Safety Bay poet’s literary win

A SAFETY Bay resident has scored a literary win, earning a commendation in a statewide poetry competition.

Alicia Bakewell’s I’m Leaving Adelaide was among one of the judges’ favourite poems at the Ethel Webb Bundell Literary Awards 2016 held by the Society of Women Writers WA.

Ms Bakewell’s poem drew on a passage close to home, an excerpt from her grandmother’s journal.

She said she never thought her work would be chosen.

“I have been writing pretty flat out for a couple of years now and trying my luck with some of these competitions so I’m just lucky… I didn’t actually think my poem would go that well,” she said.

“They notified me the week before to say that I was on the shortlist. When I got there I realised there were about 20 people on the shortlist and I thought ‘Oh ok, here we go’.”

A keen short story writer who sometimes dabbles in poetry, Ms Bakewell said writing was now a part of who she is.

“I feel pretty compelled to do it (write). I think I’ve got quite a lot of excess energy and it’s a good way of getting thoughts out there rather than stewing on things,” she said.

“It’s sometimes relaxing, it’s sometimes pretty hectic. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t started doing it… I write everyday and when it’s going well, it’s going well and when it’s not going so well it is really frustrating.”

“I’m always listening to half bits of conversations in cafes and trying to hear how people speak rather than what they say to get dialogue and poetry that’s true to life,” she said

“I’m always on the look out or the listen out for something I can use.”