OOTA wishes all our members a Merry Xmas & a Happy, Safe and Successful 2010

Myspace Graphics, Christmas Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Key Readers at King's including Kevin

Jo Clarke (Past President) welcomed the OOTA poets under the rhizome of branch & leaf at King's Square on Thursday, 10th December
Many thanks to everyone who came to the poetry reading, including Anna Maria Weldon, Vivienne Glance, Jo Clarke, Annie Otness, Julie Watts, Sue Clennell, Helen Hagemann and Kevin Gillam (who made a dash from his Xmas party!) Many thanks to everyone who came to the poetry reading today at King's Square. I really enjoyed listening to your poems.
Meredi Ortega (Convenor/Photographer)

Things to Do Over the Holidays

Markets/ Journals
We have an update of journals (left-hand side). This list will be edited from time to time. Check out Mascara they are now accepting submissions of poetry. Famous Reporter is also accepting work for their June 2010 Issue #41. If you know of any new, current markets you wish to add to this list for convenience, drop us a line!
Perth Writers Festival
26 February –1 March 2010 long weekend
Full Program Released 28 Jan. Register now to receive your copy.
Some of the writers you can expect to see are, Alex Miller, Amanda Lohrey, Andrea Goldsmith, Craig Silvey, Dianne Wolfer, Garth Nix, Kalinda Ashton, Morris Gleitzman, Linda Jaivin and many more. Check out the Perth Writers Festival

OOTA Spilt Ink Winners Tickled Pink

Andrew Burke judged a top array of OOTA poets in the Spilt Ink Competition.

1st Prize went to Flora Smith for Fifth Generation (to be published in indigo #5)

2nd Prize went to Kevin Gillam, What the Living Do and 3rd Prize Mags Webster Prognosis. Highly Commended - Molly Hall Orange, Cecily Scutt Laboratory Class & Flora Smith Midnight House. The Commendeds were Jo Clarke Snake, Annamaria Weldon Light and Dark, Rose van Son Dinner after the Synagogue, Janice Withers A Fat, Lying Thief, Dick Alderson Old Spoon & Kevin Gillam Gliss. Congratulations to all! Special thanks must go to our MC Bruce Russell and to Josephine Clarke for her wonderful effort and great choice of venue at the X-Way Cafe. We also thank Meredi Ortega and Coral Carter for the photographs. You can read Andrew Burke's judge's report here at his wonderful poetry resource High Spirits

A Win for Australian Authors!!

THE BIG CHAINS LOSE

At the National Press Club today, Melbourne University Press publisher Louise Adler lauded the government's decision to keep import restrictions as a great move that would protect local publishers and authors.
She described the price of books as a “non issue”.
“This is an important win. This is a historic win,” she told the National Press Club.
Read the true facts here...

OOTA's New Committee 09-10

This year's AGM was a bright and breezy occasion with those in attendance pictured. Members of the new committee, Flora Smith, Bruce Russell, Jean Hudson, Sue Siddall, Julie Watts and Rose Van Son read their work to an appreciative audience, while Josephine Clarke officiated the AGM. Thanks were shown with a gift of flowers and book voucher for the wonderful effort Jo Clarke has given to OOTA in her 3 year tenure as President. She has worked tirelessly at the steerage, stating that OOTA is a vibrant machine, always moving forward in strength, success and tenacity. It is thanks to her, all the hard work & to the 08-09 committee that we are a strong force in the writing community. New committee for 09-10 is Helen Hagemann (President), Flora Smith (Vice-President), Leanne Searle (Treasurer), Jean Hudson (Secretary), Carolyn Abbs (Membership Administrator). Committee members, Annie Otness, Bruce Russell, Josephine Clarke (Network Tuesday), Julie Watts, Lucas North, Rose Van Son and Sue Siddall.



Our Proud 2010 Committee









OOTA writers at the AGM








Our sincere thanks to Helen Brett for the photographs!

Writers' Work to Sway on High Seas

Annamaria Weldon and Year 9 Perth Modern Students at the A sheds (photo by David Dare Parker)

On Monday 19th October, OOTA poet Annamaria Weldon read at The Red Room's Fremantle launch of 'Sea Things'. As pictured, talented year 9 students from Perth Modern also read their poems that will contribute to the program. These poems about the sea are being collected from all around Australia and carried from port to port on various ships to be opened and read onboard at their final destination (see posting 6/10). Anna's poem My lover, the sea is now travelling on the high seas in the duffle bag and also in the cloud via The Red Room Company's website, where she's linked with other poets and their poems. Here...