The International Welsh Poetry Competition 2021 organisers have announced the winners of their prestigious 15th contest, judged by award-winning Welsh poet Kathy Miles, and the overall winner was Estelle Price for her poem ‘iii’.
The winners were as follows:
1st Prize iii – Estelle Price, Wilmslow
2nd Prize YELLOW LIGHT – Sheila Aldous, Newton Abbot
3rd Prize THE FOUNDLING MOTHER’S LIST OF PAIN – Jane Burn, Leadgate
Kathy also choose another nineteen poems, such was the quality of entries this year. Although there were several Welsh poets amongst the long list, winners once again came from all over the world. Winning poems and judges’ comments can be viewed on the competition web site – www.welshpoetry.co.uk
Judge Kathy Miles said: “I found myself humbled and a little overwhelmed by the huge number of excellent poems in front of me. Many good poems failed to make the final twenty simply because of the sheer volume of outstanding entries. Subjects were wide-ranging; lockdown featured of course, as did poems about nature, family, Welsh history and myth, climate change, and sadly, also many poems dealing with domestic abuse and the decline into dementia of a loved one.
“What I looked for in particular were well-crafted pieces that had that little bit extra; poems that made imaginative connections, which engaged completely with their subject, or where a slant viewpoint or strong narrative thread gave them a different perspective. All of the winning and Highly Commended poems have those elements in common. But every poet should feel extremely proud, because the work was of such a high standard throughout. It has been a real privilege to judge the competition this year, and I would like to thank Dave Lewis for inviting me, and all entrants for their great submissions.”
Competition organiser Dave Lewis said: “It always amazes me just how good many of the poems we get are. There is so much writing talent out there and it’s great to be able to celebrate this each year. As well as being the biggest and most well-respected poetry competition in Wales, in our history we’ve had entries from at least forty countries around the globe, highlighting just how diverse and inclusive the contest is!”
To see all the winners and read the winning poems – click here.