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Issued:10/05/13
Budding young writers have been celebrated at a special awards ceremony after the winners of Sheffield Hallam University's annual poetry competition were announced.
Last night (9 May) award-winning poet, Debjani Chatterjee MBE, honoured Sheffield Hallam students and sixth form pupils who took part in the university's annual Uni Verse competition.
Eighteen-year-old Poppy Garrett from Brine Leas School in Nantwich, Cheshire scooped top prize in the schools competition for her poem, 'Autumn's Mistress' which explores a hypothetical marriage to the season.
Her winning poem, which was inspired by her holidays taken with her family every autumn, was unanimously selected out of 19 entries from schools across the north of England and was recognised by the judging panel as an 'inventive and powerful piece of writing'.
Poppy said: "We go on holiday every year in the autumn and it's so beautiful. We went to Hereford and I wrote this poem as we were driving out of a National Trust property and there were all the trees down the driveway and it was so beautiful but it was cold and harsh, so I imagined it as a person and how it would treat you.
"I'm so honoured to have won the competition and didn't think I was going to win. When I met everyone in the workshop day, I thought everyone was so clever and I didn't think I had a chance, so to win it is a bit surreal."
Second and third prize were awarded to Anna Shepherd from Xavarian College, Manchester for her poem 'The Dancers' and Isabelle Garside of Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form, Leeds for 'The adventures of day-dreaming'.
Sheffield Hallam's creative writing students swept the prize board in Uni Verse's student category.
Roy Marshall, 46, surpassed over 60 other entries to claim the top spot for his 'sustained and original imagery' expressed in his poem, 'Student', which explores his memories as a student nurse.
"This poem is about someone who I was working with when I was training who stuck out in my mind when we were laying out a body - which is a big thing the first time you do it," said Roy.
"It all came back to me and my poem is a little tribute to her and to the people who are doing that kind of work every day, and doing it well.
"This is the first time I've ever won anything and it feels great."
Roy's award-winning poem will be displayed as part of the University's Art in Adsetts exhibition alongside second placed poem, 'Mother Hubbard' by Jessica Cooke and joint third winners, Rosemary Badcoe for 'In the sky an aeroplane heads east' and Janet Murray for 'Inner to outer space'.
Each winner read their poems and received vouchers to spend in bookstore, Waterstones - the competition sponsor.
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Dr Chatterjee, who has an honorary degree from Sheffield Hallam, also read some of her work before presenting the competition winners with their prizes and a canvass of their poems.
Dr Chatterjee said: "Each year, this competition just gets better and better. I've been a judge for several years now and it's so nice to see the excitement and lots of buzz. The poems are exciting and every year the prize winners set the standard for next year's intake.
"It was difficult this year because we had a lot more entries, all of which were really good. But it was quite remarkable at how quickly we could agree on this year's winners and I particularly like the variety that was demonstrated in our prize winning entries."
Notes to editors
Uni Verse, which is now in its sixth year and aims to showcase student talent, was organised by teams from across the University. The competition attracts entries from courses as diverse as health psychology, maths, radiotherapy and oncology and childhood studies.
The judging panel comprised of; Nuala Devlin (director of learning and Information services at Sheffield Hallam University), Dr Harriet Tarlo (senior lecturer in creative writing), Nell Farrell (local award-winning poet and creative writing tutor), Carolyn Supinka (last year's competition winner), Paul Helm (director of quality enhancement and student success at the University) and Jess Goldstone (Sheffield Hallam University Students' Union officer).
For press information contact: Sarah Duce on 0114 225 4025 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk
