ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Here's a little warning to you would be competition entrants. Some time back I won the novice section of a poetry competition. The poem was eligible for the open prize but didn't get anything. To my mind it did not win the competition, it won a minor section.

I have approached two other competitions to see if the poem is eligible for their open comps but it seems that for the first lot I approached, the question wasn't one they had ever considered before so it was put in the too hard basket and not allowed. I've just had word from a second comp that because it won first "in any competition" that it is ruled out.

Not saying whether it's right or wrong but this is something I think competition organisers (and entrants) need to consider.

Heather

Eligible only has one l. It's a bit confusing because illegible has two ls, but that's because of the il.

Seems a bit crazy that a poem that has won the novice section of one competition becomes inelligible for the open section of another. Is there any field of endeavour more disorganised than bush poetry?

Hi Heather

A few of us have had the same thing happen, Just accept it and move on I Reckon.

Cheers Terry

Maybe I was thinking illegal, Stephen I could have passed it off as a typo if I hadn't done it twice. Let's just say I'm not a morning person.

Terry, it is accepted. I was just wanting to warn others. If the comps. made some other "prize" for the novice, then it wouldn't carry a "first" and there wouldn't be any confusion because clearly the poem did not win the competiton. Cest la vie.

Heather

Well, Heather,

I had a similar experience back in 2008. Won't say where. I entered three poems and enclosed a note to the organisers that a poem had received an HC in another comp but seemed to meet their published criteria. I also asked for and paid for a critique. I didn't get a gong and wasn't surprised but as time went by and I had not had the much sort after critique I made some enquiries. I had a call to advise that a decision had not been made when the poems went to the judge and mine were then overlooked. I am still waiting on my refund. I have moved on.

Keep smiling

Mal

PS Heather is eligible...or was that illegible?

Hi Heather,

I understood what you meant and was just talking generally to anyone in that situation.

As you say be warned.

On the brighter side I must admit I was very pleased at the time to have won the emerging poet award.

Cheers terry

Waaaay too many "e" words for this late on a Friday!

What were you emerging from, Terry?

A bush poet emerging from behind a bush, perhaps? Amazing anybody can see any of us, really.