Venie Holmgren began to write poetry in her late 50s and her first published anthology, The Sun Collection for the Planet, became a poetry ‘best seller’. She was an environmental activist who was committed to saving native forests near her home on the far south coast of NSW. She was twice arrested for obstructing logging trucks. She lived in Pambula for 16 years before moving to Hepburn in 2010 where she wrote her last poetry collection, The Tea-house Poems. Venie died in 2016 at the age of 93 .
The Venie Holmgren Environmental Poetry Prize has been named in her honour and the 2021 Prize is now open. Grab your quills, poets!
Poets who are Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to enter. Poems must be written in English, be previously unpublished and must be based on an environmental theme. Entries close on Monday, July 26, 2021.
The major prize is AUD$1000. The winner will be announced at this year’s Words in Winter festival in August.
For more information, visit the Holmgren Design website.
