Picture courtesy Queensland Times.
Trevar Langlands is a Campbelltown entertainment identity with many strings to his bow.
If you said he was a radio presenter you would be right.
But you wouldn’t be wrong if you called him a poet or an author – or plain old entertainer.
That’s because Trevar Langlands is all of those things, and much more besides.
He was recently elected for his 16th year as NSW State President of the Fellowship of Australian Writers or FAW for short.
A young Trevar Langlands settled in Macarthur many years ago from Queensland.
He became well known here after hosting Poets at the Pub and Poets at the Stables, Wivenhoe.
But there’s been a lot more for the boy from Queensland who now calls Macarthur home.
“I have done a circus act reading poetry to two elephants and I have read poetry to audiences in a haunted house,’’ he says.
“I have read my work at restaurants and because I have regularly travelled to Russia I have read my work on Russian radio as well as being interviewed on TV. “My heritage on a grandfather’s side many generations ago goes back to the Russian area of Smolensk.’’
Another side of the family tree gives a clue to the literary and showbusiness bent of Trevar Langlands.
“My cousin Eliza Langlands on my father’s side in Edinburgh is an actress for BBC TV Scotland and also an excellent writer and poet,’’ he says.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“So I guess with both our writing and acting it runs in the family.’’[/social_quote]
But let’s go back to FAW – what’s that all about Trevar Langlands?
Great Australian authors started the FAW
He says that the FAW was started in 1921 with notable literary figures such as Henry Lawson, Miles Franklin, Dame Mary Gilmore and others.
NSW FAW has over 600 members, headed by president Trevar Langlands and a committee.
There are branches all over NSW and Sydney Metro, including Campbelltown, Liverpool, Wollondilly and the Southern Highlands.
The main aim of FAW is to encourage Australian writing.
“We have dozens of members who are published and selling well,’’ says Mr Langlands.
“A couple that do spring to mind are Dr Hilarie Lindsay, author of more than 20 books and Valerie Parv with 70 novels to her credit,’’ he says when asked if there are any stars in the FAW firmament.
Each November FAW hold their Literary Awards for adults and young people, hosted by the state president, who in this case for the past 16 years has been Trevar Langlands.
“This is a great time for members to get together and meet up with people they often only see in print,’’ he says.
“We also produce a magazine to which I and other people contribute along with news, competitions and photographs.’’
So what’s the best part of being in FAW?
“I love the chance to meet up with our members and find out what they are doing and any achievements with their work,’’ says Mr Langlands.
“I enjoy the chance to attend branch meetings and always enjoy hosting the annual Literary Awards Lunch.’’
As a writer himself, especially of poetry, Mr Langlands has been published in a number of anthologies including an Arabic Literary magazine and also in Russian.
“I published a book of poetry in the 1990s and I am currently hoping to put another one out.
“My work is very different today than in my earlier years,’’ he says.
As mentioned at the start of this story, the Trevar Langlands entertainment repertoire extends from literary pursuits to presenting a show on radio.
Indeed he has a long background of commercial radio work and performing for stage and TV media.
His Arts Show on radio 100.3FM goes to air Wednesdays from 9am to noon and can also be heard online.
“The show involves middle of the road music, show music, book and movie reviews, poetry, and interviews with authors and entertainers,’’ says Trevar Langlands.
Visit the station’s website here to listen to Trevar’s show online.
