Dear Poets,
Thankyou, each and every one of you for taking the time to enter this poetry competition.
Whether or not your name appears in the shortlist below, you should know that every poem I read had a unique mode of expression about it that underlined just how creative people can be. Some of you wrote about very personal and difficult topics. The courage required to do so cannot be overstated and regardless of the outcome of your submission, I hope you feel a sense of pride about the fact that you’ve taken the time to delve into subjects and themes most people would sooner ignore.
Without further ado, it’s time to announce the results.
The poems represent the rich variety of style and topic present in the submissions.
The winning poem and poet is Reading Naomi Shihab Nye by Sylvia Cohen.
Sylvia has won a cash prize, a commentary on her poem and an hour-long mentorship Zoom call with the judge.
The four other shortlisted poems and poets are:
Bait by Bettye Jo Bell
Child of the Raj by Veronica Lake
She Sets in the West by Áiné Rose
Thou Hast Thy Music Too by Christopher Ringrose
These poets will receive a commentary on their shortlisted poem from the judge.
A huge thank you again to all who took part in this competition. It is so very inspiring to see so many poets exploring the areas of their experience that mean most to them.
Wishing you well with all future writing pursuits,
