Geoff Goodfellow
| Geoff Goodfellow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1949 Adelaide, Australia |
| 💼 Occupation | Writer, Public Speaker |
| 📆 Years active | 1980-present |
| Notable work | Out of Copley Street, Blight Street |
| 👶 Children | 4 |
| 🌐 Website | https://www.geoffgoodfellow.com |
Geoff Goodfellow is an Australian Writer, Public Speaker and 'poet-for-hire'.[1] He has been writing and performing and delivering his work since the 80's, touring Australia, Cuba, USA, Canada, UK, Europe and China, alongside being a guest at many literary festivals.[1],[2] He regularly conducts 'writer-in-residence' sessions in schools and universities, where he mentors mentoring students.[1] He also performs his work in jails, youth training centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation units, as well as construction sites and factory floors.[3]
His poetry workshops delve into a variety of topics such as domestic violence, racism and drug and alcohol abuse, while his public speeches often are motivational talks and delve into men's issues.[4]
Early Life[edit]
Born in Adelaide in 1949, Geoffrey James Goodfellow resided in the inner-northern suburb of Semaphore, inside of a war-service group scheme house.[5],[6],[7] His family included his parents, John and Lois, an elder sister named Annette, and two younger brothers Mark and Brian.[1] After leaving school at the age of fifteen, Goodfellow engaged in numerous semi-skilled job roles including, steel fixer, hotel bouncer, boxing promoter, carpenter and salesman.[5],[7] It wasn't until his early thirties, when a harsh back injury forced Goodfellow into early retirement from his laborious job that he began writing poetry.[1]
Published Work[edit]
Goodfellow began writing and working on his poems in the 1980s, writing his first poem in 1983 and publishing his first book in 1986.[6] Goodfellow's first published poem being Part-Time Father Waiting, appearing in Just a Moment: Poems 1983, his poem featured on page 18.[6] Since then he has authored over 275 poems and published 10 books, with many having multiple print runs, he also wrote the lyrics to the song Tobruk Pin by Mark Seymour.[2],[6] Goodfellow uses Wakefield Press for all of his works.[7]
Goodfellow's poems are inspired by A.B. Paterson and often delve into serious topics such as addiction and abuse.[8] His poems appear regularly in periodicals such as Overland.
Goodfellow published a collection of poems for free use in schools.
Goodfellow's poem, We So Tough, was framed inside the Adelaide Youth Court, and positioned so that young offenders would read it while awaiting trial.[4]
Awards[edit]
Goodfellow has won one award in his lifetime, and been on the shortlist for another.[6]
| Award | Year | Work | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festival Awards for Literature (SA) | 1988 | General Award | won |
| The Age of the Year Award | 2002 | Poems for a Dead Father | shortlisted |
Mentorship[edit]
Goodfellow regularly tours schools and universties, mentoring students. One of his mentees, Dr. Emma McEwin, is the eldest great-granddaughter of Australian geologist and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, the two met when in 1984, when McEwin, 15 at the time, attended one of Goodfellow's workshops at her school, Pembroke.[9] McEwin went on to become a teacher at The University of Adelaide and an author of several books, including a biography about her great-grandparents, released in 2008.[10]
In 1990 Goodfellow was appointed 'poet-in-residence' with the Construction, Mining and Energy Union of South Australia.[7]
Goodfellow's mentorship has included bouts as 'writer-in-residence' in places ranging from St Ignatius’ College to the ‘B’ Division at Yatala Gaol, even at York University in Toronto.[11]
Personal Life[edit]
Goodfellow married his first wife, Jenny, at age 18.[5] He is father to 4 children, three sons and one daughter, they are aged 53, 51, 45 and 32 as of 2023.[5]
In 2008 Goodfellow was disagnosed with cancer, which required a major neck dissection. Without the left side of his vocal chords, he now has to speak with the assistance of a voice box implanted in his throat.[5] His battle is detail and recorded in Waltzing with Jack Dancer: a slow dance with cancer.[12]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "About Me". Geoff Goodfellow. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Geoff Goodfellow". Friendly Street Poets. 2008-01-14. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ↑ Geoff, Goodfellow. "Geoff Goodfellow LinkedIn". Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Poet for Hire | Geoff Goodfellow | Public Speaker". Geoff Goodfellow. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Keen, Suzie (2020-08-29). ""Neurosis surrounded us… we just got on with life"". SALIFE. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Austlit. "Geoff Goodfellow | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Collier, Gordon; Davis, Geoffrey (1992). "Geoff Goodfellow Interviewed by Gordon Collier and Geoffrey Davis". Kunapipi. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ↑ "Geoff Goodfellow Presentation". Marist Regional College. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ↑ Chryssides, Interviews by Helen (2013-04-26). "Two of us: Emma McEwin and Geoff Goodfellow". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ Austlit. "Emma McEwin | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ "Poet Geoff Goodfellow to read". Department of English. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ↑ "Geoff Goodfellow - May 21 2017". Proof-it - Proofreading and editing service. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
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