The International Welsh Poetry Competition is an annual English language
poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
award and the largest of its kind in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. The contest was founded in 2007 by Welsh writer, poet and photographer Dave Lewis.
It was launched on
St David's Day
Saint David's Day ( or ), or the Feast of Saint David, is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD.
Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, ...
2007 in Clwb-Y-Bont,
Pontypridd
Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre.
Geography
Pontypridd comprises the ...
.
The competition's judges, who include Welsh poets, have included John Evans,
Mike Jenkins, Eloise Williams, Sally Spedding, Kathy Miles (former
Bridport Prize winner) and Mick Evans.
The organiser, Dave Lewis, has also edited and published three anthologies of all the winners: ''The First Five Years,'' ''Ten Years On'' and ''The Third One''. In 2020 he also founded the
Poetry Book Awards, which seeks to reward poets with a book length collection.
Past winners
*2024 Gill Learner (Reading, England), ''Once Upon A Time''
*2023 Jenny McRobert (Winchester, England), ''Pegasus Rising''
*2022 Jennifer Hetherington (Fishermans Reach, Australia), ''Cross Words''
*2021 Estelle Price (Wilmslow, England), ''iii''
*2020 Sheila Aldous (Devon, England), ''The Debt Due''
*2019 Damen O'Brien (Queensland, Australia), ''The Map-Makers Tale''
*2018 Judy Durrant (Victoria, Australia), ''Prayer To A Jacaranda''
*2017
Rae Howells (Swansea, Wales), ''Airlings''
*2016 Tarquin Landseer (London, England), ''Blackfish''
*2015 Mick Evans (Carmarthenshire, Wales), ''Map Makers''
*2014 Kathy Miles (Cardigan, Wales), ''The Pain Game''
*2013 Josie Turner (Kent, England), ''Rations''
*2012 Sally Spedding (Ammanford, Wales), ''She wears green''
*2011 David J Costello (Wirral, England), ''Horseshoe Bat''
*2010 Sally Spedding (Ammanford, Wales), ''Litzmannstadt 1941''
*2009
John Gallas (Leicestershire, England), ''The origami lesson''
*2008 Emily Hinshelwood (Ammanford, Wales), ''Visually Speaking''
*2007 Gavin Price (Cardiff, Wales), ''Concrete''
1st ever winner of the international Welsh Poetry Competition
''Official website''.
References
{{reflist, 30em
External links
Official websiteFounder & organiser's website
British poetry awards