{"id":4760,"date":"2012-08-28T12:17:20","date_gmt":"2012-08-28T02:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/?p=4760"},"modified":"2014-11-06T10:52:11","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T00:52:11","slug":"i-won-a-knight-answers-in-oberon-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/i-won-a-knight-answers-in-oberon-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"I won! A Knight Answers in Oberon 2012&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m thrilled to announce that I&#8217;ve just won first place in the 2012 Oberon Writing Competition with my short story <em>A Knight Answers<\/em>. As the premiere adult writing competition of the Blue Mountains, the Oberon Writing Competition is one to aspire to win. So my jaw dropped when Anne Russell, the competition&#8217;s organiser, told me that I&#8217;d won&#8230; because I won the same competition last year too!<\/p>\n<p>Winning two years in a row, I simply had to make the 250km trip from Sydney to Burraga to accept my award at the 53rd Annual Burraga Sheep Show and Country Fair. <!--more-->The atmosphere was electric as cowboys stepped up to receive awards for their sheep shearing skills and dog yard trials, local girls were crowned Miss Show Girl, and artists were acknowledged for their cooking, craftwork, photography, poetry and&#8230; writing!<\/p>\n<p>For writing, there were four separate sections: narrative, poetry, junior narrative, and junior poetry.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s me receiving my award in the narrative section (yes, it&#8217;s chilly in the mountains!):<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4770\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4770\" class=\"wp-image-4770 size-medium\" title=\"award\" src=\"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award-300x260.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award-300x260.jpg 300w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4770\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Receiving my award from competition organiser Anne Russell<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4771\" style=\"width: 466px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4771\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4771\" title=\"award2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"456\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award2.jpg 456w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/award2-273x300.jpg 273w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4771\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A certificate to some, a validation to me.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The theme for this year&#8217;s competition was &#8220;Tell Me A Story&#8221;, and I was particularly touched to win with <em>A Knight Answers<\/em> because, as my fans may have noticed, I rarely write short stories from the woman&#8217;s perspective and hardly ever write about relationships. Yet this story was both \u2013 so a bit of a risk for me. I guess sometimes risks pay off!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4781\" style=\"width: 385px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/ZenaAndCelia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4781\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4781 \" title=\"ZenaAndCelia\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/ZenaAndCelia.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/ZenaAndCelia.jpg 375w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/ZenaAndCelia-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4781\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Me with the winner of the poetry section,<br \/>Celia Ravesi of Hampton, NSW<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And here are some more photos of my trip to the 53rd Annual Burraga Sheep Show and Country Fair. It was a traditional country show, full of very real people whose warmth more than made up for the chilly temperature!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4772\" style=\"width: 359px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Burraga.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4772\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4772\" title=\"Burraga\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Burraga.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"349\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Burraga.jpg 349w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Burraga-209x300.jpg 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 349px) 100vw, 349px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4772\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Burraga, New South Wales<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4790\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4790\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4790\" title=\"sheepdogtrials\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials.jpg 500w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials-300x166.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One clever sheepdog and his sheep&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4791\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4791\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4791 \" title=\"sheepdogtrials2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/sheepdogtrials2-300x139.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8230;another clever sheepdog.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4794\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sheep-pen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4794\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4794\" title=\"Sheep pen\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sheep-pen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sheep-pen.jpg 500w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sheep-pen-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In amongst the sheep.<br \/>Image: my six year-old son!<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4811\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_0449.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4811\" class=\"wp-image-4811 size-medium\" title=\"IMG_0449\" src=\"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_0449-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_0449-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_0449.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4811\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Having a whip-cracking good time!!<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4818\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/DSC05076.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4818\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4818 \" title=\"DSC05076\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/DSC05076.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/DSC05076.jpg 500w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/DSC05076-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4818\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beautiful Burraga.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4821\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fair.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4821\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4821\" title=\"fair\" src=\"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fair.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fair.jpg 500w, https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fair-300x165.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4821\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Warm inside!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Thank you, Oberon and your fantastic 2012 Writing Competition&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>I had an inspiring day at your wonderful country fair!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m thrilled to announce that I&#8217;ve just won first place in the 2012 Oberon Writing Competition with my short story A Knight Answers. As the premiere adult writing competition of the Blue Mountains, the Oberon Writing Competition is one to aspire to win. So my jaw dropped when Anne Russell,\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"continue-reading-button\"> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/i-won-a-knight-answers-in-oberon-2012\/\">Continue reading<i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[20,223,461,570,700],"class_list":["post-4760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-news","tag-53rd-annual-burraga-sheep-show-and-fair","tag-first-place","tag-oberon-writing-competition","tag-short-story-competition","tag-win"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4760"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9600,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4760\/revisions\/9600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}