A Gurnaikurnai and Boonwurrung child has taken out a young poet's award for his work inspired by this year's NAIDOC theme 'Heal Country'.
Eleven-year-old Finn Mulvogue penned ‘Wise Beyond My Years' as an entreaty for a return to ecological respect, and won in the 11-13 years age group in an online ceremony.
Mulvogue spoke of his intention to represent the views of younger people around environmental degradation.
“I wanted readers to feel the fear and despair we have about climate change, but also the hope that we can make a difference, even if we are children,” he said after his win.
“It made my mum cry when they read out that I had won, and I am really proud of myself.
“I like to write about and share my culture, being a proud Gurnaikurnai and Boonwurrung young man, so it means a lot to write about that."
The Ipswich Poetry Feast invites submissions from around the country and the world, with $3000 in prize money available to the winners.
This year’s competition received more than 610 entries from across Australia, as well as Croatia, India, Jamaica, Thailand and North America.
Councillor Andrew Fechner said the annual poetry writing competition gives poets of all ages an opportunity to work on their craft.
“I congratulate local writers... for their poems which dealt with themes as wide-ranging as the perspectives of First Nations people, the climate crisis, and daily life during the pandemic,” Cr Fechner said.
