Competition Results

Thanks to one and all who entered! Once again we were overwhelmed by the volume and quality of submitted entries, though this year the ‘international’ part of the competition only stretched to Ireland and Spain. Nevertheless, every poem was scrutinised, shortlisted and submitted to the chief judge who in time gave us what he considered to be the best of the bunch. Comments are below, most winning entries will be available to read No longer available.

Chief Judges Report

It is often said that poetry is a subjective force, waxing and waning according to those who look, listen and dwell upon it and in many regards that holds true. The standard of entries this year upholds that thought, as no two were alike in form and function and were nearly all without a doubt extremely well written.

There were songs of woe, ridiculous assertions, attempts to capture the essence of base sensations and at least one that made me blush somewhat. But as ever with the flurry of competition, individual snowflakes must be found and plucked from their brethren and be presented as slightly more snowflakey than the rest (which is where the comparison falls down). Out of several hundred entries, we whittle down to the following.

Humour Prize

Farewell to the Barber – Tony Oswick

Short, sweet, to the point and with definite strains of the familiar, this piece makes use of occasionally quite abrupt rhymes and has one wobble with the metre, but certainly expresses perfectly well the secret agony of the oncoming baldy. Some might say a topic that strikes close to my own heart, to which I can now hide my cans of spray on hair, point to this poem and proudly say ‘It’s not just me!’

Local Prize

Body Polish – Jacqueline Pemberton

An unusual, yet compelling piece of work, on one level simply a lady(?) having a wash and contemplating her navel as she does so. On another level, this speaks of rebirth by water, the action of sea and effort transforming the object into a wonderous thing. On a third level, the impression of some form of beach debris being worn down, polished and refreshed into a natural piece of art. Only the original poet probably knows what this is actually about, and that is perfectly fine, highly enjoyable regardless.

1^st Prize

Gran’s Living-Room Triptych – Roger Elkin

This may be a contentious winner, but this set of three brief studies on the grace of a grandmother and her possessions speak volumes about family, necessity, personal taste, respect and is positively oozing with whispered backstory, given as subtle word choices and overt examples, hinting at a history most chequered. Each section focuses on the choice of a particular painting upon her wall, using the very description of the paintings’ contents to enable the true subject, the grandmother to express her life story through her choices. Excellent.

2^nd Prize

The Elephant Game – Angela Platt

One gets the impression this one is based on true events, of a child getting a bit too up close and personal with a (less than) gentle behemoth and the strength of a mothers love winning through. Whether it is or isn’t, the poet captures the mothers observations, panic and triumph very well, with some very strong language choices (‘reptile fury spits’ is wonderful). I would have preferred a more consistent structure, but good nevertheless.

3^rd Prize

Bearing Fruit – Val Ormrod

An idea oft used is about ideas themselves and this short piece does well to equate the spirit of idea with fleeting fruit, which one day might stop growing (a terrifying prospect!). Inspiration lost falls to rot and the overall arch of the Seasons peeks through the words, the life of an idea hidden in soft juicy flesh. Very nice.

Highly Commended

An Illustrated Book – Angela Platt

Commended

Three Strange Birds – Anne Harding

Angel of the North – Peter Cash

Runners-Up

Journey – Ailie Wallace

Goldfinches – Anthony J. Matthews

Eruption – Frances Whiteman

Once again the standard of entries to the Short Story competition was astounding, with many tales of intrigue, romance, adventure and at least one with pirates in it. We had entrants from France, America. Australia and others (one entrant who hailed from very far away wrote in a flawless Yorkshire accent which was impressive), all of whom added colour to the overwhelming pile of manuscripts that we received.

However, only so many people can win and after a lengthy sifting process our final judge picked the top three as well as some Highly Commended entries. See below for winners, judges comments, and as ever, any highlighted titles can be clicked on to link to the winning stories themselves.

 

First – ‘Before After’ by Michelle Brown

Great title, and an intriguing opening that pulls the reader in. A moving story about a life event that, for the narrator, will change things forever. A story about life beginning and life ending. Very well written with some memorable phrases. Good tension in the relationship between the narrator, her partner and her sister. Left me thinking about the story long after I’d finished reading.

 

Second –‘Tuesdays’ by Carly Schabowski

An engaging story that pulls you in and makes you care about the characters, written fluently with good style.  Vivid, atmospheric descriptions with realistic, believable characters and good dialogue. A surprising but apt ending that leaves you wanting to know more.

 

Third – ‘Damp Grass and Forward Rolls’ by Heather Allison

An absolutely delightful story involving two charming elderly characters. The story is alive with engaging and amusing dialogue, with the final promise of a deliciously unlikely romance. Very enjoyable and well written.

 

Highly Commended:

‘Address Unknown’ by Joyce Walker

‘Cycle Lane’ by Sue Hoffmann

‘Eye of the Beholder’ by Bruce Harris

‘Letters from Happy Land’ by Richard Kelly

With a big thanks to the talented Stephen Beattie, find below the winners, commendeds and judge’s thoughts on the Southport Writers’ Circle International Poetry Competition 2014

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‘Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood’ T.S. Eliot.

Chief Judge’s Report – Stephen Beattie

“As final adjudicator I was delighted to receive over 120 poems from a total of 300. Firstly I would like to thank my fellow poet Denise Randall for selecting the final batch of poems and for her hard work running the admin side of the competition. All the poems Denise selected had merit and it was pleasing to see set forms represented, (Sestina, Sonnet and Villanelle), as well as Free Verse. I read all the poems at least three times and each one had something to say, in fact the hardest part of the adjudication process is letting a poem go knowing that the author has striven to produce their best work.

After the initial readings I was left with a long list of 50 which I then reduced to a short list of 20. All of the 20 were well crafted pieces and I’m sure many of them will have success elsewhere. However winning poems have to be chosen and although I am aware that poetry is very subjective I believe that the winners have produced work that provokes, entertains and enriches.

Thank you to all who entered the competition, your work has given me many hours of pleasure and quite a few, ‘Why didn’t I think of that!’ moments.”

 

1^st Prize, Squinting at Fish by Pat Borthwick

Written in un-rhymed couplets with careful use of precise language Pat Borthwick tells the story of a blind person who partially regains their sight. This beautifully crafted poem never lapses into sentimentality and contains many wonderful images, I particularly like, ‘Frames as cold as Skegness sea’.

 

2^nd Prize, Birdman with young owl by Jackie Wills

A poem that draws in the reader with a description of a couple meeting with a man

who has hand reared an owl. The poem appears deceptively simple until the final three

stanzas when themes of gender roles and control are introduced taking the work into a

much darker area.

 

3^rd Prize, Invisible Man by Al Mcclimens

A playful poem with disturbing undertones about the loss of identity. The use of language is witty and direct and works well as a poem for the page and in performance.

Highly Commended, Descendents by Roger Elkin

Highly Commended, Dawn by Vaughan Rapatahana

Commended, Another Place by Ken Sullivan

Commended, If This Scene Were Two Dimensional by Pauline Hawkesworth

Commended, on the morning of my death by Jim Bennett

 

Local Prize, Tick Tock, Time’s Clock by Lynne Sutton

A feel-good poem describing a family sitting together after Sunday lunch. The entire piece is laden with imagery and the poet consistently shows rather than tells. The description of the grandparents in the second and third stanzas is stunning.

Highly Commended, In Care by Brian Wake

Commended, Taking Root by Lynne Sutton.

 

Humour Prize, A Bit On The Side, by Loraine Darcy

A delightful poem that made me laugh out loud but just as importantly the poet has taken care to ensure that the work conforms to the rules of poetry, something many writers of comic verse fail to do. The subject matter is saucy without ever descending into vulgarity and concludes with an excellent punch line, another poem that would work equally well on the page or in performance.

Highly Commended, Silverbacks by Darren Cannan

Commended, The man in the Moon by Joanne Fox