By Parker McKenzie
The 2022 Woorilla Poetry Prize saw hundreds of entries of beautifully written poetry, however, not all could be commended or prize winners.
Held on Sunday 20 November at the Emerald Hills Hub in front of a packed house, attendees were rewarded with performances by 2022 Victorian Slam Poetry Champion Aloma Davis and musician Coby DeMaria alongside readings of winning entries.
Woorilla Poetry Prize founder Maria Millers said entering into the 33rd year of the poetry prize, two new judges would be deciding the winners of each category.
“We have Emeritus Professor from Melbourne University Kevin Brophy and Alicia Sometimes, who is unfortunately unwell and can’t be here today. They follow in the steps of equally wonderful judges, Nathan Curnow and Emily Zoey Baker, who have been with us for the last few years,” she said.
“We also remember the years of dedication of people like Judith Rodriguez and Louise Rockne, and you probably know that the two major prizes are in their honour or in their memory.”
In the youth section, Jenny Gu won for her poem verisimilitude while Eartha Davis was the runner-up with her poem Entanglement. In the linguistically diverse CALD section, Jacob Lava from California won with his poem I don’t know how to listen.
Prof. Brophy said he wanted to remind everyone judging a poetry competition is a very human process.
“There’s a human at the end of the poems, trying to receive the poems and trying to be everything that a judge is meant to be,” he said.
“In the end, having to be simply a lover of poetry and react to the poems as a lover and admirer of both poetry and what poets do, which is to renovate language.”
Tug Dumbly from New South Wales won the $2000 Open Section with his poem Pod, with Runner-Up Lucy Williams reading her poem heart in a box live to the audience.
The Woorilla Poetry prize was founded in 1989 by Maria Millers and Louise Rockne and this year the open section received over 400 entries from almost every continent.
