Midlands talent shines through in national poetry competition
Three of the four winners of the 2011 Wenlock Poetry Festival competition are from the West Midlands - despite entries coming from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, North America and South Africa.
Winner Lysbeth Pead from Astley Abbotts near Bridgnorth, is in her 70s and celebrates her first major competition win with her poem The Well.
Lysbeth, who completed a creative writing degree at Birmingham University several years ago, will receive her prize from the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy at the Wenlock Poetry Festival, on Saturday April 30.
Although tickets have been selling fast there are still some left for a number of events, including for Carol Ann Duffy’s Saturday evening reading when the presentation will be made.
Second prize went to Ian Crockatt of Banff, Aberdeenshire, third to Ben Bransfield of Telford and Joy Ardy of Wigmore, Herefordshire was highly commended.
Carol Ann Duffy, who is founding patron of the Wenlock Poetry Festival, was chief judge along with the Festival’s artistic director Anna Dreda, writer Paul Evans and festival Chair Liz Roberts.
“The entries were of a high standard and it was a tough job getting down to the final shortlist. All the entries were anonymous when we saw them and so we were surprised and thrilled to find we had chosen such a strong local entry,” Liz said.
Other events taking place over the weekend festival include the Ian McMillan Orchestra, and readings by former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, Jackie Kay, Simon Armitage and family events including John Hegley’s Animal Alphaboat as well as local poets and a Poetry Slam led by former Birmingham Poets Laureate Dreadlock Alien and Spoz.
Full details of the festival programme, which runs from Friday April 29 to Sunday May 1, plus ticket sales are on the website at www.wenlockpoetryfestival.org.
