and we eventually
encountered the realities of modern
publishing and printing. Like many
other similar print publications over
the past years, we could not build a
large enough reader base to cover
costs
What we have accomplished is
invaluable. We have learned many
of the processes and procedures in
creating a publication, and have made
innumerable new friends through
their writings and support for what
we were trying to do.
We are particularly grateful to
Wyong Shire Council’s Cultural
Development Office for the initial
grants. The personal instructions
of Stuart Slough, and Eric Hook
of Bookbound Publishing whose
advice, guidance and support were
so instrumental in bringing about
the final polished product. We
are grateful to you, the readers,
subscribers, and advertisers, for it
is you who have allowed us to have
these experiences.
Thank you, from Shirley Goodbar,
Editor, Beryl Stirling, Asst. Editor,
Yvonne Sorenson, Artist/Illustrator
and all the members of Wyong
Writers FAW Inc.”
Our new web site has been the
incentive for one new member and
we have had a number of enquiries
regarding membership. As a result
of the web site we have been
approached to see if our group would
be interested in joining a continuous
Script Writing Workshop on the third
Friday of each month. This enquiry
has accordingly been passed along to
members for their information.
At our last meeting in July,
approximately twenty people,
including two visitors, obtained
great information from Jill Mathers,
a Central Coast writer, on what is
involved writing memoirs. Many
questions were covered including
how to make it flow. Jill said memoir
does not mean it has to be “all about
me” for it will also cover time and
events. In addition, Jill touched on
copyright as well as defamation. A
couple of members expressed the
opinion that they didn’t think writing
a memoir could be so involved.
We are busy reviewing our work
in groups to submit it for publication
in Wyong Writers’ first anthology
at the end of this year. Poetry, prose,
articles etc., are up for grabs as well
as illustrations from our established
artists.
Margaret Young
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 13
o

historic FAW Memoir to be published
cont. from page 1
closely to her father, PE (Patrick
Edward) Quinn and his brother
Roderic Quinn. Marjorie, at age
eleven, published her first story, a
fairytale, ‘Pinksie and the White
Kangaroo’, in 1908.
Roderic Quinn was born in
1867 and was considered one of
the leading poets in Australia. He
was among the prolific writers
who answered the call to formally
organise a better deal for Australian
culture and enable Australian writers
and Australian literature to be
recognised and take its place with
pride and exert nationwide influence.
Added to that, Roderic’s older
brother and Marjorie’s father, P E
Quinn, born in 1862, studied law and
became a journalist working for the
Star, Echo and Illustrated Sydney News
newspapers. PE was the Member
for Bligh in the NSW Legislative
Assembly from 1898­1904 and was
Deputy Trade Commissioner for NSW
in the USA from 1912­1917.
The family’s involvement in
Australia’s early literature had as
their closest friends, Mary Gilmore,
Miles Franklin, Norman Lindsay, John
Le Gay Brereton, Steele Rudd, Henry
Lawson, Walter Stone, in fact all the
names that drop off our tongues,
were real people with real lives of
which Marjorie’s Memoir shares with
her readers.
The book, The Years The Locust
Hath Eaten, the title of the Memoir,
includes many anecdotes of the
relationships between these writers
and records the histories of their
poetic and journalistic careers as well
as the formation of the organisations
P.E.N. (an international club for Poets,
Editors, Essayists and Novelists) in
Australia, the FAW (Fellowship of
Australian Writers) and the Society of
Women Writers.
The manuscript goes to print
for December launch
As Marjorie never married, her
personal effects including the
manuscript, were left to her cousin
Noreen Quinn (Kathy and Deb’s
aunt). After her death Kathy and Deb
recognised the importance of what
was nearly discarded to the trash, in
the house clean­up.
Their wonderment when
reading the manuscript gave rise to
excitement and the fear that unless
they could find some help to conserve
the work it might be ‘lost’ forever.
They referred to the references in
the manuscript about the Fellowship
of Australian Writers, contacted the
President, Trevar Langlands and the
rest is proceeding as I write.
This wonderful and unique book
will be published in December
2011 and all FAW members are
invited to the Launch. Marjorie’s
original manuscript was lodged in
the National Library in Canberra in
1967, however there is no ‘published’
edition.
A letter given to FAW from Kathy
and Deb, shows that in 1958 The
Society of Women Writers donated
an electric typewriter to Marjorie
Quinn, who at that time was having
trouble physically handwriting. The
gesture was to assist her to continue
giving Australia her poetry. Well as
we now know, Marjorie did more
than that, she produced this 297 page
manuscript of her memoirs.
Let me share just a little with you…
Marjorie’s father, PE Quinn
mixed in high literature circles
always and the young Marjorie
frequently accompanied her father
to events, functions, discussions
and meetings and therefore met
poets, journalists and writers at
an early age. In adulthood she was
already on friendly terms with these
companions and in her book is able
to relate many anecdotes of daily
life and situations from her own
experiences. Added to that are many
stories relayed to her from some
of those companions which are
entertaining to say the least.
She tells one tale of her meeting
with a prominent journalist on the
staff of The Daily Telegraph, A.H.
(Alec) Chisholm, whom she had first
met in the 1920s. One Saturday, her
father, with Uncle Roderic, Alec and
Marjorie took the tram from Manly to
Narrabeen… “I, being very grateful to
be one of the company…” she states.
Extract:
I was intrigued to meet someone
who was so friendly with the birds that
he (Alec) could converse with them!
Believe it or not, when we alighted
from the tram, just across the road the
bush encroached… Alec looked around,
he began to make sounds, pursing his
mouth into an odd shape. In no time,
birds gathered around. They chirped
back happily. He must be saying the
right thing! I cogitated. The birds
seemed happy and not at all shy. There
was a Jacky Winter and a Honey-eater
perched on nearby branches. A bird with
a musical note flew down…
Watching this nature-lover I thought
that I, too, could converse with the birds.
I chirped, pursed my lips and beat a
small tattoo on them with my fingers as
it seemed A.H. had done. They weren’t
even polite enough to stay, but away
they winged and I thought disdain
showed in that hasty flight. Away too,
flew my notions of getting to know these
bush creatures – Alas, my descriptions in
verse would never advance beyond the
hackneyed,
“A brown bird sang
In a tall gum tree.”
I looked at Uncle Rod for sympathy,
and he smiled a rueful smile.
“I’m afraid it is a case of unrequited
love, Marge,” he said dolefully. “Our
feathered friends will have none of us!”
Alec Chisholm came another day
later in the season and we repeated
that walk which was a favourite of ours.
I watched and listened with a certain
envy to him talking, and listening to his
bird associates.
Marjorie tells us the story of
how she was invited by some of
the leading Sydney women writers
to help them in the founding of a
Society of Women Writers. The
circumstances around that situation
in 1925 and the friendships that
evolved are treasures of history and
worth reading.
Just a short three years later, again
Marjorie’s talents and skills were
called upon to join with a group of
writers at the Lyceum Club where
Professor le Gay Brereton of Sydney
University was elected President.
Mary Gilmore and Steele Rudd were
14 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

elected Vice Presidents with Marjorie
Quinn as Honorary Secretary and
along with a strong committee,
including many representative
writers, formed the inaugural
executive of The Fellowship of
Australian Writers.
Marjorie writes,
There was an air of excitement
abroad that afternoon. For so long, most
of us had been wishing and hoping for
some such association to be formed
so that we would be able to further
our cause, “The welfare of Australian
literature”, with good comrades about
us. The lot of the young or inexperienced
writer was a hard one in those days.
Rod Quinn was there, Lucy Cassidy
and Walter Jago, the editor of “Aussie”.
All had been, with Mary Gilmore, staunch
supporters of this cause. Now it seemed
at long last that local authors, poets and
scenario writers would receive practical
encouragement.
Marjorie Quinn’s words show a
fondness for her companions and
a genuine support of each other by
the writers of the day, certainly no
competition or hostility between
them. She writes many tales of their
meetings and socialising occasions
which give us a peek into the real
people behind the famous names we
have grown to know but only through
their writings.
One last story I will relate to you
here, though it is only one of many
such anecdotes that amused me,
includes Miles Franklin…
When my Uncle Roderic was young,
he sometimes used to go to the home
of the Kidgell’s where the sisters Ada,
afterwards Mrs Holman, Una and Stella
held bright gatherings.
Somewhat radical, they
were very Avant Garde,
especially for those days!
At one of these gatherings
one Sunday night, he
met Stella Miles Franklin,
a young girl who had
recently published a
novel, My Brilliant Career,
about which all Sydney
was talking. She was a
country girl from near
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au
Miles Franklin, circa 1940s.
Image source: Wikipedia
Goulburn and seemed very quiet and
unsophisticated. She was staying in
Mosman with E.W.O’Sullivan and his
family, Eva O’Sullivan being a friend
of hers. The Kidgells and their friends
felt some responsibility for this young
country girl, abroad in a strange city.
Sunday night ferries stopped earlier
than they do now, so it was necessary
for Miss Franklin to leave the party
somewhat early to catch her boat. The
question was, who would go with her
to the ferry? Somebody who would be
courteous to a young woman and who
was considered reliable. The choice fell
on Roderic so he and the strange country
girl set off to the Quay. (The Kidgell
home was a big old-fashioned cottage
in grounds on the corner of Bligh Street,
therefore they had not far to walk.) My
Uncle Rod conducted what seemed to be
a quiet, shy girl to the Mosman wharf.
There was just time for her to catch the
ferry. He was about to put her through
the stile, when she suddenly brought
up some question of change. My uncle
started to delve in his pocket, and she
said there was not time to wait, and
would he go over to the kiosk and get the
correct change. He did this, muttering
to himself that ‘he was sure he had it, if
he could only get it out!’ When he came
back there was no sign of Stella Miles
Franklin. Very concerned, he hurried
about, peering into peoples’ faces. He
even went through on to the wharf, but
just then the last bell rang. There was
still no young girl from the bush. Uncle
was confounded. What had he done to
frighten this young girl away? He was
not at all an amorous young man, that
was really why he was chosen, yet in
some way, he must have offended her
susceptibilities, he mused. He would
have to go back and tell the others.
When he went back and
told them, they were all
astounded, and anxious
too, but the mystery
could not be solved. They
wondered what Eva
O’Sullivan would think
when her friend did not
return.
Uncle Rod met Miles
Franklin occasionally
during the intervening
years but it was not
LAUNCH INVITATION
Keep a lookout for the official Invitation to
the Launch Event, to be held at the NSW State
Library’s Dixon Room on 10 December 2011.
It is an open initation that will be issued to all
FAW members via your Branch committee, from
Kathy Berryman and Deb McMahon.
Don’t miss this very special FAW occasion.
until his seventy-ninth birthday, when
his cousin, Mrs Mary Teresa Quinn
was giving a party in his honour at
her home, that he heard the truth of
what happened that night. There were
nearly seventy of us in that room, when
suddenly Miles Franklin, who was a
guest, stood up. She said she would now
tell Rod what happened on that night
so long ago.
“I suppose you have often wondered?”
she added, with a little smile.
It appeared that she was far from
being the country mouse that most
people thought her, and being very keen
about the status of women, she had
decided to do a little investigating of her
own while staying with Eva O’Sullivan.
She had heard that…
I think I should leave you with this
tease – you can read Marjorie’s book
and find out the end of the story.
I’m sure that by now you will
understand why Trevar and I are
so excited about this ‘find’ and this
project. We are so pleased that Kathy
made contact with us and hope you
will enjoy this historical treasure as
much as we are enjoying, helping to
bring it to life.
Colleen Parker, Secretary FAW NSW
PS: I am nearly inspired to take up the pen
and write about the term during my time
as Hon. Secretary, it’s been a ride worth
reading about too.
o
WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 15

Roundup
Book review:
Time and Tide
Anthology
Port Stephens FAW
Thank you to the Port
Stephens FAW and
especially to Christine Gregory for their kindness in
sending me a copy of their current Anthology.
The cover is very interesting and suitable for the title
of Time and Tide.
It is always exciting when a new book is published
and the Members at Port Stephens can be rightly proud
of their publication. It’s a nice mix of poetry and many a
short story to enjoy. Much of the book takes the reader
to various parts of the Port Stephens region along with
some very nice black & white sketches.
There are some 120 selections in the book so it’s very
difficult to cover such a large variety. Their members are
a very talented lot and always most enthusiastic about
their writing. I enjoyed my visit to Port Stephens the
weekend we had our State meeting there.
Annette Jones and Christine Gregory have a delightful
piece on ‘Our Koalas’.
Rona Tilden takes us on a trip to historic Hinton,
Penny Lane whisks us back to ‘Fighter World,
Williamtown’, we dig up history at Irrawang Pottery
with Christine, Daphne Roeth reminds us of the simpler
days when her family moved to Roeth House at Raymond
Terrace.
Wendy Zirngast has written a very descriptive poem
on ‘Cockatoos’ and captured their antics beautifully.
I loved Janice Love’s ‘Swimming with dolphins’, what
a wonderful experience.
Bruce Flannigan has written an interesting piece on
‘The Cromartys of Soldiers Point’, a really interesting bit
of history of the early days.
Look! There are many terrific selections in the book,
it’s not possible to mention all. Do get hold of a copy and
enjoy it!
It’s always difficult to choose works for an anthology
but this book has a good mix for those readers who like
a good story, history, poetry, haiku, in fact it really reads
very nicely as a kind of travel book – with culture – and a
guide to the area its writers love so much.
I really think it is a jolly good collection and is also a
good pointer to other branches wondering how to put
an anthology together.
Contact Christine Gregory at Port Stephens and I am
sure she will get a copy off to you.
Trevar Langlands
16 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
VaLe
Kevin Fowler
Sadly, on 8th July 2011 we lost one of our long
standing members from Mudgee Valley Writers.
Kevin Fowler had been a member for many
years and was also a Life Member.
Kevin’s illness was diagnosed around 13 years
ago and with sheer determination he started his
fight for his life.
We enjoyed his company and his poems for
some years but gradually his writing prowess
grew less.
Thankfully his poems aren’t lost. We have some
in Mudgee Valley Writers’ books.
Au revoir Kevin.
Margaret Robinson
‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’
by Kevin Fowler
Yesterday a fading flower
Shed seeds into the dust
To germinate, and then to sprout,
As nature says they must.
Today we bloom in splendour
And strive to earn a crust
We try to be the fullest bloom,
As nature says we must.
Tomorrow, one more fading flower
Returns to meet the dust;
The cycle will begin again
As nature says it must.
The Society of Women Writers nSW
Wellbeing Weekend Retreat
21-23 october 2011
This Retreat will consist of Workshops, guest speaker ‘talks’,
critique session with Susanne Gervay, speed editing session
with Libby Hathorn and a workshop on ‘Keeping History
Alive and Well’ with Dr Maria Hill, guest speaker at this year’s
Brisbane Writers Festival and author of Diggers and Greeks.
There will also be Shibashi exercises with Bridget McKern
focusing on OH&S techniques to look after the body
and mind of writers.
Location: Brahma Kumaris Inner Space Centre
150 MacArthur Drive, WILTON NSW 2571
More info:
Cost: $250 per person or $125 per day
Limited places, be quick to book!
Bookings: Post deposit of $100.00 to
Pam Bayfield (Treasurer SWW)
158 Elanora Road, Elanora Heights 2101
Telephone: (02) 9913 1147 Email:
Enquiries: Bridget McKern (President SWW) Phone
(02) 9546 4557 Email:
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Helen and Johan with members of the Lake Macquarie Branch.
Back Row: Tony Lang, Roz Buckingham, Gail Hennessy, Grace Gazzara,
Johan Luidens, Linda Visman, Helen Marshall and Vicki Norton.
Front Row: Helen Luidens, Rina Robinson and Jan Mitchell.
Vice-President visits the
Lake Macquarie Group
Helen and Johan Luidens visited the Lake Macquarie
FAW branch at their meeting on Saturday, 2nd July.
Helen, Vice President of NSW FAW, talked about
the structure of the State Council, the Committee of
Management and of the roles of their members. She
also reminded us that they are all volunteers and most
travel long distances to attend meetings. She gave us
a good rundown on what our membership fees cover,
apart from the Writers Voice, which she urged us to read
regularly. She also spoke of the importance of having
insurance for the conduct of group activities. Her talk
was very informative, and we were grateful to have that
contact with the NSW committee.
Following afternoon tea, Helen led us in a free writing
activity. This produced results that surprised even the
writers themselves. Helen and Johan both gave critique
on our pieces after each was read aloud. They were
impressed with the high standard of writing from our
group, and with the willingness of our members to read
their work aloud.
Jan Mitchell, President, Lake Macquarie Branch
Branches celebrate anthology launch events
Port Stephens writers singing the opening poem “Time and Tide” set to auld lang syne.
L-R: Annette Jones (Sec), Christine Gregory (Pres), Janice Love (VP) on guitar, Rona Tilden,
Peter Golden, Bruce Flanagan, Wendy Zirngast (book illustrator).
VaLe
Greg Porter
1912-2011
Greg and Lyn Porter joined the Port Macquarie­
Hastings Branch of the Fellowship in 1990
after transferring from the Manly Branch in Sydney
where they were foundation members. As a
fledgling member I was impressed by their regular
contributions to our monthly assignments, Greg
often from his experiences in WWII or as a senior
accountant in the United Nations World Health
Organisation serving in Geneva, India, Lebanon,
Afghanistan etc. Until she died in the mid­90s
Lyn’s speciality was poetry with a gentle message.
In our 1992 Anthology ‘Reflections’ Greg
contributed a poem ‘Come Sailing with Me’ – “The
Sea, Mighty Sea, how I love the Sea”. His love of
flying was equally great as he flew the Dawn Flight
every Anzac Day for several years with his friend
and fellow FAW member Vern Polley. In our 2000
anthology ‘Writes of the Hastings’ Greg contributed
a magnificent story ‘Concorde Supersonic’ – “The
afterburners are switched off as we continue to
Mach 2.0 at 50,000 feet”.
For two decades Greg served as our honorary
auditor and sponsored a poetry prize for our
annual literary competition. In his last assignment
at age 99 Greg described how, too poor to afford
a wedding reception, he and Lyn had eloped on a
Sydney ferry. Greg will be sadly missed.
Frank Urban
Judi ‘Martinelli’ Rasmussen, contributor to the
‘Kandos Moments’ anthology and painter of the
cover design, at the Kandos launch.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 17

A Black Dress
Your dress
is the darkness of the night.
Sensual astronomers know
stars are only born
and burn and then they swell
and burst with such intensity
they leave only ash-grit, brittle rings,
so brilliant, so fleeting
in the immense, eternal plenitudes
of space. So profound the night
their light becomes the merest glimmer,
shallow as wings.
Your dress
is the darkness of the night.
You stand there glamorous,
darkling, beautiful
so the transience of light
burns itself to ashes
nightly in your sight.
John Egan, Sydney City FAW
Forced to share
You are expected to share
Once you write poetry
Why?
It’s a private self purging
Laying yourself bare
Raw
Sharing is to chance exposure
Legalized exhibitionism
Risk
I gave birth and nurtured
This literary child
Mine
Delicate or ghastly and crude
Not perfect but loved
Me
Torn from my mouth
To lay in another’s mind.
Susan Pearce, Wollondilly FAW
18 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
Poets Voice
Dark Ages of Sound
That karaoke night was an aural delight,
as much so as trying to sleep peacefully
between a warehouse full of tortured cats
and a jack hammer infested construction site!
I was living in the Dark Ages of sound.
The chords of Eden had gone underground.
I switched on the radio.
The abominable noise sparked visions
of emaciated creatures roaming a desolate land,
where dull colors are rare
and bright ones banned.
At the Entertainment Centre I was assaulted
by sickly sentimental spineless sop,
drawing from an ancient cliché crop.
On the car radio homeward bound
my ears were drowned
in more distorted, violently aborted,
semblances of crude tunes,
fronted by pseudo maniacs
screeching gibberish at hallucinated moons.
I was living in the Dark Ages of sound.
The chords of Eden had gone underground.
No new glimmers of genius were to be found.
Contemporary music legends were as hidden,
as a tone deaf Mr Puniverse conducting a symphony
with a crow bar is forbidden.
Rodney Hunter, Macarthur FAW
SUBMISSIoNS FoR PoETS VoICE
Please send your poem to:
The Poetry Editor, Writers Voice
PO Box 195
LAWSON NSW 2783.
Include SSAE for a response. Or, send a Word attachment by
email to David Berger .
Please provide your name and your FAW branch.
Poems accepted for publication under the ‘Poet’s Voice’ banner
will be deemed to have been published in Writers Voice and
therefore are not eligible to be entered in FAW competitions.
Our honorary Poetry Editor is David Berger (Blue Mountains
FAW). David has had his own poetry published in ‘Tessellations’,
the Blue Mountains FAW anthology, and in Narrator, a Blue
Mountains literary magazine. He taught English literature
for many years at high school up to and including HSC level.
He has also had several short stories published, enjoys
reading poetry and looks forward to receiving quality poetry
contributions from FAW members for this page.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Competition Results
results: eastwood/hills faw
2011 literary coMpetition
SHorT STorY
Judges: Barbara Haworth & Jacqui Winn *
First: ‘Get Teddy’, Gayle Beveridge (Vic)
Second: ‘The Runner’, Fiona Regan (Vic)
Highly Commended: ‘The Puzzle Woman’, Michelle Lopert (NSW);
‘Of Coffee, Vegetables and Hair Colour’, Susan McCreery (NSW)
Commended: ‘Passengers Will Please Refrain’, Janeen Samuel
(Vic); ‘Conundrum’, Kerrin O’Sullivan (Vic); ‘The Toughest Job in
Australia’, Gary Hurle (Vic); ‘Whatever!’, Vikki Bye (Vic).
Pauline Walsh award for SHorT, SHorT STorY
Judges: Carmel Summers/Anne Benjamin*
First place: ‘Kegs in the Key of? ‘, Deb Hall (Vic)
Second place: ‘Floodtide ‘, David Campbell (Vic)
Highly Commended: ‘My Twenty-First Birthday Party ‘, Suzanne
Gaskell (Vic); ‘Bête Noire’, Margaret Dakin (Qld)
Commended: ‘One-Up-Man-Ship’, Steven Gepp (SA); ‘A Fairy Story’,
Mike Woodhouse (NSW); ‘Kiss the Blarney’, A. R. Holloway (SA);
‘Making Lisa Smile’, Vincent Morrison (NSW).
TraDiTionaL PoeTrY
Judges: Julie Thorndyke/Alice Suttie*
First: ‘My Grandmother’s Room’, Margaret Dakin (Qld)
Second: ‘Rainy Day’, Ellis Campbell (NSW)
Highly Commended: ‘Love among the ruins of youth’, Vicki
Harrold (NSW)
Commended: ‘To the fallen’ (Villanelle), Meryl Manoy (WA);
‘Why’ (Sonnet), David J. Delaney (QLD); ‘Smoke’ (Sonnet), Janeen
Samuel (VIC).
Free VerSe
Judges: Anne Howard/Beverley George*
First Place: ‘Raggedy Man’, David Campbell (Vic)
Second Place: ‘Beyond Blue ‘, David Terelinck (NSW)
Highly Commended: ‘The White Stone Road’, Jan Price (Vic);
‘Chasing the Gypsy’, Cynthia Rowe (NSW); ‘Wild Child’, David
Campbell (Vic)
Commended: ‘The unwritten blue ‘, Kevin Gillam (WA); ‘Return to
the Cyclades’, Susan McCreery (NSW); ‘Denial’, Jan Price (Vic).
MeMoir
Judges: Helena Hamilton/Mary Milton*
First: ‘Grandma’s Maid, Mary’, J. Pitman (Vic)
Second: ‘Remembering Poppy’, Christine Wright (Qld)
Highly Commended: ‘The Big Carrot Crisis’, A. McDonald (SA);
‘How I was cured of Cervical Cancer’, Hugh Kiernan (Vic)
Commended: ‘Two Little Kids, a Dividing Fence and a Passion
Fruit Vine’, Diana Harley (NSW); ‘Hello Dad’, Gail Midgley (NSW);
‘What a Shower’, Gail Midgley (NSW); ‘Infectious in the 1950s’,
Rosemary Baldry (NSW).
Boree Log award for BuSH VerSe
Judge: Brian Beesley*
First: ‘Nullabor Dreaming’, Brenda Joy (Qld)
Highly Commended: ‘The Bullrider’, Ellis Campbell (NSW);
‘My Riverina Home’, D. G. Adams (NZ)
Commended:‘The Old Mine’,Terry Piggott (WA);‘Evensong for Mary’,
Ellis Campbell (NSW); ‘The Barraba Drovers’, Tom McIlveen (NSW).
* Judges’ comments can be viewed at
results: faw north shore [FAWNS]
viBrant verse poetry coMpetition 2011
CaTeGorY a – Free VerSe:
1st Prize: ‘Roots’ by David Campbell.
2nd Prize: ‘Mungo Man Walking’ by Vickie Walker.
Highly Commended: ‘The Old Slab Hut’ by Judith A. Green.
Commended: ‘If you die too Early’ by John Collard; ‘Tides’ by
Anne Benjamin; ‘Lake Eyre’ by Hermione Browning.
CaTeGorY B – TraDiTionaL, rHYMeD PoeTrY:
1st Prize: ‘The Whale Boat’ by Zondrae King.
2nd Prize: ‘Solitude,’ a Villanelle by Jan Foster.
Highly Commended: ‘Cedar Box’ a Pantoum by Gail Hennessy.
Commended: ‘Royal Rex’ by Catherine Lee Clark; ‘Dreaming of
Uluru’ by Catherine Lee Clark; ‘A Poet’s Dream’ by Zondrae King.
Below is an extract from the Judges’ reports for the 2011 FAWNS
Vibrant Verse Poetry Competition. Full Judges’ comments for each
award winner are posted on the FAWNS website
juDGeS’ rePorT
The Vibrant Verse Competition this year, 2011, attracted
a good number of entries. There were 68 in the Free
Verse Section and 61 in the Rhymed/Traditional Verse.
The entries reflected many different styles and subjects,
which sustained the interest of the judges. It was good to
see Australian subjects and images in both categories.
Most poets took care how they crafted their poems,
both as to metre, rhyme, mood and imagery. For some,
greater attention needs to be given to these aspects in
both categories of poems. Citing a list of images does
not of itself make a poem, it is the substance which
gives these images life, and makes the poem. The flow of
thought, the purpose or message imparted to the reader,
the beginning and the ending are all important. It is
also evident that for a small number of entries, spelling
needs to be checked, as well as punctuation, before being
submitted.
Category a – Free Verse:
1st Prize: ‘Roots’ by David Campbell. A moving poem
which intensely reflects on memories and expresses
awareness of age and its infirmities. Life’s roots touch the
poet and through him the reader, through well crafted
images like “the house… folds protective arms around
her” and “crumbs bead her cardigan…” among others. The
rhythm suits the subject matter; it is well structured and
ends strongly.
Category B – Traditional, rhymed Poetry:
1st Prize: ‘The Whale Boat’ by Zondrae King. This is a
wonderful poem with great rhythm and consistent in
rhyme. The imagery and movement in the poem vary
to suit the livelier memories or the pathos the poem
requires. The beginning leads the reader into the saga.
It finishes with “again the universe and I are one” a
satisfying end for the old whale boat.
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 19
o

Workshop
WriTinG For THe STaGe
Allan Mackay, President, Shoalhaven FAW
Imagine an impromptu piece of theatre involving
two actors, each with only one word of dialogue, a
repeated ‘yes’ or ‘no’. With minimal preparation they
have to present a brief drama that can be interpreted by
the audience. What the actors have to use, apart from
their single words, are intonation, pacing, the use of
silences, facial and bodily expressions, awareness of and
movement in space and in relation to each other. These
are actors’ skills and if it was a complete play in a theatre,
we’d have to include a director, the stage, scenery, props,
lighting and sound designs plus a host of elements used in
a production.
This is the point: a piece of prose or a poem is born in
the writer’s mind and finished alone at a desk. Research
might have been involved, as well as an editor, reviewer
and all those willing to chip in an opinion or two. It
reaches fruition when it is read and rarely, when it is
listened to. But a play script involves all those elements
listed above as well as the dialogue and it doesn’t come
to fruition until it happens in a theatre or some other
medium. By that time, words on paper have become a
visual and auditory event. Of course, students have plays
inflicted on them as literature and, in a sense, this practice
does a disservice to both.
It follows then that writers, as they compose their
scripts, must bear all these elements in mind. This
doesn’t mean that he/she has to write in all the actor’s
movements, intonations etc. Directors and actors
would be highly insulted because that takes away their
contribution to the finished play. But the elements must
be borne in mind as the dialogue is written. A perfect
balance has to be found between writing too much and
writing not enough where there is the danger of becoming
incomprehensible. But this is really a problem for all
writers in all mediums.
This is where sub­text comes into play, that mysterious
word that a good script must have and it is always
mentioned by critics. Sub­text is essentially what goes on
in the silences between pieces of dialogue and includes
the reactions of the characters on stage to what is being
said by others. It provides added dimensions of thought
and meaning to the action and is largely the province
of the actors and the director but the written dialogue
should ‘carry’, even hint at this sub­text. The author has it
in mind but should not feel the need to explain it all. For
example, consider the famous line of Hamlet’s:
‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’
Shakespeare doesn’t feel he has to explain this and
leaves it up to the people involved in the play and to the
audience: to be a king killer or not? To kill himself or live?
To kill Claudius now or later?
In the little impromptu mentioned in the beginning,
the sub­text is what is going on outside the dialogue –
only the writer has, in this case, been parsimonious with
the script.
20 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
Image: iStockPhoto
It also follows that it is a great advantage for the
writer to have a first­hand knowledge of what goes on
in mounting a production. Shakespeare composed a lot
of his plays at the actual theatre and then workshopped
them on stage before producing the finished script. Even
then it was being continually developed in subsequent
productions. At the very least, watching a number of plays
on a variety of stage types (classical, thrust, theatre­inthe­round
etc.) is a prerequisite. Workshopping, even
amongst a group of friends, is valuable in finding out
sections of the script that simply don’t work when
performed, though they might have worked like a dream
in the playwright’s mind. Theatres often supply a skilled
dramaturg to carry out this job but all directors and
designers will see your precious script as merely one of
the components of the whole production. Their aim is to
provide an entertainment (and bums on seats) and if this
involves some reshaping, tinkering or trimming of your
masterpiece, so be it. Only on opening night is your play
finished.
If your script is designed or adapted for film, television
or radio it might fall under the dictates of time available in
that time slot.
Finally, a little guidance for those starting out to write
their first play. A full length play should run for about
two hours, but remember, the theatre likes its audience
to have a twenty­minute interval to sell them drinks, ice
creams and chocolates. It is up to you to devise the scenes,
settings etc. so the designers can be let loose on it. A novel
might take five­hundred pages to evolve but the drama
must be mightily compressed in a play. As demonstrated
in the impromptu piece, DRAMA IS CONFLICT, so begin
there. It can be a conflict between people (say, a boxing
match), between man and his environment (the explorer
lost in the desert) or within a character’s mind (‘To be
or not to be’). But the tension is increased when the two
sides of the conflict are evenly balanced, either equally
attractive (say, a choice between an ice cream or a
chocolate at interval) or equally unattractive (go to the
dentist or suffer the aching tooth).
The winning of one side MUST involve the loss of the
other.
Lastly – and this is the most important advice – DON’T
WRITE TOO MUCH! The director and his cohorts have
yet to make their contribution. Besides, the audience
doesn’t need to have everything explained to it – they’re
intelligent and have paid for their tickets so let them draw
their own conclusions – and hope like hell they’re the
right ones!
© Allan Mackay
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Articles
Keeping The Short Story alive!
Diane Fordham, Isolated Writers
Ienjoy reading short stories and I enjoy writing short
stories. I write because I am passionate about it. Writing
puts my head in a good place. When you are passionate
about something, you persevere and you never ever
give up.
How precious is that feeling when a publisher accepts
your story? How gratifying is it when an editor feels your
story is so good that they want to pay you? How exciting is
it seeing your story in print and knowing so many people
are going to read it? EXTREMELY!
I (and I am sure there are many others) am painfully
aware that the supply of stories exceeds the demand.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock on a planet in a
galaxy far, far away you would have noticed that we as
writers have a couple of obstacles to face; not only is there
the perseverance and determination needed to overcome
rejection, we have also lost far too many markets (here in
Australia and overseas). It is disheartening as competition
to get published becomes fiercer than it has ever been.
The increase in writers and the dwindling of magazines
publishing stories is making it increasingly difficult to
secure that elusive acceptance. What are the options?
Option 1: Accept that the battle is already lost and hang
up the pen. This option I would prefer other writers to take,
which in theory should reduce the supply of stories therefore
increasing the demand for my stories (I am joking).
Option 2: Persevere. Improve your skills. Read, read, read,
write, write, write and read and write some more. It’s
time to raise that proverbial bar. Don’t be disheartened
or panic; polish your story until it shines. Set yourself a
goal to be one of those writers that other writers envy.
Focus on giving your stories the edge. Write to create
a story which stands out from the rest, for all the right
reasons. Revise and edit until you are true to yourself
and know it is a publishable story. Resubmit your stories.
As I remember it was only a few weeks ago the same
story I sent three times to the same publisher was finally
accepted; there is always a glimmer of hope.
Option 3: Be Proactive. If we write in to magazines
showing an interest in reading short stories this will bring
back the demand for the short story. Please show your
support by writing, emailing or leaving messages on the
magazines’ Facebook pages. I have joined the Facebook
page: ‘Bring Back Fiction to Women’s Magazines!’. The
following Australian magazines need to be reminded that
we miss reading fiction in their magazines…
Woman’s Day
Address: GPO Box 5245, Sydney NSW 2001
Email:
New Idea
Address: 35­51 Mitchell St, McMahons Point NSW 2060
Email:
Women’s Weekly
Address: GPO Box 4178, Sydney NSW 1028
I say we choose Option 2 and Option 3, because at the end
of the day, despite the dwindling short story market and
the mountain of rejections, we know what we want – we
want to write!
So, in conclusion, we need to continue to be optimistic
and turn this negative into a positive by doing what we
can to keep the short story alive. Expressing our interest
to read stories in magazines and by using rejection to
challenge ourselves to become better writers benefits us
all. We are a huge voice when we stand united. I believe if
we put the effort in, we will achieve positive results! We
can hope, wish and some may even pray for those elusive
publications, or we can do something about it – at the
very least we have to try.
o
The Writer’s Life of interaction
Susan Hourigan, Central Coast FAW
W riting is a solitary life, just you and your paper and
your thoughts. What a lovely picture this is, and one
which I held to be true. The serenity of sitting down and
having everything you need in your mind to just write.
Dream on fellow writers. For the few this may be the
case, but for the rest of us, there is another element of the
writing life that demands we develop and widen our social
networks – you guessed it, interaction.
For me this lesson came as rather a shock at first. I
began my writing career when I found myself at home
with small children and it became nearly impossible
for me to get out to do much of anything, so I decided
that writing was for me. I soon realised that in order to
write anything on any given topic I needed to acquire the
information – forget shyness, if I wanted the story I had to
find it.
Like an amateur I mucked around at first, writing
letters to the editor and simple fillers for the local
newspaper. But then as I got better acquainted with
the process of interaction my research turned into a
wonderful life of liaising with editors, interviewing
professionals and sharing ideas and triumphs with other
writers.
Interaction frequently starts with the editors, extremely
busy people who seem to hold your tender emotions in
the palm of their hand. Approaching them was one of the
biggest hurdles I had to jump over early on in my writing
career. Questions like, do I send a query or do I just write
the article and hope for the best, kept me awake at night.
That was until I found the book titled The Writers
Market Place, a wonderful tool. Like a crystal ball into
editors’ wants and needs. When you know what editors
want they become a lot less daunting to deal with. These
men and women process hundreds of query letters and
have to decide which ones to keep and which ones to
reject, so it gives you a head start to know what they need.
Next in line of people who should be considered very
important are the librarians. They are skilled at their
cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 21

Literary Achievements
Blue Mountains faw
Rosemary Baldry’s ‘Tribute to Joan’ published in June
2011 Writers Voice; Commended, Eastwood/Hills FAW
Literary Awards, for ‘Infectious In The 1950s’.
Naomi Annabel was pleased that her letter to The
Blue Mountains Gazette which was a reply to an earlier
complaint resulted in a satisfactory resolution.
David Berger recently launched his book Letters from
Paris in the form of a series of vignettes that depict
present day Parisian life [see ‘Bookshelf ‘page 25].
Bondi writers [EASTERN SUBURBS FAW]
Cynthia Rowe:
two haiku in Notes From the Gean Vol. 2, issue #4 2011;
haibun ‘Unseemliness’ in Contemporary Haibun Vol 12;
haibun ‘Consultation’ in Haibun Today June 2011;
two haiku in Notes From the Gean Vol. 3, issue #1 2011;
tanka in Notes From the Gean Vol. 3, issue #1 2011;
two haiku in Shamrock Haiku Journal No 18 June 2011;
haiku published in The Heron’s Nest Vol XIII (2) June 2011;
two haiku published in Creatrix #13 2011;
three tanka in paper wasp volume 17 (2) autumn 2011;
three tanka published in anthology ‘Grevillea and Wonga
Vine: Australian Tanka of Place’;
tanka published in Eucalypt 10 2011;
five haiku published in ‘moonrise and bare hills’, the paper
wasp Jack Stamm haiku anthology 2010;
haiku published in Haiku Presence #44 2011;
haibun ‘Incandescence’ in Haiku Presence #44 2011;
two haiku, Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum website;
tanka prose ‘Winds of Change’ published in 25 Tanka
Prose, Atlas Poetica 2011;
tanka prose ‘Tolling’ published in Atlas Poetica 9 2011;
Article: The Writer’s Life of Interaction
cont. from previous page
jobs, and love the world of information and know where
to look for it. A trip to the library will yield the most
valuable information when you know (how to ask the
right questions). I remember the days before we had
the convenience of the internet, my local library was my
favourite place, quiet, solitary and full of books. Today this
hasn’t changed, the library is always the first place I visit
when doing any sort of research. Finding the right book
often means a trip to the information desk where the
librarian would be asking the questions. Of course many
more ideas would come to mind and I would leave with
more books than I could carry.
Now you have your books and have assessed the
information and it’s time to consult with the professionals.
These are the people who know the answers to the
questions we have. Organising time with them and
interviewing them is a world of interaction skills all of its
own. There is a lot written about the right way to hold an
interview… should you take notes or record, what goes
on the record and off the record, how many questions
22 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
two tanka published in Simply Haiku Summer 2011;
poem ‘Chasing the Gypsy’ Highly Commended Eastwood/
Hills FAW 2011 Literary Competition.
Gavin Austin:
four haiku in paper wasp haiku journal Autumn 2011;
three haiku finalists in the Jack Stamm haiku competition
2010 and published in anthology ‘moonrise & bare hills’;
four haiku accepted for publication in Famous Reporter;
tanka published in Eucalypt 10;
tanka published in Take Five – Best Contemporary Tanka
Vol. 3 [2010] MET Press, USA;
haiku published in Presence 44, UK;
three haiku in ‘Haiku Xpressions’ August 2011 issue;
two tanka and 3 x haiku accepted for Kokako 15, NZ;
two haiku accepted for Presence journal issue 45, UK;
three poems published in The Write Angle edition 36;
haiku accepted for publication in A Hundred Gourds.
Fay Reeve: 3 haiku published in ‘Haiku Xpressions’, the
haiku pages of FreeXpresSion, August 2011;
poem ‘Cat Trounces Dog’ in FreeXpresSion, August 2011.
eastwood/hills faw
Anne Benjamin:
tanka in Take Five Best Contemporary Tanka Vol 3, 2010;
tanka in Moonbathing;
First in Eastwood­Hills FAW June Monthly Competition;
tanka Prose in Atlas Poetica 25 Tanka Prose;
tanka Prose in Atlas Poetica #9;
tanka in Simply Haiku, Summer 2011;
commended poem in FAWNS Vibrant Verse competition;
three tanka in ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine’ Anthology;
five tanka in Eureka Street, 31 May 2011 (Online).
cont. opposite page…
should you ask without sounding too intrusive. Much
thought has to be put into the organisation of the simple
interview, setting the right atmosphere, making sure you
have given yourself enough time, learning how to acquire
the information you need, and listening with an active
participation in the conversation while taking notes at the
same time. Practise makes perfect they say, so that’s what
we should do. Get hold of as many people as you can who
will give you a bit of time and see how you go.
Last but not least is the humble writing group, usually
a small gathering of writers who give encouragement to
put our writing out there, offer different perspectives, and
help us through the dreaded writer’s block.
Keeping all of this in mind gives one a different view
on the life of a writer being just about sitting in a solitary
room with only the sound of the tap­tap of the keyboard.
There is a quote I found the other day, which I feel sums it
up quite well…
“When something can be read without effort, great effort
has gone into its writing”—Enrique Jardiel Poncela
© Susan Hourigan
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

Jacqui Winn:
2nd prize Brighton Community Writers (UK) short story
competition; 1st and 2nd place, Global Short Story
Competition, UK, April 2011.
Beverley George:
Produced Eucalypt Issue 10, 2011;
haiku translated and published in the bilingual haiku
journal i-news, Imabari, Japan;
tanka response with David Terelinck, ‘Testing the Strength’
in Blithe Spirit 21 (2) 2011 pp 51­52 (UK);
threetanka, Take Five – Best Contemporary Tanka,Vol3,2010;
2nd place Kaji Aso Studio 23rd International Haiku
Competition, Boston, Mass. USA;
tanka and a tanka response with David Terelinck
published in Ribbons 7 (1) 2011;
published the anthology ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine:
Australian Tanka of Place’, edited with David Terelinck;
three tanka in ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine’ Anthology;
two tanka in Notes from the Gean Vol 3 Issue 1;
haiku on The Heron’s Nest vol 8 issue 2.
Carmel Summers:
tanka in Simply Haiku, Summer 2011;
two tanka in Eucalypt 10;
three tanka in ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine’ Anthology;
tanka published in Tanka Café, Ribbons 7 (1) 2011 USA.
Julie Thorndyke:
Book, Carving Granite, published by Ginninderra Press;
tanka reading at Castle Hill Art Gallery with Beverley
George, 22 May;
three tanka in ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine’ Anthology.
David Terelinck:
two tanka in Eucalypt 10;
tanka sequence with Beverley George, ‘Testing the
Strength’ in Blithe Spirit 21 (2) 2011 pp 51­52 (UK);
tanka sequence with Beverley George in Ribbons, Vol 7, 1;
tanka sequence with Kathy Kituai in Island, #125;
3rd place in the Spirit of Japan tanka contest;
two tanka in Take Five – Best Contemporary Tanka, Vol 3;
book published, Casting Shadows – his first tanka collection.
euroBodalla writers Group
Betty Williams: Poem ‘Unsung Hero’ featured in our
anthology ‘Where Pelicans Fly’ and was set to music by
her son David and his band ‘Three Card Trick’, to be
performed at Parliament House.
Eileen Backhus: Article, ‘Natural Health’ published in
Wyong Writers Group Magazine ‘Signatures’, Winter issue.
Barry Lake: Poem ‘The travellers Tale’ was published in
the Narooma News, along with his photograph.
Raj Ratnam: Two articles, ‘Immigration Dilemma’ and
‘Refugee Dilemma’, published in the Asia Sentinel ejournal.
Cat Sheely: Story, ‘Winds of Change’ to be published
in ‘Dragonfly’, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild’s
latest anthology, which is to be launched at the Conflux
Canberra sati conference.
Robin McPherson: Poem titled ‘A poem to indigenous
digger Corporal Thomas Rutter’, was published in the
Narooma News, with his photo. This poem will feature in a
proposed section of the War Memorial, Canberra, devoted to
the involvement and recognition of indigenous Australians
in all conflict in which Australia has been involved.
Great laKes faw
Yvonne Elliott: Two stories short­listed in the Peter
Cowan 600­word Short Story Award competition.
Hermione Browning: Highly commended in FAWNS
‘Vibrant Verse’ free verse poetry competition.
Gary Taaffe: Self published his first E­book episode of his
young adult trilogy, ‘Urban Hunters’.
hunter faw
Jan Dean contributed three sequential tanka, a surreal
prose­piece and her poetry collection ‘With One Brush’
to “Happily Ever After,” an exhibition of handmade
books promoting alternative destinies in contemporary
feminine narrative at the John Paynter Gallery in June. The
show, curated by Caelli Jo Brooker and Helen Hopcroft is
currently on display at Artspace Mackay, Queensland.
Louise Berry, Jan Dean and Jo Tregellis presented
original Icelandic poems and read some English
translations of Icelandic poets to Morisset CWA ladies
who had chosen Iceland as their topic for the month of
June. This was a very enjoyable liaison.
Jo Tregellis:
Four poems published in anthology ‘We Are Australian’
edited by Linda Brooks; three tanka published in
‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine, Australian Tanka of Place’
edited by Beverley George and David Terelinck.
Louise Berry: Two poems in ‘We Are Australian’;
two tanka published in ‘Grevillea and Wonga Vine’.
isolated writers Branch
Vickie Walker:
Commended for short story ‘The Portrait’ in the FAWNS
in­house competition;
highly commended for two stories, ‘The gift of a
granddaughter’ and ‘The Windmill Trilogy’, in the
Stringybark Flash Fiction awards; also published in the
book of winners;
2nd placing for a free verse ‘Mungo Man Walking’ in
FAWNS ‘Vibrant Verse’ competition;
short piece and photo published in ‘My Hero’ section of
Woman’s Day.
Kathryn Woolfe: Three haiku were finalists in the Jack
Stamm Haiku Award, published in ‘moonrise and bare
hills’, the paper wasp Jack Stamm haiku anthology 2010.
laMBinG flat faw
Valerie Parv returned earlier this year from Los Angeles
with a ‘Pioneer of Romance’ Award recognizing her contribution
to Romance writing. Valerie was in America to attend
a conference where she lectured on dialogue and has
released With a Little Help, her new super­romance novel.
cont. next page…
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 23

Literary Achievements
Macarthur faw
Bernard Smith had a short story titled ‘The Lights of
Home’ short listed for publication in the journal Southerly.
Robert Bee won 1st Prize for May in­house competition
with a 10­minute play titled ‘The Zephyr Comes Home’.
Margot Shugg had a collection of 8 short stories accepted
for publication by Ginninderra Press in South Australia.
Manly & peninsula faw
Zena Shapter:
1st prize in the 2011 Oberon Writers’ Competition;
short story, ‘Breakthrough’, published in Stringybark
Publishing’s 2011 short story anthology ‘A Visit From The
Duchess’;
short story, ‘Trigger’, published in the Canberra
Speculative Fiction Guild’s 2011 short story anthology
‘Winds of Change’.
north arM cove faw
In August Bob Bush ‘performed’ a selection of his bush
poems at Maitland Vietnam Vets 45th anniversary of the
Battle of Long Tan. He was also a guest at Belmont and
Wallsend View Clubs.
north shore [FAWNS]
Richard Brookton’s short story ‘The Same Men’ was
commended in the FAW Queensland’s Lovers of Good
Writing Competition 2011. His children’s short story
‘Nanna Knows’ won first prize in the Charlotte Duncan
Award for 2011.
Dorothy Walker’s tanka prose ‘The Dresden Lady’ is to
be published in Take Five produced in the USA. She has
had a tanka accepted in Eucalypt as well as one tanka
prose and a tanka accepted for Kokako magazine in NZ.
Jan Foster has had work accepted in Take Five.
Valwyn Edwards Wishart’s tanka ‘Lamentation 2’ and
her mini memoir ‘Joan Sutherland’ appeared in the
April issue of Positive Words. Her letter was featured in
Shine Magazine’s winter edition 2011 for the Anglican
retirement Villages NSW. Her work ‘Modernising a
Favourite Fairy Tale’ appeared in The Chronicle, May 2011
edition, Pitt Street Sydney, Uniting Church.
Lois Holland: two tanka published in Kokako magazine.
Keitha Keyes: two tanka published in Take Five, two
tanka in Simply Haiku, one tanka in Moonbathing Issue 4,
three tanka in the ‘Spirit of Place’ anthology, and one
poem shortlisted in Gum Blossoms.
Marilyn Humbert: one tanka published in Moonbathing
Issue 4, two tanka in the ‘Spirit of Place’ anthology, as well
as two tanka and one tanka prose in Atlas Poetica #9.
shoalhaven faw
Irene Wilkie won first prize and a statuette for her poem
‘Living Sculpture’ in the Henry Lawson Festival free verse
section.
24 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
sutherland shire faw
Edith Cruikshank and Heather Campbell each had a
poem on Sex, Politics and Religion published in the May
issue of FreeXpresSion.
Gwen Willats had two poems published in the May issue
of FreeXpresSion, one on Sex, Religion and Politics, the
other ‘The Look of Love’.
Gwen & Edith also joined the U3A group called Magic of
Poetry, conducted a meeting and presented five poems
each to the meeting.
Frank McGuire had pieces accepted by Positive Words.
One was two lines long!
Helen Armstrong’s story ‘Bargain Bizarre’ was published
in a previous issue of 21D.
wollondilly faw
Richard James Bell, Wollondilly Branch’s Asst Treasurer,
gifted poet and photographer has achieved much since
joining the group. Richard describes real life situations in
poetic metaphors and his work has been accepted for a
project involving eight local councils where his poetry will
be displayed as public artwork, in the form of sheet metal
fabrication. The project is also partnered with Regional
Arts New South Wales and STARTs, (Southern Tableland
Arts). This also involved a public poetry reading of his
poetry, his first public reading.
wyonG writers
Robyn Elliott: an article published in the Southern
Highland News during July.
For our Perpetual Trophy In House Award for Poetry,
the winner was Mavis Gunter for ‘Busy Corner’, Highly
Commended was Margaret Young for ‘Munmorah
Moonlight’ and Commended was Elizabeth McVie for
‘Sunshine’. The Perpetual Trophy Award alternates
six­monthly with poetry or prose being the criteria for
submissions. o
FeLLoWSHiP
Irecently bought three books selected from the
“FAW Members’ Bookshelf”. I was delighted with the
quality of the works and wondered how many readers
of Writers Voice take advantage of these book offers.
From my experience, not many. I’ve had two of my
novels on the “bookshelf” page, resulting in zero sales.
“Sour grapes” you may say. You may be right, but I
don’t think so.
The authors, whose works are displayed on this page,
have spent a long time, a lot of effort, many frustrations
and often quite a bit of money in order to produce
their books. They are like us – members of the FAW
(fellowship).
The next time aunty Mabel’s birthday comes
around, and she is an avid reader, give her a book –
but not from the local book store – go and look on the
“Bookshelf”. If you ask nicely the author may even sign
the copy and aunty Mabel will be thrilled.
Johan Luidens (Central Coast Branch)
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

FAW Members’ Bookshelf
ALEESAh DARLISoN Warambi
Aleesah’s brand new picture book, Warambi, tells the story of a
Little Bent­wing bat (only 45mm long!) who loses her family and
her home. Lost and alone she finds shelter in an unusual place.
Will she find her way home? This is a dramatic story based on
a real event and published in the Year of the Bat as declared by
the Convention on Migratory Species and the United Nations
Environment Programme. Published by Working Title Press and
beautifully illustrated by scientific artist and children’s book
illustrator, Andrew Plant. IBSN: 9781921504280. $24.95.
Aleesah is also the author the mega­successful diary series for
girls aged seven plus called Totally Twins: The Fabulous Diary
of Persephone Pinchgut. The series is published by New Frontier
Publishing and is illustrated by Serena Geddes. Totally Twins
Book 1: Musical Mayhem, IBSN 9781921042348; Totally Twins
Book 2: Model Mania, IBSN 9781921042409; Totally Twins Book 3:
Tropical Trouble, IBSN 9781921042690. All books retail for $14.95.
Aleesah’s books can be purchased at all good bookstores or by
emailing Aleesah at
DAVID BERGER Letters from Paris
This book is in the form of a series of vignettes that depict present
day Parisian life. It is a fascinating account, showing how the
City still manages to maintain its character whilst absorbing the
influence of the many ethnic, religious and cultural mores that
constitute the present populace. The focus for this work is Rabelais
and his views about life, in other words, does Rabelaisian Paris still
exist today amongst its modern citizens? $20 incl p&h. Available
from the author, ph 4759 2438, PO Box 195 Lawson NSW 2783 or
.
GAVIN AUSTIN Shadow Play
Free verse, haiku & tanka. 88 pages, full colour gloss cover, perfect
bound. ISBN 978­0­9807612­3­8.
“I sat down to read a few poems from Shadow Play today and was
half way through the book before I knew it. They’re exquisite. The
language is so very simple yet the images captivating. And each
one is a story about people caught in a moment of pain or delight.”
Kate Walker, Australian novelist.
To order write to: Chrysalis, PO Box 613, Potts Point NSW 1335
or email . $25.00 each (incl. p&h)
– please make cheques payable to V Irvine.
DIANE FoRDhAM Dream Keeper
Dream Keeper is a contemporary fantasy novel. The dream travellers’
desires to fulfil what’s missing in their waking world imprison them
in their dreams. ‘Dream Keeper’ is building his kingdom; The Dream
Tunnels. People are falling asleep and not waking up. How was
Senior Investigator Macarthur T Egan supposed to apprehend and
arrest someone who popped in and out of dreams? Dream Keeper
is about our desires and the consequences. It is also about facing
our fears! ISBN 9781612040769. Available at a pre­release price
at for $13.50 plus postage.
a listinG of faw MeMBers’ recent BooKs for sale
Please send details for inclusion in, OR DELETION FROM, this section to:
Editor, Writers’ Voice,
65 Barbara Boulevard, Seven hills NSW 2147
WEBSITE: Please note that the Writers Voice editor is not responsible
for the FAW NSW website. Authors wishing their Bookshelf items to be
published on the FAW website should email copy – and a pic of the book
cover if available – to Barbara Simmons .
The FAW Bookshelf web page address is:
JULIE ThoRNDYKE Tanka Huddle chapbook
The Tanka Huddle critique group has published a chapbook of
selected poems, edited by Julie Thorndyke, simply entitled Tanka
Huddle. This is a sampling of modern tanka by Australian poets
Anne Benjamin, Shona Bridge, Carolyn Eldridge­Alfonzetti , Jan
Foster, Beverley George, Yvonne Hales, Anne Howard , Carmel
Summers, David Terelinck, and Julie Thorndyke. Published by Swan
Bay Books 2011, ISBN 978­0­9808407­0­4 15. A limited number
of these chapbooks are available for purchase. To obtain a copy,
please send $7 (from within Australia) or $10 (from overseas) to:
J. Thorndyke, 3 Forest Knoll, Castle Hill, 2154 NSW [price includes
postage and handling].
PIP GRIFFIN Ani Lin: the journey of a Chinese Buddhist nun
This poetry novel sings from page to page like a river of sound as
Ani Lin and Lobsang, her faithful lama companion, journey across
the mountains of China and Tibet carrying the message of her
visionary calling for the equality of women in their spiritual life
(reviewer Bridget McKern). Available from Gleebooks $27.95 and
from Pip, 40 Day St, Leichhardt NSW 2040. Phone 0406 627 855
or email $25 including p&h.
GARRY BoYD Billy Two
Feel the heat and taste the dust in this suspenseful novel set in the
fifties on a remote property close to Oodnadatta where newly­wed
arrival Liza Jerome seeks solace with the part­Aboriginal enigmatic
tracker, Billy Two employed by the police to track down two bank
robbers. ISBN 978­1­921829­02­8. Cost $29.95 (includes p&h);
also can be ordered through any bookshop for $24.95 or by phoning
author (02) 4997 0598.
BoB BUSh Legends, Lies and Larrikins
Author’s third book of thirty­four poems based on his experiences
and observations (both real and imagined) of the hardships and
humour that affect all those who choose to live, work or play
in Australia. ISBN 978­0­646­54985­9. Cost $15 plus $2 p&h.
Available from the author, 93 View Street, Vacy NSW 2421 or phone
(02) 4938 8323.
ADRIENNE de BoUVIER To the Edge of the World
(Book 1). This is the story of a people and their migration to
Greenland in the 10th Century. It is a saga of bloody battles,
conspiracy and murder in an ancient world where nobody expected
to live beyond the age of forty. It is also a tale of love, hope and
loyalty, tempered by a little humour along the way. ISBN: 978­1­
74008­579­3. Email the author: or
write to PO Box 29, Pingelly WA 6308. $25 plus p&h.
DAVE BoYD The Blitz Kid
This autobiography tells of the author’s childhood years. Living in
the East End of London during the 2nd World War, he was six years
old when it started – surviving not only the day & night bombing
that London was subjected to, but also the dire poverty caused by
an alcoholic father. Full of cockney humour, the book is already in
its second print run. $20 plus $2 p&h, available from the author,
8 Packham Street, Leeton NSW 2705. Email or phone 0428 922 940.
VALERIE PYBUS A Score and More
Nostalgia, whimsy and humour from author, performance
poet, actor and singer Valerie Pybus, past president of Manly &
Peninsular FAW. A wonderful collection of 20 short stories about
animals, some of them prize­winners, plus 40 of her delightful
poems. $20 plus $3.00 postage, price includes complimentary CD.
Order from the author or phone
0418 670 862. More info .
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 25

Writing Competitions
Closing date 24 September 2011:
NORMAL COMPETITION CONDITIONS
FAW PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS
2011 LITERARY COMPETITION
Do you like to TRAVEL ?… share your
experiences… be rewarded.
CATEGORY 1: SHORT STORY
(Theme: Open). Max 3,000 words
1st Prize: $200; 2nd Prize: $100
[In­house award if no Port Macquarie
FAW member wins 1st or 2nd]
CATEGORY 2: ARTICLE
(Theme: TRAVEL). Max 1,500 words
1st Prize: Sponsored by CAMDEN
HAVEN TRAVEL, 2 Nights Opal Cove
Resort, Coffs Harbour x 2 people [or
similar]; 2nd Prize: $75
CATEGORY 3: POETRY
(Traditional or free). Max 80 lines
1st Prize: $150; 2nd Prize: $75.
Entry fee $5; $20 for 5 entries. Highly
commended and commended at
judges’ discretion.
Prize winning pieces will be published
in Port Macquarie’s January
Issue of LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.
‘Normal Competition Conditions’
apply [see opposite] – cover sheet
with name, address, word count and
phone number or email address. NO
NAME TO BE ON ENTRY ITSELF.
Entries may be entered in more
than one competition at the time of
entry – subject to point 4 of ‘Normal
Conditions’ [see opposite].
Results published in Writers Voice and
on FAW website
Enquiries: Ph 02 6559 5427 or email
Entries to:
Competition Secretary,
Colleen Parker
Port Macquarie­Hastings FAW
Box 67
PORT MACQUARIE NSW 2444
Closing date 30 September 2011:
FAWNS SUPER SHORT STORY
COMPETITION 2011
CATEGORY A: SUPER SHORT STORY.
CATEGORY B: MEMOIR. A memoir is
defined as a memory in the writer’s
life of an incident, or a number of
incidents relating to a single theme.
The same conditions apply for both
Unless stated otherwise, these conditions apply to ALL WRITING COMPETITIONS:
• Entries should be submitted in English, using one side of A4 paper, typed
double­spaced (except poetry) in a standard typeface (12 pt min.), using
generous margins. No fancy fonts, clip art or decorations of any kind.
• NO names or addresses to appear on manuscripts. A separate COVER SHEET
must be attached, containing the title of the entry, competition name, section
category if applicable, word or line count, author’s name, address, telephone
number and email address (if available). Title and page number (ONLY) of
the entry should appear on each page of the manuscript.
• Entries must be original work and must not have won a cash prize in any
other competition nor been published in any form, as at the closing date of
the competition.
• Entries may be entered in more than one competition at the time of entry
HOWEVER the entry must be withdrawn from any subsequent competitions
if the writer is advised prior to the closing dates that the entry was successful
elsewhere with a cash prize.
• Cheques and/or money orders should be made payable to the organisers,
unless otherwise stipulated. Multiple entries may be paid with one cheque
or money order – do not send coins or stamps.
• Copyright remains with the author. Entries will not be returned and will be
destroyed after the announcement of results.
• The judges’ decisions will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• If you require a copy of the results mailed to you, please send a standard DLsized
stamped, self­addressed envelope (SSAE) with your entry.
These are general guidelines. For complete conditions relating to individual
competitions, and to obtain entry forms (where required), contact the relevant
competition organisers.
categories. Maximum 700 words.
Prizes: 1st $200, 2nd $100, Highly
Commended and Commended
certificates.
Entry fee $5 – cheques made payable
to Fellowship of Australian Writers
North Shore Branch. Stamps or coins
not accepted as payment for entry.
Enclose business­size SSAE for results.
No email entries will be accepted. No
entry form required. Story text, title
and page numbers only to appear on
entry. Attach a cover sheet stating
category (A or B), writer’s contact
details, title of entry and word count.
No clip art or decoration of any kind.
Submissions must be the original
work of the author, not having won
a cash prize at close of competition
and not submitted concurrently
elsewhere, typed on single­sided A4
paper, double­spaced.
Send entries to:
Competition Convenor
5 Clement Street
STRATHFIELD SOUTH NSW 2136
For further information, email
or visit the FAWNS website
Results will be posted on this website
by Friday 11th November 2011.
Closing date 30 September 2011:
WATERLINE WRITING
COMPETITION 2011
A community partnership project of
the Corinella and District Community
Centre Inc (CDCC) and the Phillip
Island Community and Learning
Centre Inc. (PICAL).
• SHORT STORY: 2,500 words. Prize:
The Glen Miles Scholarship $1,000
• SHORT STORY SENIORS over 75
years: 1250 words. Prize $250
• SHORT STORY JUNIOR under 18
years: 1250 words. Prize: $250
• POETRY: Open. Maximum of 1250
words in 1­3 poems inclusive.
Prize: $250
cont. next page…
26 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

WATERLINE WRITING COMPETITION
cont. from previous page
Each entry must be accompanied by
a separate ENTRY FORM, available
online at or write
to the postal address below.
Entry Fees per entry:
Open Short Story $10.
Junior, Senior and Poetry Sections $5.
[Poetry entries are restricted to
between 1­3 poems, for an entry fee
of $5, the whole (of 1, 2 or 3 poems)
not exceeding 1,250 words in total].
Full Conditions of Entry are on the
Entry Form. Each entry must have
TWO (2) copies of the manuscript,
for judging purposes, and have a
separate COVER SHEET with Name,
Address, Email, and Telephone No.
Shortlisted entries will be required to
send an electronic copy of their work
for consideration for inclusion in the
2011 Waterline Writing Publication.
Copyright remains with the author
however the Waterline Writing
Competition reserves the right to
reproduce the prize winning and
runners­up stories at any point in
the future, in hard copy, performance
readings and electronic media.
Winners announced at the award
presentation held November 2011.
Send entries with entry form & fee to:
Corinella and District
Community Centre
48 Smythe Street
CORINELLA VIC 3984
Enquiries: Phone 03 5678 0777.
Closing date 30 September 2011:
VERA NEWSOM
POETRY PRIZE 2011
Awarded by Youngstreet Poets, this
biennial prize honours distinguished
poet and educator Vera Newsom
(1912-2006), a longstanding member
of Youngstreet Poets.
Maximum 32 lines.
First Prize $500, Second Prize $200.
For original, unpublished poems
(including on the internet) that have
not won monetary prizes, are not
entered in other competitions or
currently submitted for publication.
TWO copies of each poem to be
submitted, one side of A4 paper
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au
without author’s name. No entry form
but entrant’s details on a separate
cover sheet.
Entry Fee (Australian residents only):
$10 per poem.
For full entry conditions, search Vera
Newsom on .
Send entries to:
Receiving Officer,
Youngstreet Poets
PO Box 71
AVALON NSW 2007.
Prizes awarded at the Youngstreet
Poets’ Christmas luncheon on Friday,
25 November, 2011. Include SSAE for
receipt or results.
FELLOWSHIP OF
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
Closing date
20 September2011
Fellowship of Australian
Writers NSW Inc.
2011 FAW MARJORIE
BARNARD AWARD
SHORT STORY of not more
than 3000 words.
PRIZE: $500. ENTRY FEE: $10.
Normal Competition Conditions
apply (see page 26).
Entrants must be permanent
residents of Australia. Entries
should be original, unpublished
and must not have won a prize
at time of entry. The Award
will be presented at the FAW
Annual Presentation Luncheon
in December and results will be
published in Writers Voice and
on the FAW NSW website.
Telephone enquiries:
(02) 9810 1307.
Send entries to:
The Competition Convenor,
FAW Marjorie Barnard
Award
PO Box 488
ROZELLE NSW 2039
Closing date 21 october 2011:
YARRAM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
Open Section: SHORT STORY, open
themed to 2000 words.
First prize of $100 and a runner­up
prize of $50.
Certificates for commended entries
awarded at the judges’ discretion.
Entry fee: $5 per manuscript.
Normal Competition Conditions apply
[see page 26]. Double line spaced on
white A4 paper. The entry must not
have been previously published nor
won a monetary prize. No name on
manuscript.
An entry form is NOT required –
attach a COVER SHEET to the entry
giving title, word count, author’s
name and contact details.
Post manuscript, cover sheet and
payment to:
Competition co­ordinator,
Yarram Agricultural Society
PO Box 116
YARRAM VIC 3971
Enquiries: Michelle Boddy
Closing date 30 october 2010:
THE FAW WOODEN HORSE AWARD
Would you like to display a hand
carved wooden horse on your
mantelpiece for a year?
If you have received a monetary
reward for your creative writing FOR
THE FIRST TIME during the last 12
months, then you are eligible to enter
for the FAW Wooden Horse Award.
The writing can be in the form
of published or broadcast poetry,
articles or short stories that could be
considered worthy of recognition.
Sorry, Letters to the Editor are not
acceptable as sufficiently creative.
Self­published books and remuneration
by way of a free copy of the
publication does not qualify either.
It is easy to enter this competition
– no fees, no entry forms. Just send
a letter immediately with title and
publication/broadcast details to:
The Competition Convenor,
FAW Wooden Horse Award
PO Box 488
ROZELLE NSW 2039
WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 27

Writing Competitions
NOTE: No monetary prize is offered
for the FAW Wooden Horse Award.
The statuette is held by the winner
for 12 months, then returned and
passed on to the next winner for the
following year.
Closing date 31 october 2011:
POSITIVE WORDS
END-OF-YEAR SHORT STORY
& POETRY COMPETITION 2011
• Category A: OPEN SHORT STORY
up to 500 words.
• Category B: OPEN POETRY
up to 32 lines.
ENTRY FEE: $3.60 per entry or
4 entries for $12.00. Cheques, money
orders or the equivalent in unused
stamps (60cent or $1.20 preferred)
will be accepted as payment. Please
make cheques payable to S. L. James,
NOT Positive Words (bank request).
Entries must be original and
previously unpublished. Entries will
not be returned so authors should
keep a copy of their work. Copyright
will remain with the authors and the
winning entries will be featured in an
upcoming issue of Positive Words.
PRIZES: First Prize: $100.00.
Second Prize: twelve (12) months’
subscription to Positive Words.
Certificates for commended entries
will be awarded in each section.
CONDITIONS:
All entries should be accompanied
by an ENTRY FORM or cover sheet.
(Photocopies accepted). For entry
form please send SSAE to the postal
address below, or email
Number all pages and attach entry
form or cover sheet with paper clip
or staple. Author’s name must not
appear on the manuscript.
Results will be published in an
issue of Positive Words and winners
notified. Include SSAE or email
address for results.
Send entries to:
The Editor, Sandra James,
Positive Words
PO Box 798
HEATHCOTE VIC 3523
Closing date 31 october 2011:
SCRIBES WRITERS
SHORT STORY AWARD 2011
Fictional short story, open theme
Maximum word count: 1000 words.
Prizes: 1st $100; 2nd $50; Highly
Commended and Commended
certificates at the judge’s discretion.
Entry fee: $5 – cheques made payable
to: ‘Scribes Writers’. Stamps or coins
not accepted as payment for entry.
No email entries will be accepted.
NO entry form required. Story text,
title and page numbers only to appear
on entry. Attach a COVER SHEET,
stating author’s name, address,
phone and email (if applicable), title
of entry and word count.
No clip art or decoration of any kind.
Submissions must be the original
work of the author, not having
previously won a cash prize,
been published or broadcast, not
submitted concurrently elsewhere,
typed one side on A4, double­spaced.
Send entries to:
Competition Convenor,
Scribes Writers Short Story
Competition
South Barwon Community Centre
33 Mt Pleasant Road
BELMONT VIC 3216.
Enclose a business­size SSAE for
results and judge’s report.
Winners will be notified within 6
weeks of competition closing date.
Closing date 15 November 2010:
FAW BRANCH NEWSLETTER
AWARD 2011
All Branches are eligible to enter
for this award, offered for a regular
newsletter or printed publication
distributed to members of that
Branch. Award consists of a certificate
(no monetary prize), judged annually
on meeting the following criteria over
a 12­month period:
• Content
• Interest
• Presentation
• Consistency
To enter, send a 12­month set of
sample issues to:
FAW Branch Newsletter Award
Dri­Print Electronic Publishing
65 Barbara Boulevard
SEVEN HILLS NSW 2147
Closing date 18 November 2011:
LAMBING FLAT FAW
CHERRY PICKERS CHOICE
WRITING COMPETITION.
• ADULT SHORT STORY – 1st Prize
$100, 2nd Prize $25
• ADULT POETRY – 1st prize $100;
2nd Prize $25
• UPPER SECONDARY SHORT STORY
Yrs 11­12 – 1st $50, 2nd $15
• UPPER SECONDARY POETRY
Yrs 11­12 – 1st $40, 2nd $15
• JUNIOR SECONDARY SHORT
STORY Yrs 7­10 – 1st $50, 2nd $15
• JUNIOR SECONDARY POETRY
Yrs 7­10 – 1st $40, 2nd $15
• UPPER PRIMARY SHORT STORY
Yrs 4­6 – 1st $25, 2nd $10
• UPPER PRIMARY POETRY
Yrs 4­6 – 1st $25, 2nd $10
• JUNIOR PRIMARY SHORT STORY
Yrs 1­3 – 1st $25, 2nd $10
• JUNIOR PRIMARY POETRY
Yrs 1­3 – 1st $25, 2nd $10
Entry fees $5 per adult entry; $3 per
secondary and primary school entry.
Information and entry form available
by sending stamped self addressed
envelope to:
Lambing Flat FAW
40 Pineview Circuit
YOUNG NSW 2594
or email .
Closing date 30 November 2011:
NORTH ARM COVE FAW 2011
SHORT STORY AND RHYMING
POETRY COMPETITION
SHORT STORY of no more than 3000
words – open theme.
1st prize $200, 2nd prize $100, Highly
commended certificates (if deemed
necessary)
POETRY to be a maximum of 80 lines
– open theme and must exhibit good
rhyme and rhythm.
cont. next page…
28 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

NORTH ARM COVE COMPETITION
cont. from previous page
1st prize $200, 2nd prize $100,
Highly commended certificates (if
deemed necessary).
Normal Competition Conditions
apply (see page 26).
Entries must be original and must
NOT have won a cash prize in any
other competition as at the closing
date of the competition.
Entry fee $10 per entry – multiple
entries may be paid with one cheque
or money order – do not send coins
or stamps. Cheques and/or money
orders payable to North Arm Cove FAW.
Entries forwarded to :
Competition Secretary,
North Arm Cove FAW
c/­ 22 Promontory Way
NORTH ARM COVE NSW 2324
Copyright remains with the author.
Entries will not be returned and will
be destroyed after the announcement
of results in Writers Voice March 2012
edition.
Closing dates end of each month:
POSITIVE WORDS MINI-
COMPETITIONS 2011
Write a short story in 100 words or
less, or a poem in ten lines or less,
using the relevant monthly word
listed below at least once.
Prize: Six (6) months subscription to
Positive Words
Entry Fee: $1.20 in unused postage
stamps. No entry form required.
• September 2011: DAFFODIL/S
• October 2011: DOOR
• November 2011: PICNIC
• December 2011: TURKEY
Entries must be postmarked by the
last day of the relevant month and
the winning entry will appear in an
upcoming issue. The winner will be
notified. Please include SSAE or email
address for results.
Send entries to:
The Editor, Sandra James,
Positive Words
PO Box 798
Heathcote Victoria 3523
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au
Closing date 31 December 2011:
BONDI WRITERS 2011
SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Bondi Writers gratefully acknowledge
the grant from Waverley Council
that makes this short story
competition possible.
Open theme, unlimited entries, no
entry form required, attach cover
sheet with author details. Minimum
length 1500 words, maximum 3000
words.
Normal Competition Conditions
apply [see page 26]. White A4 paper,
no names on manuscript, double line
Closing date 30 September 2011
spaced, and pages numbered please.
Entry must not have won a monetary
prize nor have been published as at
the close date.
Include SSAE/email for results and
judge’s report.
Entry fee $5 per entry. First Prize
$200. Second prize $100.
Results published in Writers Voice.
No ms to be returned and no
assessment will be given.
Entries to be sent to:
Competition Convenor
Bondi Writers
PO Box 701
BONDI JUNCTION NSW 1355
Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc.
FAW LOGO DESIGN COMPETITION
The Fellowship of Australian Writers New South Wales Inc invites
submissions for the design of a LOGO that will give us a contemporary
new look to attract budding writers to join us, while at the same time
reflecting the aims and objectives of the organisation and its historical
contribution to Australian writing.
The prize for the selected entry is $500.
Entries must be original, creative and exciting, representing to the
audience the aims and objectives of the Fellowship and its new slogan
“The Fellowship of Australian Writers New South Wales Inc – proud of its
long history, excited about its future”.
We need a design that will reproduce well in black and white, two
colours and full colour mode, for use on the FAW website and social
networking sites, in Writers Voice, on our stationery, and any other
purpose deemed to be suitable.
The winner will be invited to the FAW Annual Luncheon to be held in
Sydney on 3rd December 2011 where the new logo will be launched.
So start putting your ideas on paper and it could be YOUR concept that
takes the FAW forward through the next decade! Multiple entries are
permitted, with a separate Entry Form per entry (may be photocopied).
ENTRY FORMS may be downloaded from , or by
sending a stamped, self­addressed envelope to the address below.
There is no entry fee.
Your identity and contact details are to appear on the Entry Form only,
not on the artwork. The Fellowship of Australian Writers will retain full
copyright to the work once submitted.
Send entries to:
FAW Logo Competition
PO Box 488
ROZELLE NSW 2039.
Results will be published in the Writers Voice and on the FAW
website .
Enquiries: Please email the Competition Convenor at
.
WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 29

Branch Meetings and Contacts
BanKSToWn WriTerS euroBoDaLLa FaW HunTer FaW
ManLY & PeninSuLa
1st Saturday – 1.00 to 4.00 pm 1st & 3rd Wednesdays–10.30 am 1st Wednesday – 10.30am FaW
Banksia Room,
The Community Centre Dining Room of Sydney 2nd Saturday – 2.00 pm
Revesby Workers Club Page Street, Moruya.
Junction Hotel
Warringah Library, opp Hoyts,
Enquiries:
Enquiries:
Beaumont St., Hamilton Warringah Mall, Brookvale.
Carney Vaughan 4268 5383 Eileen Backhus 4471 8906 Enquiries: Eileen Dillon­Smith, Enquiries:
Sec. 4965 0256 or
Beatrice Yell 9452 2299 or
Jan Dean, Pres. 4954 9895 Dudley Skelly 9949 3104
PO Box 112 Islington NSW 2296
PO Box 241, Manly NSW 1655
BLue MounTainS FaW
1st Sunday – 1.45 to 4.45 pm
Springwood Neighbourhood
Centre, Macquarie Rd,
Springwood.
Enquiries:
Ron Lyons (Pres.) 4751 2725
PO Box 125, Springwood 2777
CenTraL CoaST FaW
3rd Sunday – 10.00 am
Gosford Hotel, 179 Mann St,
Gosford.
Enquiries: Helen Luidens,
Pres. 4363 2627, or
Mary Cribb, Sec. 4362 1571
PO Box 750, Gosford NSW 2250
BonDi WriTerS
3rd Sunday – 2.00 pm
Theory Room, Waverley Library,
32­48 Denison St.,
Bondi Junction.
Enquiries: Anne Skyvington
0407871768
PO Box 701 Bondi Junction 1355
eaSTWooD/HiLLS FaW
1st Saturday – 1.30 pm
Senior Citizens’ Room,
Cnr Farnell & North Rocks Rds,
North Rocks.
Enquiries: Carmel Summers
9484 6191 – email
or
Anne Benjamin ph: 9688 1833
. Web:
30 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
FaWnS
[FAW North Shore]
3rd Sunday – 1.00 pm
Willow Park Community Centre,
25 Edgeworth David Ave,
Hornsby.
Enquiries: Maria Encarnacao
(Pres.), 35 Eyre St,
Smithfield NSW 2164
(Vice­Pres) Richard Brookton
9744 1567
ForeST FaW
3rd Saturday – 2.00 pm
Forest Community Arts Centre
Darley Street, Forestville.
Enquiries:
Maggie Gowanlock 9948 3882
POBox248,BalgowlahNSW2093
GreaT LaKeS FaW
2nd Friday – 1.00 to 4.00 pm
Forster/Tuncurry Memorial
Services Club,
Strand Street, Forster.
Enquiries:
Christine Hayes 6555 9904
PO Box 47, Tuncurry NSW 2428
HaWKeSBurY FaW
2nd Monday – 7.30 pm
Richmond Club Ltd.,
East Market Street, Richmond.
Enquiries: Laurie Forth (Pres.)
4572 6837, or Stefan Sawynok,
(Sec.) 4572 2223
POBox229RichmondNSW2753
KanDoS
4th Monday – 3.00 to 4.30pm
The Library, Angus Avenue,
Kandos
Enquiries: Pamela O’Connor
6379 4613
LaKe MaCQuarie FaW
1st Saturday – 2.00 pm
Multi­purpose Centre
9 Thorn Street, Toronto.
Enquiries: Jan Mitchell (Pres.)
4027 0036 or Linda Visman
(VP) 4975 4448
LaMBinG FLaT FaW
3rd Monday – 5.00 pm
Catherine McAuley Hall
Retirement Village Complex
Demondrille Street, Young
Enquiries: Joan Graham
6382 5955
40 Pine View Crescent,
Young NSW 2594
LiVerPooL CreaTiVe
WriTerS
2nd Saturday – 1.00 to 4.00pm
Dr Pirie Community Centre
Cnr Bigge & Moore Sts, Liverpool.
PO Box 83, Canley Heights 2166
Eric Esber (Pres)
Enquiries: Stefania McDonald
(Publicity) 0447 097 728
MaCarTHur FaW
3rd Sunday – 1.00 pm
Campbelltown RSL Club
(Jade Room), Carberry Lane.
Enquiries: Jo­Anne Harris, Sec.
4626 1304 (after 3.30pm) or
PO Box 268N
Campbelltown NSW 2560
MooCooBooLa FaW
3rd Thursday – 1.30 pm
Gladesville Library
Pittwater Road, Gladesville.
Enquiries:
Vicki Harrold 9878 3005
PO Box 318, Hunters Hill 2110
MuDGee VaLLeY FaW
2nd Tuesday – 12 Noon
Club Mudgee,
Mortimer Street, Mudgee.
Enquiries:
Colleen O’Sullivan 6379 6902
PO BOX 356, Mudgee 2850
norTH arM CoVe FaW
3rd Thursday – 7.00 pm
Community Centre, The
Ridgeway, North Arm Cove.
Enquiries:
Maureen Kelly 4997 3237
22 Promontory Way,
North Arm Cove NSW 2324
ParraMaTTa FaW
2nd Saturday – 12.30 pm
Top Floor, Parramatta Library
Civic Place, Parramatta.
Enquiries: Esther Bartulovich
(Sec.), Unit 8, 86­88 Walpole St,
Merrylands 2160
PorT MaCQuarie-
HaSTinGS FaW
Last Saturday – 1.00 to 4.00 pm
Maritime Museum, William St,
Port Macquarie.
Enquiries:
Judith Hansen (Sec.) 6582 7932
PO Box 67,
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au

PorT STePHenS FaW
3rd Thursday – 10.00 am
Tomaree Library, Salamander.
Enquiries: Annette Jones (Sec.)
Ph 4984 7426. 56c Salamander
Way, Salamander Bay 2317
riVerina FaW
1st Sunday – 2.00pm
Leeton Library.
Enquiries:
Dave Boyd 0428 922 940
SHoaLHaVen FaW
2nd Saturday – 10.00 am
Meeting Room, Arts Centre
Berry St, Nowra (next to Library).
Enquiries: San­Dee Plachetta
PO Box 154, Nowra NSW 2541
SouTHern HiGHLanDS
3rd Saturday – 1.00 pm
The Henrietta Rose Room,
Library, Bowral.
Enquiries: Michael Woodhouse
PO Box 672, Moss Vale 2577
STrouD WriTerS
Fortnightly Thursday
9.00 am - noon
St.John’s Anglican Parish Hall,
Cowper Street, Stroud.
Enquiries: Jean Moase 4994 9233
or Dianne Foster 4994 5727
PO Box 4, Stroud NSW 2425
SuTHerLanD SHire FaW
Last Saturday – 12.30 pm
Sutherland Library, Meeting
Room (Ground Floor)
30­36 Belmont Street,
Sutherland.
Enquiries: Heather Campbell
(Pres) 9579 3255
PO Box 602, Sutherland 1499
SYDneY CiTY FaW
3rd Friday – 4.00 pm
Sydney Mechanics School of
Arts, 1st Floor, 280 Pitt Street.
Enquiries:JohnClarke89208690
WoLLonDiLLY FaW
2nd Sunday – 1.30 pm
Tahmoor Community Centre,
6 Harper Close, Tahmoor.
Enquiries: Vince Morrison
(Pres.) 4684 1704 32
Hawthorn Rd, Bargo 2574 or
Olivia Mulligan 0402 091903
2747 Remembrance Drive,
Tahmoor 2573
WYonG WriTerS
4th Saturday – 1.30pm
Senior Citizens Centre Room,
Rankens Court (off Alison St.)
Wyong.
Enquiries: Mei Ling Venning
(Pres.) 4333 7489 or
Margaret Young 4390 3727
PO Box 72, Wyong NSW 2259
or
Writers Voice
COPY DEADLINES
EDITION COVER DATE COPY DUE MAILOUT
Autumn MAR 15 FEBRUARY 15 MAR
Winter JUNE 15 MAY 15 JUN
Spring SEPT 15 AUGUST 15 SEP
Summer DEC 15 NOVEMBER 15 DEC
faw isolated writers Branch
MEMBERShIP ENQUIRIES:
Adrienne de Bouvier
Isolated Writers Convenor
PO Box 29, PINGELLY WA 6308
Email:
MEMBERS’ AChIEVEMENTS:
The Editor, Writers Voice
65 Barbara Boulevard, Seven Hills NSW 2147
Email:
AFFILIATIoN FEES:
FAW NSW Affiliation Fees are due 31 December each
year.
Isolated Writers: $40.00 pa
Under 18s: $20.00 pa
Overseas Members: $45.00 pa
– plus $10.00 pa if you wish to subscribe to the
Isolated Writers’ Branch newsletter ‘Fair Copy’.
Make cheque/money order payable to Fellowship Aust
Writers (no variations). Send all payments to:
FAW Isolated Writers Branch Convenor,
PO Box 29, PINGELLY WA 6308
and enclose SSAE for receipt if required.
RoUND RoBIN:
This consists of manuscripts submitted by members for
reading and comments by other members. They are collated
and at least two parcels of the manuscripts are sent to
members as listed, who in turn read, comment and send
them on. The last person on each list sends the parcel back,
at which time the items are reviewed with comments and
each manuscript returned to its author. Poems, articles,
short stories, plays and chapters of books are acceptable.
Please limit your submissions to:
• 1 short story, maximum 5,000 words, or
• 2 short stories, total maximum 5,000 words, or
• 1 article of similar length, or
• 3 poems (or 1 poem, maximum about 80 lines), or
• 1 chapter of a book in progress (of reasonable length).
These guidelines are flexible. A combination of several
of the above can be offered if the items are only short.
Attach a blank sheet behind the manuscript for comments,
remembering that five or six people need to be included.
Include a self­addressed envelope of suitable size and
postage value for the workshopped items to be returned.
Apart from your comments, your contribution to the scheme
is no more than the postage required to send the parcel
of manuscripts on to the next person on the list – a small
price to pay for the value that can be derived from others’
constructive remarks on your work.
Round Robin Closing Dates
• AUTUMN: 28 February • WINTER: 31 May
• SPRING: 31 August • SUMMER: 30 November
Round Robin Submissions
POSTAL:
Margot Shugg, Round Robin Convenor
91 Coachwood Cres, Bradbury NSW 2560
Electronic Round Robin (ERR):
Similar to the postal Round Robin, except that manuscripts
are sent as email attachments. Contact:
Brian Armour, ERR coordinator
Email:
Visit us on the Internet at www.fawnsw.org.au WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011 31

FELLOWSHIP OF
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS
aBout the faw
32 WRITERS’ VOICE 233—SEPTEMBER 2011
Fellowship of
australian Writers
nSW inc.
ABN 59 557 152 715
FAW NSW State office:
Lower Ground, NSW Writers’ Centre,
Rozelle Hospital, Balmain Road, Rozelle
Mail: PO Box 488, Rozelle NSW 2039
Telephone/Fax: 9810 1307 or Ph 6559 5427
Internet:
The aims of the FAW are:
• to foster and promote the growth of Australian writing
• to encourage excellence in writing
• to encourage the study of Australian literature
• to assist Australian authors and
• to forge links with overseas writers.
Branch Meetings
The branch fellowships hold regular meetings; conduct workshops and
tutorials; hold writing competitions and publish anthologies of members’
work. Visitors are most welcome to attend meetings or to contact the
Fellowship through their respective branch (see pages 30-31) or by
contacting the FAW NSW State Office (as above).
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LIgare Writers Voice Advert 0909 2.indd 2 9/10/09 9:06:04 AM
The Fellowship of
Australian Writers
inTerSTaTe BranCHeS
Victoria:
Fellowship of Australian Writers (VIC) Inc.
PO Box 973, Eltham North VIC 3095
VENUE: The Hive Creative Centre,
710 Station Street, Box Hill.
Phone: (03) 9898 8717
(Pres. Philip Rainford 0413 736 723).
Web:
Tasmania:
Fellowship of Australian Writers (TAS) Inc.
PO Box 234, North Hobart TAS 7002
Phone: 03 6234 4418
Web:
Western australia:
Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA) Inc.
PO Box 6180, Swanbourne WA 6010
Phone: 08 9384 4771
Email:
Web:
Queensland:
Fellowship of Australian Writers (QLD) Inc.
Web:
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