We’re delighted to announce that Andy Jackson has taken out the Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize for 2013.

Andy’s poems, filled with pathos in their exploration of identity and their startling images of human and animal bodies, will make for an enthralling collection – one that will be published by Whitmore Press in 2014.

Our thanks again to all who entered – we’re sure we’ll see many other excellent submissions find their way into print or onto screen in the near future.

Lucy Todd’s Listening to the Mopokes Go was launched to a packed audience at The Alderman in Brunswick East in August. Cassandra Atherton, who launched Lucy’s collection with her customary eloquence and pizzazz, has kindly provided her launch speech for the Whitmore Press website. You can read Cassandra’s launch here.

Amy Brown recently wrote a brilliant review of Lucy’s book for Cordite. You can read the review at: http://cordite.org.au/reviews/brown-todd/.

If after reading the above you’d like a copy of Listening to the Mopokes Go, you can get one here.

After much deliberation, we have shortlisted (in alphabetical order) the following poets in the 2013 Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize:

Ashley Capes
Broede Carmody
Dan Disney
Andy Jackson
Julie Maclean
Laura Jean McKay
Carol Millner
Nathan Shepherdson
Ruby Todd
Isi Unikowski

Almost 100 entries were received, many of a very high standard. A number of entries included excellent individual poems, and we wish we could publish an anthology of these works. Our thanks to everyone who submitted.

The winner, whose work will be published in a limited edition chapbook in 2014, will be announced later this month.

Many thanks to all who submitted to the Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize 2013. We received nearly 100 entries. We’ll post a shortlist of 10 poets around the start of November, and will announce the winner by mid-November.

B.R. (Brett) Dionysius, co-winner of the 2011 Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize and whose subsequent collection Bowra was published in April this year, will be reading from his work as part of a Queensland Poetry Festival session in Brisbane this weekend. Brett, who some years back was founding director of the festival, will be presenting alongside Anthony Lawrence and Jane Williams.

Details:

‘Towards Profundity’
Saturday 24th August, 1.30–2.30 pm
MC: Eleanor Jackson
Theatre Space, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
420 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley

Further information: http://www.queenslandpoetryfestival.com

A reminder that the deadline for entries for the 2013 Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize is Friday, 16 August.

If you haven’t done so already, download the guidelines and entry form, and get your entry in the mail to us by this Friday. Yes, we will accept late entries provided that they are postmarked on or before 16 August. No, we don’t count the blank lines and poem titles in the entry limit of 150 lines. And yes, we accept multiple submissions, provided each submission is accompanied by a separate entry form and fee.

We look forward to reading your submission. And our thanks to the many who have submitted so far!

Poet, novelist and photographer Graeme Kinross-Smith, whose Available Light: New Poems was published by Whitmore Press in 2012, is a special guest at the historic town of Clunes this Sunday as part of the Words in Winter program. The details:

Sunday 18th August, 3.00–4.30pm
Union Bank Art Centre
22 Fraser Street, Clunes

For further information on this free event, where Graeme will discuss and read from his work: http://wordsinwinter.com/event/Clunes

Whitmore Press is delighted to announce that Lucy Todd’s debut poetry collection, Listening to the Mopokes Go, is about to be launched in Melbourne. The details:

The Alderman (upstairs)
134 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Friday 16th August, from 6.30pm
Launch by Cassandra Atherton – poet, novelist, critic and academic.

Lucy was the winner of the 2012 Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize. We hope you can make it. All welcome!

Can’t make the launch? Go to the titles page and order a copy of Lucy’s book – signed, limited edition (just 150 copies).

As part of the Winter in Aireys festival, this coming Saturday Whitmore Press poets Brendan Ryan (A Tight Circle), A. Frances Johnson (The Pallbearer’s Garden, co-judge Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize) and Anthony Lynch (publisher) will read from their work:

Aireys Pub
Great Ocean Road
Aireys Inlet
Saturday, 20th July
2.30-3.30pm
Cost: $10

Earlier in the day, at the same venue, photographer and poet Graeme Kinross-Smith (Available Light) will conduct a workshop on writing photopoems:

Aireys Pub
Saturday, 20th July
10.30am – 12 noon
Cost: $20

Bookings and further information: Yvonne Adami on yadami1@westnet.com.au

Whitmore Press poets Luke Beesley (Balance) and A. Frances Johnson (co-judge, Whitmore Press Manuscript Prize), along with Duncan Hose, will be reading from their work this Sunday at Melbourne’s Counihan Gallery. The details:

Counihan Gallery
233 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Sunday 14th July, 2-3pm

The reading is in conjunction with the exhibition My River, with work by various artists.

See also a recent review in Cordite of Luke’s Whitmore Press collection: http://cordite.org.au/reviews/beesley-balance/