Mackay writer Lisa Thompson finalist for AusMumpreneur award for ‘poetry pharmacy’ business
From shipwrecks to sweet scripts, meet the adventurous Mackay writer “prescribing” poetry with a lolly on the side.
Mackay
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A Mackay woman’s side hustle as a self-labelled “poetry physician” has gained national recognition after she was selected as the finalist for an AusMumpreneur award.
Lisa Thompson — in addition to working full time in a butcher's shop — is prescribing poetry and lollies to promote emotional wellbeing.
“It’s called Sweet Scripts Poetry for the Heart and Soul and it’s poetry for everyday people like you and me,” Ms Thompson said.
Ms Thompson sad her love of writing stemmed from her father’s career as a journalist for newspapers in Australia and New Zealand.
“I think that rubbed off on me a bit,” Ms Thompson said.
She’s planning to publish a memoir about her experiences shipwrecked on a former leper colony and has written children's books.
Now she’s penning poems covering themes of anxiety, stress and nostalgia, with the aim of turning her poetry into “everyday rituals offering connection and comfort”.
Working under the pseudonym Sarah Tonin her “scripts” each contain a poem and come with a heart shaped lolly.
She sells her prescriptions (there is no suggestion Ms Thompson is a qualified medical professional or that these are medical aids) at markets across the region particularly the Eungella markets.
“Markets at the moment are really my only way of getting out there,” Ms Thompson said.
Ms Thompson nominated herself for a AusMumpreneur award and has been selected as a finalist.
“I’m feeling quite humble about it already … I feel very grateful they picked me as a finalist,” she said.
Although she won’t be travelling down for the award ceremony in Melbourne this August, if she wins the prize pot could go toward opening up her dream Poetry Pharmacy.
“My vision is to have a little shop somewhere so they could come in and get some poetry,” Ms Thompson said.
In the meantime, Ms Thompson has continued sharing her poetry at the James Cook University Health Ball and then at Broken Ballerina’s 2025 Charity Ball.
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Originally published as Mackay writer Lisa Thompson finalist for AusMumpreneur award for ‘poetry pharmacy’ business