The Friendly Street New Poets series of books has been the launching pad for many well-recognised and successful poets in SA who have gone on to make wonderful contributions to poetry here in Australia and overseas. Nineteen submissions were received for the New Poets 21 competition this year, six more than last year, which is pleasing to see in this time of limited poetry opportunity.
The judge for this competition was Kaye Aldenhoven, an Adelaide born, Darwin based writer and poet with 3 books of poetry published. Kaye has been shortlisted for prose and poetry multiple times in the NT Literature Awards and won 2 Red Earth Poetry Awards. She is a member of Palmerston’s Own Writers, Katherine’s Own Writers and the NT Writers Centre where she was Treasurer & Public Officer for many years. Kaye has been very active in community-based writing programs and has edited many books for regional groups. She was recently being honoured as a Life Member of the NT Writers’ Centre.
The winners are:
Doug Jacquier for his manuscript, Take My Words For It
Tarla Kramer for her manuscript, Odds And Sods
Mark Ritchie for his manuscript, Copy Of Poets
Doug, Tarla and Mark will have their manuscripts published in Friendly Street’s New Poets 21.
The judge also selected one manuscript for Commendation: Megan Clark for her manuscript, When We Were Sixteen.
Congratulations to these poets!
The winning poets will be working with Dr Steve Evans who will help edit and format the publication, New Poets 21, to be launched later this year. The winning poets will each receive $150, 2 copies of the book and membership FSP till the end of 2021, and be able to purchase New Poets 21 books at a discounted price.
Thank you to all the poets who submitted to this competition; thank you to Kaye Aldenhoven for judging the competition; and thank you to the Committee for continuing Friendly Street Poets’ long tradition of providing publishing opportunities for SA poets.
Nigel Ford, Convenor