We are delighted to share the winners and shortlist for the first Wales Young Poets Award / Gwobr Beirdd Ifanc Cymru. WYPA / GBIC is a Poetry Wales UK-wide bilingual (Welsh and English) poetry competition for young poets aged 10-17, judged by Eurig Salisbury, former Bardd Plant Cymru (Welsh Children’s Laureate). The winning and shortlisted poems will be appearing in a new anthology later this year.
On sharing his shortlist, Eurig told us:
“Nothing beats reading a brand-new poem and knowing – this poet’s got it. I’m reading something written purposefully, with every word and turn of phrase intended. I can relax and simply enjoy the poem, knowing I’m in good hands. That’s the feeling I got reading the best poems in this competition, and it was a pleasure. All the poems are full of promise, and the ones mentioned will stay with me for a long while. Looking forward to seeing them in print!”
Eurig Salisbury
Winners and Shortlist 2020:
Welsh 14–17
1st place: Ar goll by Erin Brady
2nd place: Chwarel y Penrhyn by Kai Melville-Richards
3rd place: Curiad calon yn troi’n dor calon by Cerys Howell-Cousins
English 10–13
1st place: Lockdown interpreted by Freya Leech
2nd place: Life drawing by Adam Rhys
3rd place: Diary entry of a microwave by Beau Dempsey
Highly commended:
Growing by Sylvie Wharton Griffiths
Too much empathy’s a curse by Kaila Patterson
Missing by Ruby Robinson
Elephant by Clara Rees
Lonely together by Tyra Bebel
It’s good to talk by Lillie Bryers
gloglaglaglab by Morgan Kendall
Rosa by Raazie Dar
Marvellous money by Ahmed Moalin
English 14–17
1st place: Song of Ikea’s sadness by Anni Hodgkinson
2nd place: A friend in silver by Florence Bullion
3rd place: Mary Janes by Stephanie Flynn
Highly commended:
The duality of mum by Dalton Bassnett
Teacups and tantrums by Niamh Chalmers
As the ghosts crash down by Jessica Spilsbury
What happened to the watering can? by Amber Gallagher
The pilgrim by Ellie Clare
So you see Mrs Daily by Isabel Anderson
Emily by Sarah Thomas
The Feeling Reader by Bronwyn Calvert
Why I stopped waxing my unibrow by Anezka Khan
The armourer by Vivian Cheung
Soap by Charlotte Jolley
The double empathy by Morgan Rhys
The screams by Anni Hodgkinson