Narrabri to the Nile: bush poet Max’s fame spreads

Multi-award winning Narrabri bush poet Max Pringle has achieved local, national and now international fame.

Max has recently returned from a holiday trip to the Middle East, visiting Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

“I had the opportunity to recite some of the poems from my new anthology ‘Brothers in Rhyme’ right on the banks of the Nile river in Egypt” said Max.

The tour coach pulled up and when everyone clambered out for a meal break they also demanded to hear some of Max’s work.

“I had been writing a poem about the trip while we were travelling and my fellow tourists had observed this and wanted me to read what I had written” said Max.

“But I said I couldn’t because it wasn’t finished and wouldn’t have been appropriate so I recited some of my other poems, mainly some popular old faithfuls, for the people on the coach tour plus some interested locals.”

“I had a very good response from the audience, they were all Australians in my group,” added Max.

For the Egyptian locals it was probably their first exposure to Australian bush poetry.

Max Pringle has just published his third book of poetry.

‘Brothers in Rhyme’ is the name of Max’s anthology and there is a reason for the title.

“My late brother Darrell was a bush poet, but we didn’t know it,” explained Max.

“He didn’t make his poetry public.

“Poetry writing runs in the family. Our mother was a poet as was her father’s brother – but we didn’t learn this until after they had both passed away.

“So Darrell had been quietly writing poetry. He started late, perhaps eight or 10 years before he died.

“I knew of them before he passed away and wondered what would happen to them.

“I included all of his poems that I could find in my new anthology,” said Max.

“Mum’s and her uncle’s poems were all lost because nothing was ever done with them.

“So I was determined that Darrell’s work wouldn’t disappear, and accordingly they are in ‘Brothers in Rhyme’.”

The bulk of the new anthology, however, is from Max Pringle’s pen.

“Some I have written recently, some date from the early 1990s and never published – one in particular is one I like from 1990.

“Its subject matter is a bit of a give away – it mentions John Howard and Peter Costello, Kim Beazley, Mark Latham, John Brogden and Ian Slack-Smith.”

The other pieces in the book cover a range of topics.

“I have included ‘The Mobile Scooter Race’ and the ‘Rematch of the Mobile Scooter Race.’

Max’s many fans will have the opportunity to hear readings at the book launch at 5.30 on Wednesday November 27 at Narrabri Library.

The date is the date of what would have been Max and his late wife Dot’s 54th wedding anniversary, so has very special significance.

The newest anthology continues a run of successes for Max.

He has won numerous awards but is particularly proud of The Clancy, the Coriong Poetry Award, and the Victorian State Champion Male Performer.

Max will read some of his work, accompanied by his accomplished long time colleague in bush poetry Jacqui Warnock, who will present some of her pieces.