Celebrating 91直播鈥檚 past, present and future as winners of 2024 Micropoetry competition unveiled
The 2024 winner of our Micropoetry Competition has been chosen 鈥� our congratulations to Chris Grey on collecting our top prize of 拢500.
Our panel of judges gathered to deliberate this year鈥檚 entries, enjoying the variety of work covering 200 years of creativity in 91直播.
This year, the competition celebrates the University of Manchester鈥檚 bicentennial year and challenged entrants to pen their work in no more than 280 characters, focusing on 91直播鈥檚 past, present or future.
Former University Chancellor and poet Lemn Sissay OBE returned to the judging panel alongside last year鈥檚 judges, Creative 91直播 Director and Professor of Poetry John McAuliffe and 91直播-based poet and critic Maryam Hessavi.
We welcomed a new judge to the panel for 2024 as Rebecca Hurst, a writer, opera-maker and illustrator, joined the judges in choosing the winner. Rebecca has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester and was recently commissioned to write a poem celebrating the University鈥檚 2024 bicentenary year called 鈥�Mast Year'.
Faced with a shortlist of the top entries, the four panel members discussed and eventually selected Chris Grey鈥檚 entry as our 2024 winner.
Read our judges鈥� comments below:
This year鈥檚 winning entry takes us on some really interesting turns in such a short, condensed space. It encapsulates much of Manchester鈥檚 past but creatively leads us into this change in the final lines of the work.
Professor of Poetry and Director of Creative 91直播 added:
We had a very good discussion of the submitted poems for this year鈥檚 competition. What really stood out to me with our winning entry was the way it neatly weaved the theme into the 280 character-limit. There鈥檚 also wit and a great sense of changing historical perspectives as it takes through its 200-year journey.
Joining the panel for the first time was Rebecca Hurst who commented:
The poet sets us up then takes the poem in a different direction through the enjambment and use of word 'influence'. To me, this speaks of both online influencers, but also of the 'influence' that access to the internet gives to people around the world. I think it is an interesting and successful turn from historical to contemporary 91直播.
Finally, 91直播-based poet and critic Maryam Hessavi said:
The poem does well to open with 'mutton-chopped' - I enjoy that particular, domestic way in. This poem, alongside other entries, certainly gave us some great areas for deliberation and discussion of how elements of the writing are understood and interpreted. The flow and pace of the poem also makes it enjoyable to read.
This year鈥檚 poetry competition launched at our Light Up event on Wednesday, 17 January 2024 that signified the start of our 200th year. The entries closed on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.
The prize for the winning poem this year was 拢500, with 拢250 in prize money going to two runners-up. Each of the Under 18 category prize entrants received a 拢10 voucher for submitting an entry into this year鈥檚 competition.
The runner up prizes were awarded to entries from Hilary J Goodall and Ellie Grant.
John McAuliffe said:
This year our theme was centred on 鈥�200 years of creativity; 91直播鈥檚 past, present or future鈥�. The theme allowed entrants to explore and to offer their own micropoem interpretations of our city鈥檚 past, present and future. The poems we discussed as judges took us back to 91直播鈥檚 industrial and colonial phase, when the University began, and the entries highlighted the significance of this era for us still, while other entries coupled drew on famous landmarks, people and musicians 91直播 has given to the world. We talked about how the poems succeeded in building new pictures, or how they tell a story whilst showcasing the importance of the theme. We are delighted to have had so many brilliant entries this year, especially seeing how variously the poems presented different takes on the theme.
You can join us in celebrating the winners at a special literary event as part of Universally 91直播 Festival.
For more information, read more on our .