Hardie Grant Egmont has always supported emerging writers, and this time they want everyone to know about it. Introducing Ampersand: a new collection of short novels by debut fiction writers.

It's an ambitious idea, but they're excited about bringing new voices to the YA fiction scene. They want to cater to teenage readers who just aren't into fantasy or paranormal romance, and show them a world just like this one. Real life can be just as dramatic and thrilling as other-worldly adventures, and any teenager who's climbed out their bedroom window for an illicit adventure knows it.

To kick this collection off, the editors of Ampersand are looking for fabulous stand-alone manuscripts about the secret lives of teenagers. They want a voice that leaps off the page, a hint of a literary vibe, and teenage characters facing conflict in the course of their everyday lives. Manuscripts that are by turns funny, dramatic, gritty, romantic, heartbreaking or challenging. Ampersand will give each debut novelist the launch they need to build their profiles in a competitive YA market.

They want Ampersand books to feel real to teenage readers. We want to push the boundaries, but we're not interested in moral-panic-inducing, usually urban-legendary topics (no sexting or rainbow parties here, please). Speculative elements are welcome, so long as they adhere to the rules of the real world. The difference is in the execution; for example, Tomorrow When The War Began is a real-world exploration of war as it could occur today, but The Hunger Games is not. Head to website for submission guidelines and story starting points:

http://hardiegrant.com.au/egmont/contact-us/the-ampersand-project

What a great way to start Poetry Week - with a Poetry Slam in Forbes! Congrats to Keith Rawsthorne, of Forbes, and Ted Webber, of Young, (pictured wearing a hat) the two winners from the Australian Poetry Slam held at Forbes as part of the Kalari-Lachlan River Arts Festival on Sunday. Host Miles Merrill is pictured announcing Keith as the winner. Keith was quite modest in his acceptance speech joking that his grandchildren were judges in the audience.

Five poets performed their works on the Festival's Main Stage in front of large audience on the Lake Forbes Foreshore.

Judges, selected at random from the audience during the afternoon, scored Keith first place with Ted not far behind for their bush poet inspired performances.

The scores were very close for the other three contestants, Glenn Couchman, of Orange, Dulcie Mclean of Orange, and young Marisha Downey, of Forbes. Miles is pictured with Ted, Dulcie, Glenn, Marisha, and Keith. Both winners now have the opportunity to compete in the Australian Poetry Slam State Final to be held at the Sydney Theatre Company, Walsh Bay, Sydney on Friday 4th November, 2011.

Host Miles Merrill also had a great time performing and was impressed by the poets and enthusiastic audience. And Ted did an encore performance of another bush poem about farm machinery (pictured). Stay tuned for more images from the Festival. Loud applause and cheers to all involved.

Poetry Slam is coming to Forbes and you're invited! In the lead up to the Poetry Slam we will be hosting a free workshop with Miles Merrill and there are still places available. It is part of the Kalari-Lachlan River Arts Festival:

Australian Poetry Slam Free Workshop at 11am in the Reading and Writing Tent, Lake Forbes Foreshore. Please book your place at Forbes Library on 6852 1463

Then it is all action and fun for the Australian Poetry Slam. It is not a poetry reading though. It's more like a howling literary campfire with verbal voodoo, breathless rhythms and sweat breaking nerves. Anyone can get up and have a go or be in the audience and you could be a judge!

**Please note new start time**

Australian Poetry Slam Forbes Heat - Main Stage 12 noon, Sign up 11.30am Lake Forbes Foreshore along Buck Bentick Walk, via Lachlan Street, Forbes

Check out www.riverartsfestival.org.au and www.australianpoetryslam.com

Macquarie Regional Library is calling on all budding authors and poets to submit entries in the annual Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards which aim to foster the writing of prose and poetry with an Australian content.

The Awards - which began in 2006 - are named in honour of the Dubbo-based author of the famous 19th century Australian novel Robbery Under Arms, and is a collaboration between Macquarie Regional Library and the Outback Writers' Centre.

Rolf Boldrewood was the pen name of Thomas Alexander Browne who wrote Robbery Under Arms during his term as Police Magistrate in Dubbo between 1881 and 1884. Browne's term as the Magistrate provided the facts to write the fictional account of Captain Starlight, the hero of the story.

Robbery Under Arms was first published in 1888 and is considered one of Australia's three great colonial novels. It has never been out of print, has been translated into 13 languages and made into five films.

The competition categories include: •Prose - fiction or family history memoir; and •Poetry - in any form or style.

Both must have an Australian theme.

A cash prize of $500 will be awarded to the first place winners in both competition categories. Entries close Friday, 16 September 2011 with the presentation of the Awards to be held at the Dubbo Branch Library on 5 November 2011.

For more information contact Council's Director Macquarie Regional Library John Bayliss on 6801 4501.

Poets of all ages are invited to submit entries for the Yeoval Mulga Bill Bicycle Festival Bush Poetry writing competition, which is a new addition to 2011 Festival events. The Festival celebrates Australian poet Banjo Paterson's childhood spent in Yeoval. Call 0419 141 930 for details or go to www.mulgabillbicyclefestival.com.au and download an entry form from the information page. Competition closes 15 July 2011.

Get along to Grenfell Railway Station on Saturday 11 June from 9.30am for sign ups and 10am start. Enjoy the Walk up Bush Poetry delivered to you by the people. As always there will be an ensemble of poetry readings and recitations of favourite or iconic poets, like Henry Lawson (pictured), through poets own pieces they wish to share.

Poems are to last no longer than 8 minutes and a maximum of three pieces is permissible but cannot be read consecutively. For more details go to www.grenfell.org.au/henrylawson festival or phone 0447 498 412.

Then join in the Poetry Slam hosted by Miles Merrill

and Bravo Child

on Saturday 11 June at 3pm. Think you know what poetry is all about? Think again. Theatre, hip-hop, spoken-word, lyrics or whatever else you call it, Words Travels rips the label off the poetry jar. You have just two minutes to speak, howl, whisper, even sing your original poem. Poetry Slam promises to be a live electric event where the audience is the judge. Sign up for this on the day. This is a heat in the NSW Australian Poetry Slam with adult and under 18 categories. Free event, prizes to be won at Grenfell Railway Station. Call 0447 498 412 for more details.

Enjoy Poets, Yarns & Songs @ the Pub on a Sunday afternoon at the Freemasons Hotel (pictured) Molong, on 29 May from 2pm - 4pm. Bring along your poems, yarns, songs, musical instruments....kick back and enjoy, there is no cost. Everyone is welcome to attend and join in. Don't miss the hilarious poem Farm Management to be read by local poet Jane Higgins and stories by Ross Stephenson. Call Rozzi Smith or Jane Higgins on 6366 8017 for more details. Molong writers meet on Wednesdays at 2.15pm at Molong Library, call the Library for more details or contact Rozzi.

The Yeoval Mulga Bill Festival, which incorporates a bicycle ride to celebrate the fact that Banjo Paterson spent his early childhood years living in Yeoval, is now in its 5th successive year. Enjoy a bike ride, bush food, poetry, art exhibition, music and much more. Check out www.mulgabillfestival.com.au for program details.

Grenfell's Henry Lawson Festival of Arts June Long Weekend (starts Tuesday June 8 to Monday June 14)and includes Poetry - Performance, Exhibitions, Heritage, Street Parade, Music, Circus, Sport and Community events. A full program of events is available from: www.grenfell.org.au/henrylawsonfestival

Festival highlights this year are: Poetry by Firelight, Tuesday June 8, 7.30pm, Dramatic Society Rooms.

Wallangreen Sculpture Garden Open Thursday-Monday, afternoons.

Art Exhibition Opens Thursday June 10, 7.30pm, Grenfell Art Gallery.

Photography Exhibition Friday-Monday, Upper Main Street Grenfell.

Festival Concert With local bands, folk musicians, Melissa Robertson,Miranda Foster and Bush Poet Geoffrey Graham. Friday June 11, 7.30pm, Henry Lawson High School, Book at Louisa's Locker 02 6343 1577.

Poetry on the Boards Saturday June 12, sign up from 9.30am, Railway Station.

Poetry Slam with Miles Merrill - come and compete in the heats of this state-wide comp on Saturday June 12, 3pm, Railway Station.

Grenfell Dramatic Society The Man in the Bowler Hat and The Dilemma of Deidre Dearheart, Sunday June 13, 7.30pm & Monday June 14, 2pm, Rose St Rooms tickets CJ Anderson 02 6343 1610.

Stuart Town (60kms north of Orange and 33kms south of Wellington) is the place to be on Saturday 3 April with events - Art Show, Parade, Cicrus West performance, billy boiling, food stalls and evening bush dance. A highlight will be Poetry in the Pub at 2pm where Blue the Shearer will entertain the crowds with his repertoire of Stuart Town poems. Blue has also printed a souvenir booklet, which will be available for purchase. Ben Penhall, a Stuart town talent, will entertain and special guest is Scotsman Martin Walsh - a published short story writer and Managing Ediotr of Pushing Out the Boat, the literary magazine of North-East Sctoland. He has read his work on BBC Radio. His stories are often set in remote corners of the world, especially West Africa, and sometimes involve animals (he is a zoologist after all). Among his characters are cranky cobras, telepathic flying frogs, scheming pelicans, bolshey geese, feisty humming birds, oversexed pigeons an occasionally God (although not in any religious sense). Come along and have a great time. Entry to Poetry in the Pub is by donation. For more details call 6846 8414.