It’s a rite of passage, growing too old to ever win the Vogel. And not that I ever entered it. And not that I begrudge others their young successes. And so forth.
But every year, it gives me the shits. Being too old, before I stopped being young.
The story so far
I'm from Adelaide, but I'm living in Abu Dhabi right now. One day, I saw a gold leaf four wheel drive. It made me cry.
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My first novel, Black Dust Dancing, was published by Wakefield Press in March. It looks like this:
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My first novel, Black Dust Dancing, was published by Wakefield Press in March. It looks like this:
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adelaide from adelaide 
I’m 34, and I’ll be 35 before the next round. (Not that I’ve ever tried to write a novel.) But I think this is quite lucky for me, since I’ll never be tempted say anything to give the RN-listening public the strong impression I deliberately set out to write a prize-winning novel (as opposed to, like, one that’s good to read.)
well, i did enter, but didn’t get anywhere. they didn’t even send me a smiley face. overrated, i say. 🙂
is it happy birthday, then?
If it makes you young things feel any better, the Vogel has been going for so long that even I remember being young enough to enter, if only I’d actually written a novel, which of course I hadn’t. And that was when the cutoff age was only 30.
If it makes you young things feel any better, the Vogel has been going for so long that even I remember being young enough to enter, if only I’d actually written a novel, which of course I hadn’t. And that was when the cutoff age was only 30.
I was only thinking that exact thought a few weeks back. And how bummed I am at me for not getting my shit together and having had a book written by now.
I’ve heard that thought voiced a few times in the last couple of years. Funny kind of milestone for writers, that one, isn’t it?
I have a very dear interstate friend with the same first name as you, and she is a writer too. I remember her saying that exact same thing a few years ago. When I read this blogpost I thought for one crazy instant that maybe you and she are the same person, but then I remembered that photo you posted last week. It’s a good thing you posted it or I would have been sure you are she. Or vice versa.
Now I’m confused.
That was a very incoherent comment.
Sorry. Back in my box now.
I fel exactly the same, though that cutoff date came and went and here I am no longer a young and struggling artiste but an olde and struggling one.
suse that was funny.
meli – are you entering it in the festival awards? I can’t get the link to work, but arts.sa.gov.au if you don’t already know it about it
I think it’s very interesting that they raised the age from 30 to 35, but I’ll stop now, before I start saying things which would sound like sour grapes no matter how much I detailed it wasn’t (sour grapes)
as far as I know, suse, we’ve not met except virtually
fifi, we aren’t olde – we are experienced
thanks thirdcat, in fact i am – well actually my long-suffering parents are. very good secretaries (which is necessary when they ask for four copies! ???). i’ve decided that if i send it somewhere every six months (agents included, one rejection in that camp already) maybe it will get somewhere in the end. i need to keep this up for ten years cos that’s how long it took me to finish it… i’ve been put in my place though now. i’m not expecting anything.