In 1990 Jim Haynes started Bush Poetry Breakfasts at Tamworth during the annual festival. The success of the radio show led to the release of Jim's first book, I'll Have Chips! which was a huge seller, and won him the inaugural Bush Laureate 'Book of the Year' award in Tamworth in 1996. He's since released 12 books of Australian short stories and verse, mostly for ABC Books, including An Australian Heritage of Verse and An Australian Treasury of Popular Verse, which won him his second and third Bush Laureate 'Book of the Year' awards. In 1990 Jim Haynes started Bush Poetry Breakfasts at Tamworth during the annual festival. The success of the radio show led to the release of Jim's first book, I'll Have Chips! which was a huge seller, and won him the inaugural Bush Laureate 'Book of the Year' award in Tamworth in 1996. He's since released 12 books of Australian short stories and verse, mostly for ABC Books, including An Australian Heritage of Verse and An Australian Treasury of Popular Verse, which won him his second and third Bush Laureate 'Book of the Year' awards.