[dbaust] Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition closes 1st August
- From: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:14:26 -0700
Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition closes 1st August contact
<suewagner@xxxxxxxxxxx> Queensland Braille Writing Association for details.
Please share this information with anyone you know who is blind or has vision
impairment and who has a story or a poem inside them.
Whether it is prose or verse, iambic pentameter, Haiku or Sestina, ode or
history –
Whether you are 7 or 77 years of age (or older or younger) – start writing now
or send in something you have already written.
There are prizes!
Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition History:
2014 sees the re-emergence of the Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition under
the auspices of the Queensland Braille Writing Association. In this, our
Diamond Jubilee Year at Braille House, Vision Australia has kindly relinquished
the right to conduct this competition in favour of Queensland Braille Writing
Association and in so doing has generously offered to sponsor some of the major
prizes.
History: The competition was started in 1921 by the “Queensland Musical,
Literary and Self Aid Society for the Blind as an Essay Competition; the
subject was “Self Reliance” and first prize in each category was One Guinea.
Both Harold Dickinson and his brother Edwin were members of the QMLSAS and were
very involved in the literary and musical world at that time. The Society
changed its name in 1966 to Queensland Society of Blind Citizens and in 1986 it
acquired royal assent to use the prefix Royal.
Then it all became complicated! In 1988, the name was shortened to Royal
BlindSociety of Queensland. In the decade that followed there were a number of
amalgamations of organisations serving the VI community. The QBIC (Queensland
Blind Industrial Centre) had become part of the QFBP (Queensland Foundation for
Blind People) (previously Queensland Training and Placement Centre for the
Blind in which the Dickinsons were founders together with MalcolmBryce and Eric
Searle). The QBIC component separated and became Vision Queensland. The QFBP
became the Royal Blind Foundation of Queensland and continued so until 2006
when it and Vision Queensland became part of Vision Australia.
We at Braille House are especially pleased to be able to continue and
perpetuate the Competition with the Dickinson name attached because Mercy
Dickinson, Harold’s wife, was a volunteer proofreader and teacher of braille at
Braille House for many years. Mercy was thus happy to be able to give back in
kind for the services she herself had received when QBWA volunteers transcribed
many of her texts while she was at State High School and later when she became
the firstblind student to go through and get her degree at Queensland
University in 1939.
We welcome participants in the renewed Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition
and wish you all good luck and a happy writing experience.
Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition Guidelines for Entries:
SHORT STORY: Adults and Senior Students: Up to 2000 wordsJunior Student: Up to
1500 words
POEM: No limit
THEME: Open AGE – at closing date Adult: Over 18 years Senior student: 13-17
yearsJunior student: 12 years or under
CLOSING DATE: Friday 1st August 2014
ELIGIBILITY: A participant must be legally blind and resident of Australia
FORMAT: Submissions should be in hard-copy Braille, Simbraille or a
Duxbury-readable file
ENTRY FEES: Adults and Senior students: $10 per itemJunior students: $5 per
item
To obtain an entry form please contact Queensland Braille Writing Association,
see details below.
Should you have any queries please contact:
Sue Wagner
President – QBWA
<suewagner@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Queensland Braille Writing Association
PO Box 610
Annerley Qld 4103
507 Ipswich Rd
Annerley Qld 4103
Mob: 0412 145 644
P: 07 3848 5257
F: 07 3848 8099
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