Pick of 1,000 Poems Announced For First Buxton Competition
2 July 2008
Judges sift through the poetry competition entries.
We were impressed by the exceptionally high standard of the entries.
”Fleur Adcock, award-winning poet and competition judge.
After more than 1,000 entries and nine months of literary effort the winners of the first Buxton Poetry Competition are due to be announced.
Competition organisers Buxton Festival and the University of Derby Buxton (UDB) were delighted to receive more than 1,000 poems from poets of all ages, from across the UK and abroad – including from the USA, Switzerland, Italy, France, Australia and The West Indies. The competition was launched on National Poetry Day (October 4), last year.
Competition patron Lady Jasmine Cavendish, daughter of the Duke of Devonshire, will present the winning poets with their prizes at a ceremony at the Dome at the University’s Devonshire Campus, in Buxton, at 6pm on Thursday July 10. Her fellow patron is the UK’s Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.
A winning poet, two runners-up and two Highly Commendeds for each of three competition categories will be presented with prizes at the finalists’ ceremony. The theme of the second annual Buxton poetry contest will also be launched.
Glyn Foley, Buxton Festival Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted at the response the first Buxton Poetry Competition has generated locally, nationally and internationally.”
Professor John Coyne, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “It is clear that we have touched a real seam of creativity in applicants of all ages and expect even greater things from the second contest.”
Award-winning poet Fleur Adcock OBE and Michael Schmidt OBE, Professor of Poetry at the University of Glasgow, were among those judging the poems entered this year.
In the Children’s Poetry category (for poets aged up to 11) the results are:
- (Winner) Kristy-Ann Wilson, 11, from Cardiff
- (Runner-Up) Martyn Bonham, 11, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire
- (Runner-Up) Eloise James, ten, from Reading
- (Highly Commended) Chess Law, ten, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland
- (Highly Commended) Oliver Turner, eight, from Shropshire.
In the Young People's Poetry category (for 12 to 18-year-olds) the results are:
- (Winner) Harry Hudson, 12, of Headington, Oxford
- (Runner-up) Zaib Nasir, 13, of Addlestone, Surrey
- (Runner-up) Emily Middleton, 18, of Buxton
- (Highly Commended) Caitlin Robbins, 13, of Twickenham
- (Highly Commended) Sian Hughes, aged 17.
These two categories were judged by Maria Bennett, Head of Learning and Information Services at Buxton, David McPhie of Bookstore Brierlow Bar and Andrew Greenwood, Buxton Festival Artistic Director.
The results of the Open Poetry category (for those aged 19 and over) will not be revealed until July 10. It is being judged by Fleur Adcock and Michael Schmidt.
Fleur said: “We were impressed by the exceptionally high standard of the entries. The proportion of poems worth re-reading and considering seriously, as potential prize winners, was noticeably greater than in most competitions. The quality of those on our preliminary shortlists made it very difficult to reduce the number.”
“Perhaps the topic of ‘Water’ brought out the best in those who entered, or perhaps some particularly good writers were attracted by the name of Buxton and the fact that the competition is a new one? Whatever the reason, it made our task as judges harder but at the same time more enjoyable.”
Fleur Adcock will read her poetry as part of the Buxton Festival at 12 noon on Friday 11 July at the Dome, at the University of Derby Buxton. Tickets, price £9, from the Buxton Festival box office on 0845 12 72190. Half price tickets can be obtained by quoting POETRY OFFER when you call the box office.
Winning and placed poems in the three categories will be on display around the Dome at the Buxton campus from July 9-27, during the Buxton Festival.
Visitors to the exhibition will be invited to vote for their favourite poem in the ‘People’s Choice Award’. The winner of this special prize will be announced in August.
Open Poetry category winners will receive £250 for First, £150 for Second and £50 for Third Place. Young People’s Poetry and Children’s Poetry category winners will share a total of £310 in Waterstone’s prize vouchers.
Winners will also receive complimentary Buxton Festival event tickets. The three outright category winners will also have their poems published in the 2008 Buxton Festival programme.
Attending the July 10 ceremony will be University of Derby Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne, Dean of the University of Derby Buxton Professor David Gray, Lady Jasmine Cavendish, Sir Christopher Ball (University Chancellor 1995-2003), Peak District Poet Laureate River Walton, civic dignitaries and Arts Council representatives.
Poems entered in the competition can be read, and some heard, by visiting the University of Derby Buxton website at www.derby.ac.uk/buxtonpoetrycompetition.
For further media information about the University please contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk.
