WELL known local poet Bob McMillan is "thrilled to bits," at being selected in the final 10 of The Leonard Teale Performance Poetry Prize.
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Bob will perform in the final on the stage of the Prince of Wales Opera House in Gulgong during the Henry Lawson Heritage Festival in June. The award is part of the Henry Lawson Society's annual literary awards held in conjunction with the festival.
"This is a very prestigious award," said co-ordinator Kevin Robson.
"We've had entries from across NSW and Victoria and it was a hard job selecting the final 10."
The prize is a very "handsome" $1000 which, if won, Bob says he will use to fund his travels to the Murray River later in the year.
Bob's upcoming travels to the Central West mean he will miss our own Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival of which he is often a regular feature of the Poets Breakfast. He concedes it will be all worth it if he wins the competition.
Money aside, Bob has his sights set on winning the much coveted Henry Lawson statuette.
"That will be like getting an Oscar for me," he admits.
"I'm proud as all hell. After years of practising my skills and art it seems to be coming together."
With stiff competition from some high calibre bush poets, Bob is particularly proud that he was selected after submitting a CD of his original work.
He will perform his own poem, The Great Australian Shed and says that many of the entrants would have entered non-original poems.
Bob's family hails from the Central West and he says he is looking forward to catching up with family and friends while in the area.