First Prize Winner: ‘myther’ by Tracey Hope.
Matrifocal. Vatic. Mournful. Myther explores loss of connection with identity and environment. Form often symbolises a breakdown. Humanity disrespects the Earth and fails to connect with the voice of the sea. Grendel’s mother, an ancient matriarch, is mistranslated Succeeding poems are personal, lamenting a loss of identity as a mother and a woman.
Runner Up: ‘Leafing’ by Christina Hennemann
Against the backdrop of climate catastrophe, the speaker of these poems goes on a journey of self-discovery in a time of multiple crises. Peeling away layer by layer, the speaker reveals their self and creates room to grow and branch out, but always in close connection with nature and the environment.
Runner Up: ‘Naming the storm’ by Mark G. Pennington
A confessional work which follows a life through varying stages, from a stay in hospital to living rough to working as a cleaner in a car dealership. There are also poems on nature and travel, with a view of the world that is both wondrous and wrought with terror.
All 3 Titles will be published in 2024.
Cerasus Poetry 