Mikayla King entered her poem titled ‘Anxiety’ in the children’s section of the annual Banjo Paterson Writing Awards, run by Central West Libraries and Orange City Council.
Mikayla’s piece was awarded third prize, which was $100.
An avid reader, Mikayla said she had never entered any of her writing into any competition before.
She was encouraged to do so through her visits to the Jerilderie library.
“My librarian (Katie at Jerilderie) gave me the application to think about entering,” the teen said.
“I had been thinking about entering my writing before, but I had never found the one to enter.”
While still new to the writing caper, Mikayla said she loves the impact it can have.
“I have only been writing poetry for one year, but I love it.
“The thought that someone out there is reading my words and might find comfort in those words is extremely special, and sharing that idea that you’re not alone.”
Her debut competition piece did not take long for Mikayla to compose.
She shared that her creative process included collecting notes that she thought would add nicely to her piece.
“I wanted to write what it was like to have anxiety in my own shoes.
“I have written little notes every couple of days.
“For example, the first line (of my poem) - ‘There are dandelions in my lungs, Blowing wishes’ - was a note I took down to use.”
Mikayla said she developed many of the emotive language features the judges admired through her reading, and at a camp she recently attended.
“I’m a reader, and I find a lot of stylistic pieces in what I read.
“Reading was the big thing that got me into writing. I also went to a writer’s camp last year with many writers, which was amazing.
“I think it has shown that I really want to write and that I’m always going to be writing, and I hope maybe to build up an anthology of about 50 poems.”
For Mikayla, there was little doubt about where her prize money would be spent.
“Books, probably,” she said.
The Banjo Paterson Writing Awards were established in 1991, to honour Orange’s favourite son, and attracts entrants from all over Australia. This year’s children’s winner was from Perth.
The top entries can be viewed on the Central West Library’s website, www.cwl.nsw.gov.au.
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