The organisers of the Wales-based international Poetry Book Awards have announced the winners of the 2021 contest.
Congratulations to Rufus Mufasa for her collection ‘Flashbacks & Flowers‘. Chosen by our judge, famous Welsh writer John Evans as this years overall winner!
1st Prize – Flashbacks & Flowers – Rufus Mufasa
2nd Prize – Siarad – Caroline Reid
3rd Prize – We Are The Winter People – Jenny Rowbory
Judges comments:
The quality of the work produced by all the entrants this year was of a very high standard. Today sadly, poetry has largely become an art form firmly tied to an establishment elite and academia. Arts Council’s circulate precious public funds among a small group of people to write, publish, review (always positive), and win their prestigious sounding awards. Meanwhile poetry book sales are shockingly low given the money spent, the work is ignored outside of this cosy arrangement, and the public are either disengaged or denied access to the wonderful world of poetry. While judging this competition, I was delighted to discover that despite all of this people throughout the world are finding their own voices, creating their own publishing and performing scene, and are exploring all of the possibilities of this exciting form of writing. Poetry is reborn. It has been taken over by people of all ages and backgrounds who want to express themselves through verse.
The three winning poets were perfect examples of this growing phenomenon.
First place went to Rufus Mufasa, poet, performer, MC and mother, with her outstanding and highly original autobiographical collection. Second prize to Australian writer Caroline Reid, herself another very talented performer and wordsmith who through verse also takes us on a journey through life. In third place is Jenny Rowbory, a young girl struck down by a rare illness (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) which left her bedbound, and who has spent the following years staring at the ceiling while waiting for life saving surgery. Jenny’s poems are heart-breaking, yet her work is also inspirational, and encouraging – it is the work of a remarkable woman and another hugely talented writer.
John Evans
You may also like:
To find out more or buy copies of these great books just click the author / title above.
To find out more or buy copies of these great books just click the author / title above.
For more information just visit our website – www.poetrybookawards.co.uk
Leave a Reply