By MATT NICHOLLS
WHEN Tom McIlveen won his first Bush Lantern award, he thought it might have been a fluke.
But when he won his second in as many years, it was a proud moment for the Port Macquarie writer, who had only just reignited his passion for poetry.
Mr McIlveen said he’d always had poetry running through his veins, but until a few years ago had barely put pen to paper as an adult.
“In high school I was right into it. I had an English teacher who was obsessed with Shakespeare and Australian traditional poets like Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson,” he said.
“When I left school my interest in traditional poetry waned somewhat and I became obsessed with singer/songwriter poets like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Paul Simon.
“But I came back to traditional poetry a few years ago when my brother died and I felt a compulsive need to write a poem in honour of him.”
The poem Ghost of Johnny Mack reinvigorated Mr McIlveen’s passion and he has now written dozens of poems since.
His talents were recognised last year when he won Australia’s premier poetry prize, the Bush Lantern and he recently made it back-to-back wins at the Bundaberg-based award ceremony.
“The first time I won I thought it might have been a fluke, so I was really glad to win it again,” Mr McIlveen said.
The talented writer is also the president of a local group of poets, singer/songwriters and balladeers.
It’s called the Port Macquarie Live Poets Society and the group meets on the second Sunday of the month.
Mr McIlveen encouraged interested residents to come along from 1pm to 4pm at the Senior Citizens Hall in Munster Street.
