Poets from around the UK have been revealed as the winners of the Morecambe Poetry Festival competition ahead of the festival getting underway this Friday 12 September.
The competition attracted more than 500 entries, with the winners selected by John Hegley, Rachel Pantechnicon and Francesca Beard. Once again, there was also a local prize designed to nurture the homegrown talent, with all the winners invited to perform at the festival. The winning poems will be published in the festival chapbook available on Sunday.
Festival founder Matt Panesh said: “The response to the competition was almost overwhelming, both in terms of entries and talent. I don't envy the judges’ task. Last year’s event was beautiful, putting the winning poets on before the judge, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the poets recite before John Hegley on Friday night in the Winter Gardens.
“It’s great to see the local poets on that stage performing for an audience from across the nation. Seventy five percent of our audience are from out of town, so it’s good to give them something local amongst the stellar line up of the nation’s favourite poets.”
John Hegley is appearing at the Morecambe Poetry Festival for the third time this weekend among a wall to wall line up of poetry royalty featuring Michael Rosen, Clare Ferguson Walker, Henry Normal, Nigel Planer, Jan Brierton, Robin Ince, Su Andi and Luke Wright and many more.
On judging the competition, John said: “It has been a deep immersion for the three of us and we have come up with a handful of the gems in this ocean. It is often said with competitions, 'it was difficult to judge' and as we began the reading through, there was an exclamation, 'but, there are so many winners here!' And the thing is, many of those winners are not getting prizes. But, anyway, those that are - such a range of writing: exciting, challenging, gratifying.”
The winners are:
1st
Badger in the shopping mall Paul McDonald
2nd
A pink-footed goose collides with my window Alison Carter
3rd
I took my hangover for a bike ride Ed Hamilton
Pie-fi David Swann
The art of pottering David Linklater
LA3/LA4 postcode prize:
The 90th birthday Rosemary Drescher
The toolkit Trystan Lewis
Trystan Lewis - who was the local winner for the inaugural competition in 2022 - was delighted to have one of his poems selected again.
“This means so much. I first saw John Hegley in, I think, 1994 at Sheffield City Hall and he was an inspiration. I didn’t wear glasses then so a lot of his work went over my head. Over the years I’ve seen him many times and, as I’ve got older and started wearing spectacles, his stuff makes a lot more sense.
“The Morecambe Poetry Festival is an amazing thing to behold. That first one in 2022 was the thing that got me writing again after years away from it, so it’s fantastic to be part of the festival again this year!”
Joint local winner Rosemary Drescher said: “I’ve found a home as a poet in Morecambe so the Poetry Festival is like Christmas! It’s a privilege to be part of it this year with Best of Morecambe on Sunday and to share the LA3/LA4 prize with Trystan Lewis.”
On judging, Rachel Pantechnicon said: “We had a lovely time. We drew our own spreadsheet in pencil. Maybe a ruler would have helped too, but you can't think of everything. We realise that the top two winners were about creatures. This was a coincidence. But just in case, maybe enter your stoat poem next year, that's my tip.”
The competition was run for the festival by the Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists collective.
Now in its fourth year, the seaside town’s festival will deliver three nights of wall to wall poetry with the nation’s favourites along with grassroots performances, family activities, workshops, poetry takeovers and open mics.
Weekend passes are still available at £65 plus booking fees for guaranteed access to every single event and performance including a pre-fest meet up on the 11 September. The full schedule and single event tickets are also available.
Morecambe Poetry Festival is supported by Waterstones, T S Eliot Foundation, Eden Project Communities, Wordsworth Grasmere and Morecambe Town Council.
Keep up to date on Morecambe Poetry Festival Facebook.
Tickets available from Skiddle at Morecambe Poetry Festival tickets
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Editors notes
The Morecambe Poetry Festival is an annual celebration of poetry and spoken word, held in the coastal town of Morecambe, UK. Established to promote literary arts and community engagement, the festival features performances from the best poets in the country, workshops and open mic sessions, attracting both emerging and established poets. It provides a platform for diverse voices, fostering creativity and connection among poetry enthusiasts. The event often includes collaborations with local artists, schools, and cultural organisations, enriching the town's vibrant arts scene. With its inclusive atmosphere and scenic seaside backdrop, the Morecambe Poetry Festival has become a cherished event, inspiring audiences and participants alike to explore the power of words.
