2021 International Competition Results

Our 2021 International Competitions attracted more entries than ever before with our poetry competitions alone bringing in more than 1000 poems between them. 

We are delighted to reveal below the winning entries which were announced at the Poetry Readings and Prize Giving event which took place during the Festival in Cedars Hall on Monday 18 October 2021. 

Poetry Readings and Prize Giving 

This event was bigger than ever last year, with a live audience in the Hall as well as a large number of equally enthusiastic viewers who watched proceedings via the live-streaming option. 

Some 40 poems were read out during the afternoon – some in person by the poet, others by one of our professional readers and a few submitted by video-link. The standard was so high that Owen Sheers our Open Poetry Judge introduced a ‘highly commended’ award for the first time last year.

You can watch the event below. It is a chance to hear all the shortlisted poems being read, and to see and hear the judges’ verdict on them and on the entries in the two prose categories: Short Story and Book for Children.

Open Poetry – 2021 Winners

PositionTitleAuthorDownload Link (Subject to Availability)
1stNotes on how to pack David Underdown
2ndMinerNicolette Golding Download PDF of Miner by Nicolette Golding
3rdBreckland Flint Samuel Prince Download PDF of Breckland Flint by Samuel Prince
Hilly Cansdale Local PrizeFrost on CobwebsFiona Shillito Download PDF of Frost on Cobwebs by Fiona Shillito
Highly CommendedOn LoughriggArthur W Allen Download PDF of On Loughrigg by Arthur W Allen
Highly CommendedPomegranateMaggie Wadey Download PDF of Pomegranate by Maggie Wadey
Highly CommendedThe Shadow ButterflyCarolyn Gillespie Download PDF of The Shadow Butterfly by Carolyn Gillespie

Short Story – 2021 Winners

PositionTitleAuthorDownload Link (Subject to Availability)
1stIncident on the LineAlice Fowler Download PDF of Incident on the Line by Alice Fowler
2ndPearlsSarah Davies Download PDF of Pearls by Sarah Davies
3rdArtisan DwellingBeverley Byrne Download PDF of Artisan Dwelling by Beverley Byrne
Wyvern Local PrizeA nice Cup of TeaCaroline Rose Download PDF of A nice Cup of Tea by Caroline Rose

Book for Children – 2021 Winners

PositionTitleAuthor
1stChildren of the ScorchLu Hersey
2ndGirl Elephant WarChrissy Sturt
3rdThe Riddle of Stanbridge HallCate Holness
Local PrizeEscape from NowhereMarie Day

Young Poets – 2021 Winners

PositionTitleAuthorDownload Link (Subject to Availability)
1stEarth, Fire after Yvonne ReddickJayant Kashyap
2ndFireflyCheyenne Macrides Download PDF of Firefly by Cheyenne Macrides
3rdAfter the FallSarah Ang Download PDF of After the Fall Or Daedalus Thinks of Icarus by Sarah Ing