Jeff Guess | |
---|---|
Born |
Adelaide, Australia |
16 February 1948
Occupation | Poet |
Nationality | Australian |
Genre | Poetry |
Website | |
www |
Jeff Guess (born 16 February 1948) is an Australian poet. He has published ten poetry collections, written two textbooks on teaching poetry and edited numerous poetry anthologies. He has won many first prizes for his poetry and been awarded five writing grants, and is often on judging panels for major poetry competitions, including the John Bray Award.
Jeff Guess was born in Adelaide, South Australia and has taught English in country and metropolitan secondary schools, 'Writing Poetry' at the Adelaide Institute of TAFE, and tutored at the University of South Australia.
His first book Leaving Maps, published in 1984, was hailed by Judith Rodriguez in The Sydney Morning Herald as 'a major collection'. Samela Harris (The Advertiser Newspaper) has written of his collection Winter Grace 'Methinks he is the finest living Australian poet.' His poetry has been published widely and has appeared in most Australian newspapers and magazines. He has represented regularly in leading literary magazines including Australia Poetry, Island, Overland, Quadrant, Meanjin, Studio and Westerly.
Jeff has co-written a textbook on teaching poetry in primary schools: Hands on Poetry (Twilight Publishing 1991; republished Dominie 1993). He has written a textbook for tertiary students entitled Writing Poetry, published by the Adelaide Institute of TAFE. There are entries for him in the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who, the Who’s Who of Australian Writers and the Oxford Companion to Australian Literature; and an article by Geoff Page in A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Australian Poetry (UQP 1995). The National Defence Force Academy Library in Canberra holds his papers, manuscripts and letters, as part of the ‘Australian Special Research Collection’ and also the Archives of the State Library of South Australia ‘Collection Development’.
Jeff Guess is the greatest living South Australian poet. Bravo! Peter Goers (Sunday Mail)