Wordsmithery*

The Rosemary McLeish Poetry Prize

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The Prize was open for entries on the theme of 'Climate' and 'Climate Change' from 18 April 2024 to 31 July 2024.
 

About Rosemary McLeish

Rosemary McLeish was a poet and artist who died from cancer in 2020. Her two collections of poetry I am a field and Defragmentation are published by Wordsmithery. The prize supports and promotes writers, which is something Rosemary was always very keen to do. 

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Find out more about Rosemary on her website. 

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We are delighted to have as our guest judge Sarah Hehir; Poet & Writer for Stage, Screen & Radio

Sarah's writing for theatre is collaborative and experimental. She tells stories that focus on unheard voices and hidden stories. 

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In 2013, she won the inaugural BBC Writer’s Prize for her radio drama 'Bang Up', and in 2016, her TV drama 'The Seafort' was selected for the BBC TV Drama Writers’ Programme. Sarah's short play 'Echoes Through the Dust' appears in the Short Plays with Great Roles for Women anthology.  In 2016, her play 'Zero Down' was transferred from Theatre 503 to The Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

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​Sarah currently writes for 'The Archers' and wrote for BBC 'Doctors'. 

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The prize fund has been generously funded by Rosemary's widower, Richard Cooper.

 

Winners:  

Sunday 10 November 2024's first event of Medway River Lit was the prize-giving ceremony for The Rosemary McLeish Poetry Prize 2024. After Rosemary’s widower Richard Cooper introduced the prize, the winners were announced and read their poems, judge Sarah Hehir then said what she liked about each of the top three placed poems.

 

First prize went to Connor Sansby for his poem 'Marine Snow'.

Second prize to Mary Anne Smith Sellen for 'Children of the thaw',

Third prize to Barnaby Harsent for 'Wantsum'.

 

Two poems were also Highly Commended 'These Bodies' by Sarah Leavesley and 'Deluge' by Derek Sellen.

 

Well done to all the placed and shortlisted writers. It was a very tough decision for our judge Sarah Hehir.