Robyn’s recent career highlights – poetry

Robyn Sykes

~ Australian Women’s Bush Poetry Performance Champion 2012 ~

~ Published in journals and anthologies nationally, internationally and online ~

 

Recent career highlights

                     2024 Performance highlights

• Illawarra Folk Festival
• Banjo Paterson Festival including Molong Poetry Brawl
• Cobargo Folk Festival
• Bowning School 175 years celebrations

2023 Performance Highlights

• Illawarra Folk Festival. Featured Poet and Folk School
• Banjo Paterson Festival (inc Molong Poetry Brawl)
• Alive in the Park, Southern Tablelands Arts Space, Yass
• Irish & Celtic Music Festival, Yass
• Folk by the Sea, Kiama
• Boorowa Irish Woolfest
• Poets on the Mountain Guyra

2023 Written Highlights

• Percy Bysshe Shelley Remembered. Published August, 2023. The Ground Up USA. https://www.thegrounduppublication.com/post/percy-bysshe-shelley-remembered-poetry-contest-runners-up
• Deep Wild Journal, published in June with Pregnant Forest. https://deepwildjournal.com/
• Mother of the Earth. International Anthology of Female Voices for Environmental Activism. 2023.  Woman Scream. Grito de Mujer. Rosado Fucsia Editorial, Dominican Republic. Poem included: From waltz to rock’n’roll.
• Blackened Billy Verse Competition: Commended

2022 Performance Highlights

• Folk by the Sea, Kiama. Featured Poet
• Irish & Celtic Music Festival, Yass. Featured Poet.
• Cobargo Folk Festival. Featured Poet
• National Folk Festival, Canberra. Featured Poet
• Molong Poetry Brawl, Banjo Paterson Festival. Robyn judge and perform.

2022 Written Poetry Highlights

• Beyond Lawson. Complied by Leigh Hay & Mick Coventry. Published by Henry Lawson Memorial & Literary Society. Two poems included: Faces on my Beat, and Could you spare?
• SWWTAS Robyn Mathison Prize, winner Memo from the hills
• Mona Magazine, Issue 2. Flight from guilt
• Australian Poetry Collaboration 2022. Ed Les Wicks. Poem included: Pumpkin Patch.

2021 Performance Highlights

• Australia Day Concert, Yass Library
• Molong Poets Brawl, Molong, for Banjo Paterson Festival. Robyn judge and perform
• Brush with Poetry on Tour, Poetic City Canberra Festival, Haig Park Braddon
• Juggling for Writers: How cryptic crosswords help your writing. Workshop Poetic City Canberra Festival
• Spirit of Renewal, Verity La, Manly Art Gallery, online.
• Launch of Not Very Quiet Anthology, online
• Festival of Lights Christmas Concert, Bowral

Written poetry highlights

• Not Very Quiet: the anthology. 2021. Ed Sandra Renew and Moya Pacey. Selected poems 2017-2021. Recent Work Press.
• Not Very Quiet Issue 8 (My father’s mask) https://not-very-quiet.com/2021/03/14/my-fathers-mask/
• Poetry for the Planet – An Anthology of Imagined Futures, ed Julia Kaylock and Denise O’Hagan. Littoria Press. Release date: October 13, 2021. (No Nursing Home for Hills)
• Verity La: Spirit of Renewal Manly Art Gallery Poetry Reading. Selected to present poem (That window) http://Verity LaSpirit of Renewal Manly Art Gallery Poetry Reading
• Nandewar Poetry Competition: 2nd (To Trash the Terrors) plus 3 x HC.
• Ipswich Poetry Comp, Second place. (Pregnant Forest)
• Lambing Flat FAW Poetry Comp. Commended.
• SWWTAS Shortlist, Robyn Mathison Poetry Prize
• Pure Slush, Love, Lifespan Vol 4. October 2021. (To play the point)

2020 Highlights

• Illawarra Folk Festival (featured poet Bulli)
• A Brush with Poetry (organiser, MC and performer, Binalong)
• Take 5, Hilltops Library, Young (performer)
• Share the Love: Binalong Bushfire Fundraiser (performer)
• Concert for Cobargo (bushfire fundraiser, performer)

Written poetry highlights

• Forest Tracks. First published Messages from the Embers. Australian Bushfire Poetry Antholgy. Ed Julia Kaylock & Denise O’Hagan). Black Quill Press 2020
• Nandewar Poetry Comp: 2nd (From waltz to rock’n’roll) HC (Dear Old Mum)
• Muddy River Poetry Comp (Logan): Commended (Eureka Yields to Bingo)
• Blackened Billy, Commended (When the Stretcher Bearers Died)
• Not Very Quiet Issue 6 (Click click needles) https://not-very-quiet.com/2020/03/30/click-click-needles/
• Sutherland Shire Literary Award: Commended (To trash the terrors)

2019 highlights

• Woodford Folk Festival 2019/20 (featured poet Woodfordia)
• Not Very Quiet (online poetry journal for women’s writing): launch of Issue 5 at Smith’s Alternative Bookshop, Canberra October 2019
• Illawarra Folk Festival (featured poet Bulli)
• Banjo Paterson Festival (poetry judge, Orange)
• Cobargo Folk Festival (featured poet Cobargo)
• John O’Brien Festival (featured poet Narrandera)
• Irish & Celtic Music Festival (featured poet Yass)
• Kiama Folk by the Sea (featured poet Kiama)
• Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival (featured poet Kangaroo Valley)
• Queensland Bush Poetry Championships (judge)
• A Brush with Poetry (organiser, MC and performer, Binalong)

Written Poetry highlights 2019

• Nandewar Poetry Prize: 1st To Learn to Choose. HC Nearly Lovers
• Not Very Quiet (online journal) Issue 5. From waltz to rock’n’roll https://not-very-quiet.com/2019/09/21/from-waltz-to-rock-n-roll/
• Mudgee Valley Writers: ‘More than Words’ anthology. Poem + photo. Sell and regret, but sell.
• The Man From Snowy River Festival: Overall winner ie Victorian Written Bush Poetry Champion. Serious (Silver Brumby Award): Two Families Who Never Met. Also placed Second in Serious (When the Stretcher Bearers Died) and HC in Humorous (Duelling Duo).
• Bronze Swagman: HC, Winton Tourist Association anthology. Just One Word.
• Lambing Flat FAW Writing Awards: Second. Could you spare?

2018 highlights

• Illawarra Folk Festival (featured poet Bulli)
• John O’Brien Festival (featured poet Narrandera)
• From Wench We Came: with Lizz Murphy, Victoria McGrath and Jane Baker at the Not Very Quiet (online poetry journal) June poetry reading event at Smith’s Alternative Bookshop, Canberra.
• Launch of Thoughts, Rorts and Farming Sorts, Robyn’s second collection, in May.
• Performance at Irish Embassy, Canberra in September.
• Yass Irish and Celtic Music Festival, Yass (poetry co-ordinator and featured poet)
• Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival (featured poet)

Written Poetry Highlights 2018

• • Nandewar Poetry Prize. 1st: Rebuilding the Rock, 2nd: To Sing My Song, HC: Duelling Duo
  • Sutherland Shire Literary Award. Second: Two Families Who Never Met

2017 highlights

• • Performed for an estimated 2000 people at the Poets’ Breakfast, Boyup Brook Country Music Festival
  • From Boree Log to Barbecue, Robyn’s two-hour solo show, was a sell-out hit at Boree Log Cottage (John O’Brien’s childhood home), Yass, 2017.
  • Folk by the Sea (featured poet Kiama )
  • Turning Wave Festival (featured poet Yass )
  • The Man From Snowy River Festival (judge and performer)
  • Chief Steward, MC and performer, Yass Show
  • A Brush with Poetry, Binalong (organiser, MC and performer)
  • From Boree Log to Barbecue (solo show) at Boree Log Cottage Yass
  • Regular performances for community groups and local retirement village

Written Poetry highlights

• • Betty Olle Poetry Award. Second: Treacherous Veil
  • National Henry Lawson Society Award: Commended: Treacherous Veil

2016 highlights

• Merriwa Festival of the Fleeces (MC and performer)
• Banjo Paterson Festival, Orange
• A Day with Banjo, Banjo Paterson Museum Yeoval
• As President of Binalong Arts Group Inc, led the team organising the NSW Bush Poetry Championships in Binalong
• Chief Steward, performer and MC at Yass Show
• A Brush with Poetry, Binalong (co-organiser, MC and performer)
• The Man From Snowy River Festival, Corryong (judge and performer)
• Regular performances Wombat Pub Poets
• Performances for schools, community groups and retirement villages
• Workshops in schools

2015 highlights

• • • Manning Clark House, Canberra: launch of Flood, Fire, Drought, 2015.
    • Performances at Gosford Bush Poets, Neville Bush Poetry Night, King Island Show, Banjo Paterson Festival Orange, Harden Gold Trails Festival and more.

Written Poetry highlights:

• Poems in international and local anthologies:
  • Burning Bush 2, (Dublin based) Issue 8, Summer 2015, page 7 Dislocated Labels Guest Ed Joseph Horgan https://issuu.com/burningbush2/docs/bb2_issue_8_final
  • Flood, Fire and Drought Ed Suzanne Edgar, Kathy Kituai, Sandra Renew and Hazel Hall, 2015, Ginninderra Press: Sell and Regret, but Sell.
  • Poetry and Place Anthology 2015, Ed Ashley Capes and Brooke Linford, Close-Up Books: Sell and Regret, but Sell.
  • Alice in Wonderland 150th Anniversary Anthology. Silver Birch Press. USA: The Queen of Hearts
  • Wild and Wonderful Australia in Copper Croc Poetry Awards: Child’s Play
  • Bush Lantern Award, Bundaberg. Highly Commended: Mates
  • The Kembla Flame. Commended: Mates

2014 highlights

•  Voices of the Fire finalist in Australian Bush Laureate Awards 2014 for: Album of the Year(Voices of the Fire); Published Poem of the Year (Lovely Lies) and Single of the Year (Old Bill’s Regret).
• Featured poet at National Folk Festival, Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Bundanoon Winterfest, Cowra Great Escape Festival, Tooleybuc Music Festival, Paint the Town Read (in conjunction with the 2014 International AIDS Conference, Melbourne and more.
• President/Secretary Binalong Arts Group Inc 2014 (hosting NSW Bush Poetry Championships as Binalong Bush Poetry Prize)
• Judge and performer at NSW Bush Poetry Championships, held in conjunction with the Binalong Bush Poetry Prize.
• Chief Steward, MC and performer, Yass Show Poetry
• A Brush with Poetry, Black Swan Gallery, Binalong. Co-organiser and performer.
• Written poetry highlights:
  • Restless Wings poem in Bimblebox 153 project, curated by Jill Sampson.
  • Copper Croc Poetry Awards. Very Highly Commended: Eureka Yields to Bingo
  • The Kembla Flame. Commended: Eureka Yields to Bingo

2013 highlights

• • Victorian Women’s Bush Poetry Performance Champion 2013
  • Australian Poetry Slam, NSW finalist 2013
  • Reciter of the Year, Turning Wave Festival 2013, Yass.
  • Norfolk Island Poet-in-Residence
  • Organising committee, Binalong Banjo Paterson Bush Poetry Prize 2013
  • Chief Steward, MC and performer, Yass Show Poetry
  • A Brush with Poetry, Black Swan Gallery, Binalong. Co-organiser and performer

• Written poetry highlights:
  • Poetry collection, Voices of the Fire published as paperback and CD
  • Bryan Kelleher Literary Award (Australian Unity) 2013: A Feather in a Locket
  • Henry Lawson Society of NSW/The Land Award 2013 Impromptu Shower. 
  • Corryong Larrikin Award 2013 Impromptu Shower
  • Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society 2013: For Sale
  • Shoalhaven Timber Festival: The Farmers’ Strike
  • Henry Lawson Society of NSW/The Land Award 2013. Highly Commended: A Cloud in a Bedroom Sky
  • The Kembla Flame: Highly Commended A Cloud in a Bedroom Sky
  • Ipswich Poetry Feast 2013. Second: A Feather in a Locket
  • Hunter Bush Poets International Cowboy/Bush Poetry. Commended: The Farmers’ Strike.