On a weekend celebrating the exploits of Banjo Paterson it was appropriate Winton Library should get in on the act with the launch of a collection of bush poetry and short stories called Waltzing Australia.
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The book is a collection of 50 poems written by Toowoomba-based author Tim Borthwick with each poem accompanied by a story explaining more about the subject and why they were put to verse.
Kicking off the Way Out West festival at the launch on Thursday, Mr Borthwick read out the title poem Waltzing Australia which is set in Winton.
Mr Borthwick said he grew up on a property at Quilpie reading Paterson and Lawson. “I appreciated the way they could tell a story not only in rhyme but in rhythm as well,” Mr Borthwick said.
“I didn’t start writing until I was nearly 30 and I enjoyed the challenge of telling a story in rhythm and rhyme and it’s gone from there.”
He said his connection with Winton began in 2014 when he was looking for outlets for his third self-published collection and was told to talk to Jeff Close, chair of the Waltzing Matilda Centre. “Jeff encouraged me to enter the Bronze Swagman award (for poetry) and I entered a poem that year and won it,” he said.
Mr Close was at Winton library for the launch and he said Mr Borthwick’s wonderful writing was in the tradition of Banjo Paterson.
“Like Banjo, Tim loves collecting and telling old Australian stories,” Mr Close said.
Waltzing Australia is available in all good bookshops. An audio version narrated by Australian legend Jack Thompson is also available.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
