 Queensland Champion 2009 and Australian Champion 2010.
I find it ironic, having been born in England and lived in cities for most of my life, that in 2009 I became the Queensland champion and in 2010 took the National title for bush poetry. These are experiences as far apart as one could imagine!
My first competition was in Bundaberg in 2003 when I entered the “Bundy Muster”, which is usually held every July. Thinking that it was just a local event, I entered with the one and only poem that I had written and learnt. Finding out that the other competitors came from all over Australia, this poem was performed on stage with every part of my body quivering with nerves! Much to my surprise I won a third place in the novice section and was encouraged to do more.
Although I only started writing poetry in 2003, my creative writing studies started at TAFE and Somerset College on the Gold Coast, where I attended many seminars and workshops over approximately the last twenty years. I’ve also been a member of the Queensland Writers Centre, the Australian Bush Poets Association and the Bundaberg Poets’ Society. My performances have been as far south as the NSW/Victorian border and as far north as the historical “World Theatre” at Charters Towers in North Queensland . I’ve also enjoyed entertaining in many places in between, including the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Royal National Agricultural Exhibition in Brisbane - commonly known as the “EKKA”.
Over the last seven years I’ve been grateful to receive guidance from all of the friendly poets, together with immense help from the Bundaberg Poets’ Society - which is steadily producing more and more Queensland, Junior, and Australian Champions. Armed with the technical knowledge gained from a variety of avenues, I’ve been lucky enough to win many written and performance awards - and much to my amazement, this includes several from state and national championships.
March 2004 saw the successful launch of my book entitled “Australian Feelings”, which was followed by a feature on the “Brekkie Show” of Coral Coast Radio. Later, I had a haiku sequence published in an anthology “Boundaries of the Heart” by Galaxy Publications in 2006. My Dad has never been able to see me perform, so when he turned 90 I decided to make up a comprehensive (300 page) book for him, entitled “City to Bush” so that he had the chance to see not only my poetry, but also pictures of my awards, performances, poetry venues and some of the other noted poets. There is also another book just released, called “On the Lighter Side”. I hope to advertise my books soon in the A.B.P.A. newsletter.
Poetry has become a wonderful hobby that has snowballed into a most pleasurable past-time. I remember saying at the beginning, “I can’t write bush poetry”. However, once I was told that I could write on a wide variety of subjects (not necessarily about drovers or bushrangers) I found an alternative way of looking at Australian life in an amusing or thoughtful way.
Winning the Australian Female Champion title was quite overwhelming for me. When I entered the competition I was just hoping that I might get a 2nd or 3rd in one of the categories. What next? I wasn’t prepared for this, so who knows? I would just like to encourage any novices out there. We all get nervous, and if I can do it then I’m sure anyone can! You just need to get out there and have a try.
Jan Facey's poem The Cost of A Cyclone
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