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Anthony Lawrence Anthony Lawrence i(A11942 works by)
Born: Established: 1957 Tamworth, Tamworth area, New England, New South Wales, ;
Gender: Male
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BiographyHistory

Anthony Lawrence has written poetry and fiction. He left school at the age of sixteen, becoming first a jackeroo, and then travelling for several years before returning to New South Wales to become a teacher and writer. While working as a fisherman in Western Australia, he secured a literary fellowship which enabled him to devote time to writing poetry.

Lawrence's poems have appeared in numerous Australian and international literary magazines, including Meanjin, Overland, Poetry Australia, LiNQ, Salt and Antipodes (USA). His poetry explores many aspects of the Australian landscape, capturing the harshness of rural life, but also meditating on the minute and beautiful details of native birds, fish and animals. His verse also examines the poet's childhood and early influences, and reveals a fascination with figurative language and the process of creating a poem. Lawrence's work has been described as a form of 'narrative with a strong lyrical vein', by the Oxford Companion to Australian Literature.

Lawrence has won a number of awards for his poetry, including the inaugural Judith Wright Calanthe Award (Queensland Premier's Poetry Prize), the Harri Jones Memorial Award, the Gwen Harwood Memorial Prize in 1996, and the Newcastle Poetry Prize in 1997. He has also received a number of Literature Board Grants.

Lawrence was poetry editor for the 2004 volume of UQP's Best Australian Poetry Series.

Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

2023 second place ACU Prize for Poetry for 'The Inner Life'.
2022 winner Peter Porter Poetry Prize
2021 longlisted Peter Porter Poetry Prize for 'Levitation'.

Awards for Works

In the Shadows of Our Heads i "I’d called the Humane Society to report the neglect", 2022 single work poetry
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , January–February no. 439 2022; (p. 28)
2022 winner Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Blue Curtains i "The laundry curtains were pinned", 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: The Montreal International Poetry Prize - 2017 Shortlist 2017;
2017 shortlisted Montreal International Poetry Prize

Known archival holdings

National Library of Australia (ACT)
Last amended 4 Feb 2021 11:57:12
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