I have always been the President of the Adelaide Plains Poets group, ever since we started back in 2004/05. And my other role in the group has always been than of Competition Secretary. I’ve always loved having the opportunity to read all of the entries that come in for the competition, for free, Woohee!
I’m even gladder that it isn’t my role to pick the winners, because, we certainly get some excellent entries, and it would be so hard to choose between them. Certainly, perhaps because I know who the entrants are, and it’s difficult to get that out of the head, if you know it.
This is why have the judges not knowing who each entrant is, or where they come from, is such a good idea. There is not bias based on familiarity, and each poem is judged on its own merits.
So this years competition is over, all that is left is to hand over the entries to the two judges, and for them to make their decision on first, second and third, plus Highly commended and Commended awards, as and if they see fit to award them. I haven’t thought, this year about which poem I like the best, so I can’t be disappointed on behalf of an unlucky poet!
The judges we’ve had have never picked a bad choice though, and I know them and have the utmost faith in their ability to choose the best poem, in their own point of view. That’s what their role is, and that’s what they do!
It is hoped the winners can be announced at the Gawler and Adelaide Plains Festival of Words, at the end of July, but things have been a bit strange so who knows …
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 