Bush poet wins reciter's award

St Huberts Island resident Vic Jefferies has won the National Folk Festival's Reciter's Award over the Easter long weekend.

The award is presented for the best performance of a poem during the first three poet's breakfasts held during the National Folk festival in Canberra each year.

"The breakfasts are very popular and always draw audiences of at least two to three hundred people each day with between 25-30 poets performing every morning," said Mr Jefferies.

"Competition for the award is strong with a great many very talented writers and reciters competing.

"The award can only be won once (by the same person) and the winner has their name inscribed upon the perpetual trophy and also becomes the judge for the following year's competition.

"This year marks the 30th anniversary of the commencement of the award and I am extremely pleased to have been chosen as winner this year.

"My motivation to write poetry comes from a strong love of traditional Australian poetry as written by Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, CJ Dennis and their contemporaries and I enjoy writing poetry that I think people will enjoy reading and hearing.

"It was especially pleasing to win the award with 10 other members of the Gosford Bush Poets in attendance at the National Folk Festival this year," he said.

Email, 27 Apr 2012

Vic Jefferies, St Huberts Island