Competitions

The Leeds Writers Circle runs three competitions a year. The competitions are open to all paid-up members of the circle, and are free to enter.

The current competition, for poetry will be judged by local award winning writer, Mark Connors. The deadline is Monday, March 2nd with the adjudication taking place on Monday, April 6th.

The challenge for this poetry competition is to write a Persona Poem. Whether your persona is fictional or based on a historical character, film star, musician, artist or writer or just an ordinary or extraordinary everyday Joe or Joanne, a him, her, or they, tell us something unusual, something unexpected. It doesn’t have to be true but it does have to be engaging. Tell it slant and make it count. 40 lines max. As with any poem, Mark says he will be looking for a deft sense on line and maybe a touch of musicality. Most importantly, don’t make the ‘I’ of your poem another version of yourself. Write out of your comfort zones, Good luck!

Full details of the competition can be downloaded here.

Please note: The Annavation Award (named after veteran member Anna Sutcliffe) is presented at the discretion of the judge to one entry which, while not necessarily being a first/second/third prizewinner, shows originality and/or innovation in writing style, content, presentation or any other facet deemed pertinent by the judge.

Results:

2020

SHORT STORY (judged by Alison Lock)

First: Philip Tempest – The Red Test

Second: Mark Pennington – Vuvuzela

Third: Joanna Bucktrout – Tunguska

 

Annavation award: Jason – The Day I Met Myself

 

Highly Commended:

Pat Pickavance – Honour Killing

John Biglands – Awakening

Graeme Hall – River Crossing with Night Herons

From left to right: Joanna Bucktrout, Philip Tempest, Judge Alison Lock, Mark Pennington, Jason

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2019

DIALOGUE (judged by Mandy Sutter)

First: Rita Morrison – Back Home (extract from novel)

Second (Equal): Pat Pickavance – Janice & Emma at the Swings (extract from novel)

Second (Equal): Ian Harker – Halves

 

Highly Commended:

Linda Fulton – Walls made of Cardboard

Jenny Tennant-Jackson – Consultation

Peter White – Ekphrasis

 

From left to right: Pat Pickavance, Judge Mandy Sutter, Rita Morrison (with winner’s trophy), Linda Fulton, Ian Harker and Jenny Tennant-Jackson.

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POETRY (judged by Angela Topping)

First: Gail Mosley – My Mother’s Things

Second: Stephanie Thornton – The Girl on the Bridge

Third: Andy Armitage – The Falling Man

 

Annavation Award:  Marg Greenwood – The bed of Machair

 

Highly Commended:

Gill Osborne – Continuum

Sandra Burnett – Note to Silence

 

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SHORT STORY (judged by Martyn Bedford)

First:  David Cundall – After Farsley

Second:  Graeme Hall – A History of Chinese Tea

Third: Stephanie Thornton – Getting On

 

Annavation Award:  Su Ryder – Bearing It

 

Highly Commended:

Jason – Daddy’s Girl

Linda Fulton – Take Home A Masterpiece

 

Back row, left to right: Graeme Hall, David Cundall (with winner’s trophy), Judge Martyn Bedford, Jason; Front: Sue Ryder (with Annavation trophy) and Linda Fulton. (With apologies to David from the photographer for inadvertently hiding his fine features from view!)

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2018

ANYTHING GOES (judged by Andy Humphrey)

First:  Sunyi Dean – Ice Cream and English Summers

Second:  Jason – The Woman in the Shoe

Third: Peter Richardson – The Last Door

 

Annavation Award:  Jason Heppell

 

Highly Commended:

David Cundall – Wiikwemkoong

 

Judge Andy Humphrey (centre) with winner Sunyi Dean and third placed Peter Richardson

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POETRY (judged by Sarah Corbett)

First:  Sandra Burnett – Mayday

Second:  Charlotte Eichler – Cephalophores

Third:  Emma Storr – Seascape

 

Annavation Award:  Peter White – A new day is not a child of midnight

 

Commended:

Andrew Lambeth – Why the Swan

Pat Belford – Module

Gail Mosley – Single Span

 

2017

MONOLOGUE (judged by Paul Ratcliffe)

First:  Andrew Lambeth

Second:  Joanna Bucktrout

Third:  Su Ryder

 

Highly Commended:

Ian Harker

 

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SHORT STORY (judged by Linda Lee Welch)

First:  Peter Richardson

Second:  Linda Fulton

Third:  Ian Harker

Annavation Award: Ian Harker

 

Highly Commended:

Andrew Lambeth

Tony Rymer

 

Winner Peter Richardson pictured above with our excellent judge, Linda Lee Welch.

Winners from left to right: Andrew Lambeth (Highly Commended), Linda Fulton (Second), Ian Harker (Third plus the Annavation award) and Peter Richardson (First).

2016

SPECULATIVE FICTION (judged by Justina Robson)

First:  Graeme Hall – Read Through

Second: Paul Al-Meshall – Nyaber

Third:  Dennis Clarkson – The Chair

 

Annavation Award: Sarah Dodd – The Winter Queen at the Fall of the Last Leaves

 

Highly Commended:

Joanne Bucktrout – The Spirit of Ymir

 

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POETRY

First:  Gail Mosley – After the Dialogue

Second: Paul Al-Meshall – Six Week Check

Third:  Anne Watson – Counting the Days

Annavation Award: Wolf White – Storm Variations

 

Highly Commended:

Pat Belford – Escape

 

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SHORT STORY

First:  Graeme Hall – A Photograph, Creased

Second: Suzanne McArdle – The Forward Friend

Third:  Madeleine Ritzker – It’ll be dark soon

Annavation Award Wolf White – Altars of Memory

 

Highly Commended:

Olga Munroe – Thief

Gill Osborne – Ferry ‘cross the Mersey

 

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