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Yesterday night I attended a poetry award night within the British Library as one of many three judges of the inaugural Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Yr competitors.
The winner was Linda France’s assortment of poems, Letters to Katlia, as pictured above – and it was good to listen to her studying considered one of her poems on the occasion. I’d have cherished to have a chat together with her, and congratulate her, however I needed to sprint for a practice dwelling from the following door St Pancras.
We three judges, Samantha Wynne Rhydderch, Jane Caven and myself, learn 200 portfolios of poems by means of the summer time, met twice on Zoom and produced a protracted record, a brief record and an total winner (counseled collections – click on right here). It was a considerably daunting course of by which I discovered myself taking part (a lot to my very own shock). Not solely did the 200+ portfolios comprise of about 5 poems every however the vary of approaches was extremely numerous.
Every of the judges introduced their very own views and data to the topic and I definitely realized lots, in addition to, I believe, contributing an knowledgeable perspective on the environmental issues addressed. To place it one other manner, every choose noticed issues particularly works that the opposite two had missed, and that made our discussions very wealthy.
The profitable portfolio is revealed, by the Wordsworth Belief, as a pamphlet, and really engaging it’s too, which could be bought at The British Library and at Wordsworth Grasmere.
Environmental points usually are not being solved at a quick sufficient fee to make an considerable distinction. To do higher we have to take extra folks, significantly decision-makers on a journey of loving the pure world, appreciating its dire circumstance after which performing to make issues higher. Among the many 1000 poems I learn as a choose I’m wondering which ones would greatest affect world leaders, CEOs of multinational corporations and my mates and neighbours. We’d like these tales and views to be instructed in profitable methods. Poetry prizes corresponding to this primary Environmental Poet of the Yr Prize ought to encourage extra publishers to have a look at this topic extra kindly as a supply of great copy. Let’s get these views extra extensively learn and appreciated!
Web sites of the winner, Linda France (click on right here), and counseled, Dilys Rose (click on right here), Kate Bingham (click on right here), Simon Fletcher (click on right here), Megan Jenkins (can’t discover one).
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