Over the years, I’ve had fun making story books for the little people in my life, using one of the commercial photo book apps. These have been one-off productions and they have been great fun.
Titles appearing under GRANDMA PRESS have been:
A new one is currently in production for Christmas: Poems for Matilda.
This year, my poem “Olive Tree at Beit Hanoun” won the “In Memoriam Award – Honouring the long-term impacts of trauma” in the 2025 Grieve Poetry Competition hosted by Hunter Writers Centre.
You can easily find background on Beit Hanoun and understand why I wrote the poem. The opportunity to express grief that the Grieve Competition provides is valuable. There were many very moving poems in the shortlist. They, along with mine, will be published in the Grieve Anthology.
The list of winners can be found here: https://hunterwriterscentre.org/2025-grieve/
Another poem, “Six Hundred Stars”, was shortlisted in the Australian Catholic University Poetry Prize and is published in the 2025 anthology. Belonging. Again, I feel honoured to be in the company of many fine established poets and emerging ones as well.
I was pleased to have some of my work selected for anthologies during 2024.
Two poems, “Blossoms” and “godtalk” shortlisted in the ACU Poetry Prize and published in their Chapbook Faith. Copies available from https://www.acu.edu.au/faith-and-values/office-of-the-vice-president/acu-prize-for-poetry/chapbook-order
Two poems, “Çatalhöyük Woman“ and “Interrogated by leaves” shortlisted in the Ros Spencer Poetry Competition and published in the WA Poets anthology, Brushstrokes,
A short story, “Legacy” and poem, “Bedazzled”, shortlisted in the Society of Women Writers National competition and to be published in the SWW Centenary Anniversary Anthology, March 2025.
Meanwhile, I also continued to have some tanka published and continued with my colleagues in building our repository of short biographies for the Biographical Dictionary of Australian Catholic Educators project and interviews with exemplary educators. See https://www.acu.edu.au/biographical-dictionary-of-australian-catholic-educators
I was thrilled recently to receive an email from a friend and highly-respected author. In his email, he gave my book After all this time wonderful endorsement, and gave me permission to share it.
“I am also slowly reading again your book, ‘After All This Time’. Anne, I hope your book is receiving extensive coverage. I admire how you integrate so beautifully, leading us to a specific site in the story of Jesus, your own comments on the scene and your own reflective poetry. The book is quite remarkable as a unique resource on the life of Jesus with an integration of poetry, scripture references, descriptions of places where you have actually been, research on background and context, sharing your spirituality, leading the reader to ‘be an insider’ to gospel scenes.
I simply cannot think of any such book.
I’ve been twice to Israel but really stumbled about, almost ‘hit-miss’ hoping for the best, sometimes by myself, sometimes in a group. I wish I had then your book as a basic reference source.
Hopefully, your book is being widely used. It is ideal for those wishing to meditate on the life of Jesus and gospel texts. The book is a gem and precious for anyone to reflect deeply on the experience of Jesus which touches our inner being. Thanks so much.
Dr Kevin Treston, September 2024″
After all this time is available from Coventry Press, Melbourne, https://coventrypress.com.au/after-all-this-time
Delighted to have this little tanka awarded.
Anne Benjamin,
Toongabbie, Australia
The first thing that caught our attention in this symbolic tanka lineated in a short/long/short/long/long pattern is the poet’s authentic and relevant voice. The poem’s universal appeal and emotional impact will resonate with readers. We can all relate to how the external pressures of life in this modern world often foster internal feelings of inadequacy and a longing for change. This writer has deftly employed juxtaposition and punctuation to strengthen their message. A pause at the end of line four slows the pace of the work after the “rise and rise” sense of anticipation. The tanka builds effortlessly to an engaging, original, and rather whimsical conclusion. We applaud the author for sharing this life experience so eloquently, and for their recognition of what it means to be vulnerable in an increasingly overwhelming environment. (an’ya and Debbie Strange, Judges)
I came across this link to another interview I did a few years ago on ABC radio. That was with the wonderful Rachel Kohn when she invited me to speak about my memoir about India, Saffron and Silk.
Here’s the link to the podcast: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-spirit-of-things-abc-rn-141837/episodes/marriage-of-love-and-justice-16443229
People tell me they enjoy the book. You can order it through my BUY page on this site or online through most book outlets.
Very happy to receive this award from the United Tanka and Haiku Society for the 2023 Fleeting Words Competition. I include a photo of the cactus orchid inspiring the tanka – and the midnight vigil.
And also, first place in Eastwood-Hills FAW monthly competition for my ode/elegy, “Urban Fox”, written in the style of a Keatsian ode.
And earlier in the year, the Eastwood-Hills FAW Pauline Walsh Award for a short story, for my story about a political candidate’s wife, titled “For Better, for Worse.” The story was good fun to write. This win was my fifth for the Pauline Walsh Award.
Early in December, I was interviewed by Meredith Lake of ABC Radio National’s Soul Search about my reflections in poetry on the gospels, After all this Time. You can listen to the interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-gospel-of-john-and-the-poetry-of-belief/id75423045?i=1000590232752. The interview is about 30 minutes in and lasts for about 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy it and gives some background to the book.
The book is available from Coventry Press, https://coventrypress.com.au/after-all-this-time
I’m happy to announce the publication of my new book, “After all this time”, published by Coventry Press in Melbourne.
The publisher describes it this way:
“In After all this time Reflections on Jesus, Anne Benjamin invites us on pilgrimage with her, to rediscover the sources of her faith and to express in contemporary language what it means to accept Jesus of Nazareth and his teaching as an authentic way to shape life and give meaning in our world.
On this journey, she brings insight, scholarship, poetry, reflection and prayer as she uncovers the people, the traditions, the religion, the customs, the social reality of first century Palestine so necessary to understand the life and teaching of the man who is at the heart of our faith.
Anne invites us – as individuals and within groups – to reflect on incidents and events from the Gospels, offering context, commentary, practical help for sharing, responding, discussion, prayer – and, above all, opportunities to deepen knowledge and to grow in faith.”
Copies of the book are available from the publisher at: https://coventrypress.com.au/after-all-this-time
After a long time, I am returning to this website. It has been a busy time for my writing with two books published and a third presently with a publisher.
Leadership in a Synodal Church, co-authored with my colleague Associate Professor Charles Burford, was published early in 2021. Subsequently, Garratt Publishing named it their in-house Book of the Year.
Late in 2020, Australian Catholic Educators 1820-2020, co-edited with Seamus O’Grady, was published. This is the first hard-copy publication for a longer-term project, the Biographical Dictionary of Australian Catholic Educators that I have been working on for some years. It honours the lives of those women and men who have served children and their families in Catholic schools in Australia over 200 years.
Anne Benjamin 