Banjo Paterson Writing Award Winners

Congratulations to all the entrants of the 2012 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. We are pleased to announce the winners:

Short Story:
1st Place: Jim Kent, of Port Fairy VIC, for Midwife

2nd Place: Fiona Skepper, of Elwood VIC, for La Primevera

3rd Place: Jessica Hancock, of Maylands WA, for The Hayshed

Bush Poetry

1st Prize: Tom Mc Ilveen Port Macquarie, NSW for – Rainbow Serpent’s Progeny

2nd Prize:
Debra Dunn, of Orange, for – Monuments of Time

3rd Prize:

Peter Rondel WA for – The Great Flood

Open Poetry

1st Prize: Helen Thurloe, Avalon NSW for Host

2nd Prize: Margaret Bradstock, of Coogee, for Mawson: the Heroic Era

Third Prize:Jo Mills, WA, for Crown of Stars

ABC Local Radio Childrens Award:

1st Prize: Parris Hammond, of Marrickville NSW, for Letter to the Moon

2nd Prize: Charlie Campbell, of Orange, for the poem Just One Day

3rd Prize: Annie Nash, of Coonabarabran, for story Me and a Horse Called Manny.

Yvonne Zola encouragement award to Bella Stoyles, of Orange, for The Sling Shot Sargeant.

You can now view the winning entries on the Central West Writers’ Centre page by clicking on the underlined links go to http://www.wordsoutwest.com.au/

Anna Funder wins Miles Franklin Literary Award

Anna Funder’s All That I Am won the Miles Franklin Literary Award last night.

The $50,000 prize was presented at Queensland’s State Library last night. Recently the book won Book of the Year and Literary Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards as well as the 2012 Barbara Jefferis Award, having already picked up the Independent Bookseller’s Award for Best Debut Fiction and the Indie Book of the Year.

The novel tells the story of an elderly Sydney woman’s role in the opposition to Hitler and the Nazi Party in the years leading up to World War II.

It was inspired by the experiences of one of Funder’s friends who spent years in solitary confinement for trying to smuggle anti-Nazi leaflets into Germany.

The judges praised the book for reminding readers of Australias long history of experiences with exile, dislocation and removal. Did you pick it as the winner?

National Year of Reading Monthly Themes

Just wanted to remind you. If you are looking for a new read try these monthly themes for ideas:

January : Amazing Read
February : Laugh
March : Think
April : Feel
May : Escape
June : Dream
July Discover
August : Question
September : Grow
October : Explore
November : Cry
December : Love2Read

Photographic Display Now On

Check out the photographic display on show this month. This is the Australian Photographic Society 25th Western Districts National Exhibition. See more than 100 images and the winning photographs – there are black and white and colour photos – with everything from portraits, nature, landscapes, insects and travel photos. Some are really amazing. The winning ones are marked with a blue ribbon.

Amazing Paper Chain Winners for April/May

Congratulations to all our National Year of Reading Paper Chain winners for April and May, pictured here at the award ceremony held on Tuesday. Orange City Library Elizabeth Barry presented winners with books, bookmarks, pencils, erasers, and free reservation cards The chain is growing everyday with lengths of the chain taking over the children’s section and moving into junior fiction at Orange City Library. If everyone keeps reading throughout the year and adding their links we might just cover the whole library ceiling. Don’t forget there’ll be a competition to guess the number of links at the end of the year.

So let’s keep it growing – anyone can add a link, just call into the Library, become a member, borrow a book and fill out a coloured link to add to the chain and remember reading is fun. See you soon!

Congratulations to all our winners:

Grace Weckert
Eleanor Tidswell
Rachel Small
Olivia Small
Alexander Morley
Emily L’Estrange
Isabel Howarth
Tom and Sam Giumelli
Latera O’Keeffe
William Wythes
Dominic Pearce
Savannah Dening
Lachlan Crossman
Shari Watson
Madison Watson

Amber Wilson
Aiden Moseley
Ellie Kostich
Ruby Wythes
Ainsley Watson
Mitchell Kostitch
Megan Kirkness
Emily Childs
Elleanor Doyle
Archie, Matilda, Billie and Hebe Backus