Andrew’s speech at the McCauley launch
Here is Andrew’s speech launching Shane McCauley’s book, Trickster, on Saturday afternoon, 6th June 2015:
Launching Speech: Shane McCauley’s Trickster
by Andrew Lansdown
I am deeply honoured to have been invited by Shane to launch his latest collection of poetry, Trickster.
I want to begin my launching speech with a few facts about Shane McCauley, the poet.
- Shane began writing poetry in 1971.
- His first poem was published in Westerly magazine in 1974.
- Since then, Shane has had more than a thousand poems, stories, articles and reviews published in journals and anthologies in Australia and overseas.
- He has won many major literary awards, including the Tom Collins Poetry Prize, the Poetry Australia Bicentennial Poetry Award, the Max Harris Poetry Award, the Poetry d’Amour Prize and the Glen Phillips Poetry Prize.
- He has had eight books of poetry published, including The Drunken Elk by Sunline Press in 2010, Ghost Catcher by Studio Press in 2012, and now Trickster by Walleah Press in 2015.
This brief overview shows that Shane is a poetry stalwart. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s many people aspired to be poets, published a few poems, even won a few awards, then disappeared from the poetry scene. But Shane has remained true to the calling of the poet for forty years! He is a serious poet with serious achievement to match.
Shane’s eighth and latest book, Trickster, is further proof of his poetical prowess. And, of course, this book is the reason we have come together this afternoon. We have gathered to celebrate the publication of Trickster and to wish it bon voyage—good journey!—as it sets sail into the world.
Click here to read the entire speech
Andrew’s speech can also be read on the Walleah Press website here: http://walleahpress.com.au/Lansdown.html
