All proceeds will be donated towards Koala rescue, conservation, and rehabilitation in Australia.
The world has been recently horrified by the extreme devastation of unprecedented bushfires raging through all Australian states and territories. And it has fueled an ongoing debate about the impact of climate change and severe weather events on flora and fauna of the world’s ecosystems.
It has been estimated that over one billion animals have lost their lives in Australia due to wildfires raging non-stop since September 2019. And the fire tragedy continues as the fire season gets longer with each passing year. It is estimated that up to 30% of the NSW koala habitat has been wiped out by fires. On Kangaroo Island in South Australia, it is closer to 80%. The koala, an iconic and unique Australian mammal, may well sit on the brink of functional extinction due to these fires.
Given this dire situation, we ask for your support. Enter our tanka competition where all entry fees (and eventual book sales from an anthology) will be donated to a worthy Not-for-Profit organization to support their sterling work in saving and rehabilitating injured koalas. If you do not write tanka or do not wish to enter the competition, please contact Amanda (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) on how you may support this fundraiser.
The tanka contest is being administered through Mandy’ Pages, and it is here you will pay your entry fee. Submissions are open from 01 February 2020 to 31 March 2020. Entries are $5 per tanka or three tanka for $12, and you can enter as many times as you like. The competition will be blind-judged in April 2020 by Australian tanka poet, David Terelinck. Results will be announced no later than 30 April 2020.
In the second half of 2020, an anthology of the best tanka will be published by Christine Villa under the imprint Velvet Dusk Publishing, in collaboration with Mandy's Pages, and will be available for purchase on-line. The anthology will be edited by Amanda Dcosta, David Terelinck, and Christine Villa.
Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed tanka will receive book awards. The books will be Australian photographic books that showcase this beautiful region so recently devastated by the fires. Books will be donated by the competition conveners. If you wish to donate towards the prize pool for the competition entrants, please contact Amanda Dcosta via Facebook or email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
In due course, an anthology will be produced, including the winning and commended tanka, and other quality poems selected for publication.
Submission to the competition does not guarantee publication in the anthology.
At each stage of this project, regular updates will be given about the funds raised and donated to the Port Macquarie Animal Hospital.
* this current fire situation in Australia
* global warming anywhere in the world
* weather events worldwide, be they hurricane, tornado, drought, flood or other
* climate change
* man’s impact upon his environment
* the challenges of our world today
*political scene in preserving wildlife / combating global warming
Your tanka need not be cynical or bleak. There is immense scope for hopeful poems that address what resilient, compassionate, and dedicated people are doing to tackle this issue. Tanka can reflect man's redress of this situation or hopes for a more positive outlook for the generations ahead.
Competition Conveners
Amanda Dcosta
David Terelinck
Christine Villa
For more details, contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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