At our 20th February meeting we were pleased to welcome award-winning poet Kim Lasky as judge for our open theme poetry competition. Kim also teaches creative writing at Sussex University and elsewhere. Her poems have appeared in the UK and the US. She won the 2011 Agenda Poetry Competition, and is currently writing a collection of poems inspired by things as varied as Glenn Miller’s In The Mood and the Theory of Relativity!
Before announcing the results, Kim outlined the two main components in a poem – subject matter and form – and how they can be used with different elements, such as language/vocabulary etc to create a sense of atmosphere and voice which reaches out to the reader. What she particularly looks for in poetry are poems to either make you think differently or want to find out more. She gave detailed and invaluable feedback on each entry before announcing the results.
The winner was Chairperson Jill Fricker for ‘Twin Towers’. She was congratulated on achieving an incredibly moving and powerful poem without being sentimental that got the reader thinking; she was also praised for effective use of a direct voice. In 2nd place was new member Eileen Masters for ‘The Call to Prayer’, described as deceptively simple and concise, yet being mature and subtle, conjuring the atmosphere of a specific culture and way of life. Ezzie Gleeson-Ward was awarded 3rd place for ‘Drive Time’ a very self-contained poem written in sonnet form but used in a contemporary way, with interesting imagery. 4th was Mark Towner for ‘Igbo’ – an ambitious and moving poem with really striking images, about suffering of the Igbo people, from whom the writer comes.
For more poetry we are hosting a Saturday half-day seminar ‘Poetry Today’ on 28th April with poet Leslie Tate, who will be looking at the work of eight contemporary poets. This is open to anyone: places £7 or £5 students. Enquiries to hastingswritersgroup@gmail.com
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