It’s usually theatrical types who long to see their name in lights, but it obviously applies to poets too. Forget those images of tortured souls sitting in a dark garret, suffering for their art – today’s rhymesters are a whole new breed, if the response to Wordpool’s first National Poetry Competition is anything to go by.
More than 100 entered – obviously excited by the thought of seeing their work take centre stage in Blackpool’s Illuminations. And as long as they took ‘light’ as their theme, the sky was the limit. Which certainly applied to the winning entry by Sarah Leavesley, from Worcestershire, whose poem, That Night, was inspired by a snippet in The Guardian newspaper about a meteorite which hit the Earth in December 2013.
The onerous task of judging all the entries fell to award-winning poet Polly Atkin, who announced the winners to a good-sized crowd which had gathered at Blackpool Central Library for this fitting finale to National Poetry Day.
“I was so impressed with the standard of entries,” she said. “The theme was interpreted in a number of ways – we even had entries using the Illuminations as their inspiration. It was a pleasure to judge the work submitted.”
The standard of entries was so high that Polly created a long list and shortlist, and there was even a special commendation for a Blackpool-inspired verse.
After a reading of some of the winning works, and a hot pot supper, the audience and winners were whisked off to the Promenade to see Sarah’s work in situ – complete with an eye-catching animation by Emily & Anne.
Sarah couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice when she told me: “I think it’s wicked and I can’t stop looking at it! The animation is beautiful – I keep seeing different things in it. I’m thrilled to have been chosen as winner.”
You can see the animated poem all through the Illuminations Season – it’s opposite the Gynn Roundabout.
The complete list of winners:
Wordpool Longlist (25 poems)
Lara Clayton Light trap
Camille Ralphs Upset by its ubiquity, light turns itself in
Janet Norton Her Guiding Light
Anne Peterson Awakening
Lynne Taylor Ode to light
Terry Quinn For Finn
Fiona Jack Round the Street Lamp
Daniel Davies Greens Beach
Grainne Tobin Heavy Rain, Low Light
Anthony Watts This Evening
Anthony Watts Dust to Dust
Victoria Gatehouse Phosphorescence
Janet Lees Sister Lucinda
Janet Lees Moonshine
Sarah Leavesley That Night
Daisy King (Hylton-Potts) Sleeps
Gaia Holmes Last Orders at the Light Bar
Liz Davies The Evening Cleaner
Sue Davies The Mango Tree at First Light
Sue Davies Lucien’s meditation on the letter O
Jean Harrison Before Switching on the lights
Jean Harrison Watching from Olympus
Cynthia Mary Kitchen A spreadsheet of Stars
Thomas Capon Text Message
Jan Dean Waterlight
Blackpool Commendation Shortlist:
Robert Hill The Light Dances: a view from the cliff in September
Rachel Plummer Night Lights
Mags Bell Flashlight by Moonlight
Victoria Copeland Lit Up
Phil Howard Light Fantastic
Tim Rupp Lights
Shortlist (13 poems + BP Comm)
Sue Davies Lucien’s meditation on the letter O
Liz Davies The Evening Cleaner
Gaia Holmes Last Orders at the Light Bar
Sarah Leavesley That Night
Janet Lees Moonshine
Janet Lees Sister Lucinda
Victoria Gatehouse Phosphorescence
Anthony Watts Dust to Dust
Grainne Tobin Heavy Rain, Low Light
Daniel Davies Greens Beach
Camille Ralphs Upset by its ubiquity, light turns itself in
Janet Norton Her Guiding Light
Thomas Capon Text Message
Rachel Plummer Night Lights
Certificates
Winners:
1. Sarah Leavesley That Night
2. Gaia Holmes Last Orders at the Light Bar
3. Anthony Watts Dust to Dust
Commended:
Victoria Gatehouse Phosphorescence
Janet Lees Moonshine
Grainne Tobin Heavy Rain, Low Light
Camille Ralphs Upset by its ubiquity, light turns itself in
Rachel Plummer Night Lights – Blackpool Commendation
Images by C J Griffiths Photography
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