Our judge Liz Lefroy has now selected the winning and shortlisted poems from this year’s Ironbridge Festival poetry competition, and it’s time for us to share that news with you. Our thanks to everyone who submitted poems to this year’s competition – we had more entries than ever from across Shropshire, and poems were sent in from all over the UK, and around the world. Wherever you are, we thank you for your support, and wish you all the very best of luck with your submissions and all your future writing.
We will also be holding a free event at at Dawley Town Hall near Ironbridge, on Saturday July 12th, from 2-4pm, where winning and shortlisted poets will be reading. Entry is free, and all are welcome to attend.
1st prize
Door 84 by Chrissy Banks
2nd prize
Aid drop by Anna Bowles
3rd prizes
Borrowed time by Helen Eastman
Demeter by Sharon Ashton
The conductor changes the way she talks about rhythm by Suzanna Fitzpatrick
shortlisted poets: Alison Milner, Annette Iles, Arran Potts, Ben Rhys Palmer (twice), Brenda Read-Brown, Clare Marsh, Clare Starling, D A Angelo, Damen O’Brien, Ellie Boulton, Esther Lay (three times), Jamila Toussaint, Jane Kite, Jeanette Burton, Joan Baxter, John Lancaster, Laura Seymour, Lisa Lopresti, Michael Brown, Ryan Caldic, Sarah O’Grady, Stephen Bygrave.
The winning poem in the TF postcode category is Sewing circle by Teresa Heeks
There were six commended poets in this category: Alex Chown, Eve Booton, Paul Francis, Samantha Philpott, Sandra Bond, and Teresa Heeks.
A few words from our judge, Liz Lefroy.
The winning poem stood out for me from the first reading through of nearly six hundred poems – it helps that its layout is different, but there were other poems that were also experimental in that regard. This poem continued to move me each time I read it – it’s so sparse, and so exact. And I didn’t need to see the painting it refers to to feel it as a work of art in its own right.
The process with the rest took a bit longer, but in the end, I chose poems which were most accomplished in all senses: in terms of imagery, depth, movement, meaning, internal consistency, and precision. Others caught my eye, but didn’t sustain themselves in all these areas.
All the best to everyone who entered. I wish you every success with entering your poems to competitions in the future. Judging the competition has been an illuminating process from which I have learned so much.
To view the details of Ironbridge Poetry Festival Competition 2024 then please click here.
To view the details of Ironbridge Poetry Festival Competition 2023 then please click here.