2024 Poetry Prize – announcing the winners …
Comments from the judges…
Each of the poems selected here was able to convey something powerful through a combination of content and poetic skill – a moment, an image, an idea that caught at us, made us stop and see something vividly, differently.
Alana Kelsall’s First Prize-winning lyric block poem, ‘eye pressure,’ is a moving perspective on how we find ourselves within the fabric of lives, and what might count as anchor as we navigate those shifts and losses.
In a tight and witty prose poem, Gayelene Carbis’s Second Prize-winning ‘Rich,’ tracks a worsening cost of living crisis through an engaging encounter with her local Cheap Shop.
Michael Leach’s Highly Commended ‘Biogeography’ uses spacing and layout to consider the interweave of life’s parade of events with place, and with memory.
These poems spoke compellingly to us as readers, helping us to understand the gifts and the challenges and the pleasure of this ever-changing life.
Congratulations
The 2024 Liquid Amber Poetry Prize asked poets to respond to the theme of ‘change’.
We have already celebrated our Longlist poets – our six Shortlist poets – and our two Emerging Poet winners.
And now …. drum roll… huge congratulations to our highly commended and winning poets…..
- Highly Commended – Michael Leach for ‘Biogeography’
- Second prize – Gayelene Carbis for ‘Rich’
- First prize – Alana Kelsall for ‘eye pressure’
A big shout out to everyone who participated – fantastic effort. And a massive thank-you to our judges Rose Lucas, Ali Whitelock and Renee Pettitt-Schipp.
First prize – $1,000
Second prize – $500
Best Poem by an Emerging Poet – Mentoring & Editing Pack with Rose Lucas and Ali Whitelock
Poetry of Change – Pre-publication offer
All the poems in the Longlist will be published in this year’s anthology Poetry of Change: The Liquid Amber Prize Anthology (forthcoming November, RRP $29.99). All poets in the anthology will receive a complimentary copy.
There is currently a pre-publication offer. Order copies now for a 15% discount.
