Local FAW Group Celebrates 40 Years Of Writing

IMAGE: The Lambing Flat Regional Young FAW’s anthology Nuggets of Gold is available for purchase at just $20.

It was in the early 1980s when a small group of enthusiastic writers in the Young region decided to start a Writers’ Group.

They launched the Lambing Flat Regional of The Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) with the help of the President of FAW, Hilarie Lindsay MBE on December 5, 1982.

Kathryn Anderson, Jean Goodridge, Halley Boyer, Peg Alexander, Val Cooper and Vin Maloney were the first members.

Early on they held a short story competition which now continues annually.

Entries for this year’s National Cherry Festival Writing Competition for short story and poetry, for both adults and school students, will close on October 14.

Many interesting workshops have been conducted in the 40 years from 1982 to 2022, with guest presenters including Marcus Cooney, Ellis Campbell, Patti Miller, Siobhan Mullany, Les Murray AO and Valerie Parv.

The group, now called Lambing Flat Young FAW, launched an anthology of prize-winning stories and poems titled Nuggets of Gold in June from the winning entries over the past 40 years.

Copies of the publication are available for just $20.

Current members have planned a Reunion Dinner to be held on Saturday, October 22 at Young Services Club for interested members of the local community and past and present members.

Guest speakers on the night will be local award-winning poets and FAW members, Ted Webber and Robyn Sykes.

Ted’s interest in rhyme and rhythm poetry began in 1996 whilst visiting a folk festival in the Snowy region where he discovered the Aussie tradition of poetry and yarns by a campfire and was hooked.

Robyn Sykes is a multi-awarded spoken word artist who writes and performs original poetry.

She cares about nature, social justice, family and strengthening communities.

Robyn lives, works and learns in Binalong.

Both poets have performed and entertained far and wide.

Contact Maree Myhill at 0427 017 884, Jennifer Haynes at 0457 903 240, or email lambingflatsfaw.president@gmail.com by October 14 for catering purposes if you wish to attend the dinner.

Dinner costs $35 per person, and everyone is invited to help celebrate the local writer’s group’s 40-year milestone.

The group meets on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Young Services Club, excluding December and January.

Anyone interested in writing, you are most welcome to attend the meetings.