You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Cardiff International Poetry Prize’ tag.
Mark Tredinnick was in town over the weekend to run two workshops at the SA Writers Centre, the second of which I attended to learn about voice in a poem, or quite often, voices.
I first met Mark at the launch of Australian Love Poems, which he edited and then again in a workshop he ran last year. Mark is a brilliant poet with an amazing track record; winner of the Montreal Poetry Prize in 2011 and the Cardiff International Poetry Prize in 2012, author of Bluewren Cantos, Fire Diary, and several other celebrated works of poetry and prose.
The workshop explored the discipline of fashioning a poem, the importance of form, voice and language, and the linguistic choices poets are forced to make. Why that form over another, why the line break there, why that word instead of this one – these were just some of the questions posed as we examined pieces by John Glenday, Seamus Heaney and Charles Wright.
Mark also shared with us what he believes and how he works, The Gospel of Mark, with some very salient points:
- A poem is a leaf that tells a tree
- The words in a poem are only there to keep the silence apart
- A poem is a sculpture of voice
- Poetry recasts life’s exquisite spell
- Each line in a poem is a poem
- A poem is a window
It was thought provoking stuff that generated fascinating discussion and insight, and certainly for me, another poem to develop. And just how fab are Mark’s business cards, puts mine to shame!
I gave Mark a copy of my chapbook after as I’m keen to get his thoughts on it. Another participant presented Mark with a bottle of wine from her own winery having attended both workshops, so I recommended he have that open while reading my collection 😉
(photo by David Sobik)
Bluewren Cantos is Mark Tredinnick’s new collection of poetry just published. I only came across Mark’s work for the first time when he won the Cardiff International Poetry Prize in 2012, and then had the honour of meeting him at the launch of Australian Love Poems 2013 last September, which he edited. Mark’s poetry is the best kind – it draws you in, absorbs you and then leaves you with a little piece to keep. Having just ordered my copy, I can’t wait to dive in.
And what of me…?
Well, one of my poems – Admission – has just been published in the recently released Poems 2013: Volume 2 of the Australian Poetry Ltd Member’s Anthology. A wonderful start to 2014 – hope it’s a sign of things to come.
J V Birch 