25 YEARS of poetry reading in Tamworth will be celebrated tomorrow at 7pm at the Tamworth City Bowling Club by the local guardians of lyrical lines, the Tamworth Poetry Reading Group.

Every month for the past 25 years this small, humble but prolific group has met to read their own and others’ poetry of the bush.

Member of the group Jan Morris is modest about the group’s long-standing place in Tamworth’s history.

“We are just a low-key group that meets once a month to enjoy each other’s company and read poetry,” Ms Morris said.

Many members of the group, past and present have had the privilege of getting their poetry published, including current members, Shirley Crawford, John Bishop, Tom Chapman and Ian Cole.

The group was established in 1983 by a grant given by Gough Whitlam’s government in an attempt to give community groups the chance to establish courses and groups on a local level.

Founding and current member of the group, Chris Hathway, planted the poetic seeds for the group to flourish.

For more than 10 years, Ms Morris has organised the Blackened Billy Bush Poetry Written Competition and the Country Energy Golden Damper Bush Poetry Performance Competition as part of the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival, with which the Tamworth Poetry reading Group is involved.

“The Golden Damper competition held at West Tamworth League Club during the Festival is regarded as one of the most important bush poetry competitions in Australia.

“I start organising the competition in July and I’m busy until February of the next year,” Ms Morris said.

The Blackened Billy written poetry competition entrants submit entries to the Tamworth poetry reading group, with even a few from America this year.

Another member of the group, Keith Jones, judges the entrants’ poetry and selects the final three.

“We select the first three winners of the completion and invite them to the final at Blazes at West leagues on Saturday January 24 2009,” Ms Morris said.

The first winner of the Golden Damper competition was former The Northern Daily Leader reporter Murray Hartin in 1987.

The anniversary dinner will celebrate the tireless efforts of this groups’ contribution to Tamworth’s history of poetry and member Peter Buckley will recite his poem written especially for the night. Tickets are available from Maureen on 6765 6067 or Eileen on 6761 8042 for $25.