After winning his heat in Orange Joshua will perform his work “Poetry” at the State Library on Friday.

He will be joined by Orange rapper Shannon Elliot.

Their airfares and accommodation in Sydney will be paid by contest organisers.

Joshua, 28, admits most people are surprised to learn he is a poet.

He grew up in Bathurst, attending school at South Bathurst Public School and Kelso High.

Joshua is working as a casual labourer and is full-time dad to his three-year-old daughter Gemma-Lee.

Joshua has been writing poetry since he was a teenager. He writes about everything.

He penned a poem for the River Dreaming Festival and performed on The Footy Show in 2003.

Joshua also made the semi-finals of the Nimbin Poetry World Cup in August.

“I read a poem when I was a young fella. The words just seemed to jump off the page and I was captivated,” he said.

“I thought if a poem could do that to me, I want to be a part of that.

“It wasn’t Banjo Paterson or Henry Lawson or anyone like that, just another Aboriginal poet.

“My love of poetry has just grown. Words seem to flow,” Joshua said.

The young writer has a number of published poems to his credit these days.

“Up until now it was just a passion I kept to myself,” he said.

“Lately I’ve been entering competitions and doing all right. I had my first paid performance at Cabaret Kite a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m starting to go somewhere with it,” Joshua said.

It was a poem about poetry that Joshua chose to enter in the national poetry slam competition.

“I wrote about what poetry means to me - meaning, spirit and passion,” he said.

The event will be broadcast live on ABC 702 radio from 7pm. The National Grand Final will take place at the Sydney Opera House on December 4.