Golden Bay

We will be staging our awards ceremony in Malta, on Wed 16th October 2024, in Swizzles, at the Radisson Golden Sands Hotel. All our winners will be invited to attend to accept their prizes and read from their work.

There will be dinner after the ceremony is over, at one of the hotel restaurants.

We’re sorry we can’t cover any travel or accommodation or dinner costs, but would love to see you there, in sunny Malta.

You don’t have to stay at the Radisson. There are loads of places to stay on the island, to match any budget. But we have managed to arrange room discounts for those Plaza Prize Winners who wish to attend, at the following discounted rates for accommodation for 1 nights from the October 16th:

• Superior Country View: €170.00 per night

• Superior Sea View: €215.00 per night

• Suite Country View: €225.00 per night

• Suite Sea View: €270.00 per night

The rates described on this email are for double occupancy including breakfast. The Plaza Prizes is not involved with bookings at all so please don’t get in contact with us about this side of things. To book a room at the discounted rates, please contact the Radisson Golden Sand Reservations directly: reservations.goldensands@rdbmalta.com (Please note – you won’t get these rates if you don’t.)

Win an Extra £1000 on top of your Plaza Prize
Every year, The Plaza Prizes nominates several poems for The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. This category highlights the impact of individual poems, whether they appear in print or online. It acknowledges the power of a single piece to captivate, move, and resonate with readers.

What is The Forward Poetry Prize?
Since 1992, The Forward Poetry Prize has been synonymous with literary excellence, celebrating the best of modern poetry across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The prize’s establishment marked a pivotal moment in the poetry landscape, providing a platform for both emerging and established poets to gain recognition and reach broader audiences.

Origins and Purpose
The Forward Arts Foundation, a charity dedicated to promoting poetry, established the Forward Poetry Prize with a clear mission: to shine a light on the finest contemporary poetry and to make it accessible to the public. This goal is rooted in the belief that poetry has the power to enrich lives, provoke thought, and foster a deeper understanding of the human experience.

The prize was conceived by William Sieghart, a publisher and philanthropist with a passion for the arts. Sieghart envisioned a prize that would not only reward poets financially but also elevate their work, bringing it to the attention of new readers and critics alike.

Impact and Influence
Over the years, the Forward Poetry Prize has significantly influenced the careers of many poets. Winning or even being shortlisted for the prize can propel a poet into the literary spotlight, leading to increased book sales, media attention, and further opportunities for publication and performance.

The prize has also played a crucial role in expanding the audience for poetry. By celebrating diverse voices and themes, the Forward Prize has helped to dispel the notion that poetry is an esoteric or inaccessible art form. Instead, it showcases poetry’s relevance and ability to address contemporary issues, emotions, and experiences.

Notable Winners and Works
The Forward Poetry Prize has honored a remarkable array of poets, including some of the most celebrated names in contemporary literature. Past winners include Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy, and Simon Armitage. These poets have left an indelible mark on the literary world, and their recognition by the Forward Prize has further cemented their legacies.

In recent years, the prize has continued to highlight a diverse range of voices. For instance, in 2020, the Forward Prize for Best Collection was awarded to Vahni Capildeo for “Venus as a Bear,” a work praised for its inventive language and exploration of identity and place. The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection went to Will Harris for “Rendang,” a collection that delves into themes of heritage and belonging.

Looking Ahead
As it approaches its fourth decade, the Forward Poetry Prize remains a vital and dynamic force in the literary world. It continues to adapt to the evolving landscape of poetry, embracing new forms, platforms, and voices. Through its commitment to excellence and inclusivity, the prize ensures that contemporary poetry thrives and reaches ever-widening audiences.

In a world that increasingly values quick consumption and fleeting trends, the Forward Poetry Prize stands as a testament to the enduring power of words and the profound impact of poetry. By celebrating and supporting poets, the prize not only honors the past and present but also nurtures the future of this timeless art form.

2024 Winners
Vasiliki Albedo – ‘On hearing the seismologist say there could be an 8.5R earthquake near Athens’ (And Other Poems)
Derek Chan – ‘A Craft Talk on the Praxis of an August Afternoon’ (Oxford Poetry)
Lisa Kelly – ‘I Wanted to Show You a Donkey in the Field Or I Want to Show You the Donkey in a Field’ (The Rialto)
Tife Kusoro – ‘the only other dark-skinned girl’ (National Poetry Competition)
Cindy Juyoung Ok – ‘Ward of One’ (Poetry London)

ENTER NOW. The Plaza Poetry Prize. Judge: Lachlan McKinnon. 1st Prize: £1000 (US$1250). Deadline: 3oth September 2024.

Winning Poetry Entries
(titles listed in order)

The judging process is now complete. It’s time to announce the winners. Our thanks go to Moniza Alvi. All the comments below are hers.

1st: ‘Puck’s Glen’
Julie Sheridan (SCO/ESP)

I was immediately struck by the rich texture of ‘Puck’s Glen’, and how the poem truly inhabits language. Scots words, such as ‘a cleugh’ (ravine), ‘birls’ (spins) ‘drookit’ (drenched), take us deep into a compelling landscape. Language is savoured throughout and feels alive, fresh-made: ‘your collie quests up the glen’, ‘the light elopes’. There’s a welcome and unexpected intimacy in how the landscape is evoked in terms of a woman’s body, with ‘pools the colour of warm colostrum’ and the ravine, ‘a dark, pudendal scar’. The name, Puck’s Glen, summons the sprite of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and this sense of enchantment is further conjured: ‘Remember / life before we were witches in the woods? / No, my friend, me neither.’ ‘Puck’s Glen’ is a robust, yet tender poem, strongly engaged with the spirit of place.

2nd:‘Electric Whooper’
John D. Kelly (N.IRE)

A dead whooper swan is a source of animation in a poem of close observation and of revelation. Although mute, this pen swan facilitates both words and music: ‘I hear strange / music willing me to sing, once more’, ‘metronomic wing- / beats hang in the stilled air’. It brings about a musician’s internal awakening: ‘And in my mind, I am centred again, back / at my piano scoring a song, writing / lyrics’, lyrics inspired by, and featuring, the swan. In a powerful, musical vision, the whooper flies ‘in a ‘V’ as the lead note’. The poem travels backwards in time, culminating in the swan’s death by electrocution ‘after shorting / the parallel flow of a deadly charge’. Thus an intensifying, ultimately electric poem, honours the strength of a human connection with the swan and its haunting, enabling otherness.

3rd: ‘When our approximate present does not approximately determine our future’
Melissa Knox Evans (ENG)

This vibrant, disturbing prose poem explores the concept of chaos theory and a movement towards disorder, through a tragic traffic accident. The scenario slips and slides between time and place; the highway I-25 to Lone Tree in the USA and Selangor, Malaysia. The piece builds dramatically, evoking worlds: ‘behind the eyes of spirits’, ‘the Selangor thrummed with fire’, ‘Rain thunders down my windscreen, its dense arrhythmia’. With the flexibility of the prose poem form, this potent imagery is interwoven with everyday language: ‘John’s father calls with another update on his sister’. The piece seems to ride on its own melt, the tension mounts and the turn of events is memorably caught in the searing final vision: ‘for a split second, all I see is the road shiver and shatter open, teeming with wild, wild light’.

Highly Commended: ‘The Last Meatpacker, NYC’
Deidre Sullivan

Set in the Meatpacking District of New York, this lucid poem engages with history, contemporary life and change. The industrial past and fashionable modernity are skilfully juxtaposed: ‘He is a relic in a refrigerated space / under the footsteps / of the High Line / that raised railway now an urban path / of curated grasses and shrubs / leading to designer stores’. This solitary meatpacker moves through a surreal underworld filled with the ghosts of carcasses he shadowboxes: ‘a faux fist slap / on remembered hinds’. The atmosphere of the streets is vividly captured through the weather: ‘Outside, the suffocating / New York haze bakes / Gansevoort Street into slow motion’. Language is fully alive throughout, and the open-ended stanzas contribute to the poem’s dreamlike quality.

Congrats to the winners. They will be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology 2.

The Plaza Literary: First Chapters Prize is open to enter. Judge: US National Book Award Winner, Jason Mott. 1st prize: £1,500 & Mentoring session. Deadline: 31st July 2024.

Top 10 Poetry Entries
(titles listed in no particular order)

Odeon Days

Puck’s Glen

Frelon

Six Days Without Blinking

The Small Picture

The Last Meatpacker, NYC

Electric Whooper

In Siberia

When our approximate present does not approximately determine our future

Crossing Over

Congrats to the 10 poets who made the shortlist. They will be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology 2.

The announcement of the winners will happen on the News page next week. So, pop back to see which made the cut.

The Plaza Literary: First Chapters Prize is open to enter. Judge: US National Book Award Winner, Jason Mott. 1st prize: £1,500 & Mentoring session. Deadline: 31st July 2024.

Tips for Writing Short Poems

Writing a short poem involves several steps and techniques that can help you create a piece that is both expressive and engaging. Here’s a guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Choose a Theme or Subject
Technique: Free Writing

Spend a few minutes writing down whatever comes to mind about the topic you’re interested in. Don’t worry about structure or rhyme at this stage; just let your thoughts flow.

Step 2: Determine the Form and Structure
Technique: Poetic Forms

Decide if you want to use a specific poetic form such as a haiku, sonnet, limerick, or free verse. Each form has its own rules regarding length, rhyme scheme, and meter.

Step 3: Brainstorm Imagery and Sensory Details
Technique: Sensory Description

Think about how to evoke the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch related to your theme. Write down vivid descriptions and metaphors that bring your subject to life.

Step 4: Create a Draft
Technique: Line Breaks and Enjambment

Start crafting your lines. Pay attention to where you break the lines, as this can affect the poem’s rhythm and emphasis. Use enjambment to create a sense of flow and continuation from one line to the next.

Step 5: Use Sound Devices
Technique: Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance

Incorporate sound devices to add musicality to your poem. Alliteration (repetition of initial consonant sounds), assonance (repetition of vowel sounds), and consonance (repetition of consonant sounds) can enhance the auditory experience.

Step 6: Refine Your Word Choice
Technique: Thesaurus and Synonym Search

Look for stronger, more precise words to replace any that feel weak or vague. Consider the connotations and sounds of the words you choose.

Step 7: Edit for Conciseness and Clarity
Technique: Cutting and Condensing

Review your draft to eliminate any unnecessary words or lines that don’t contribute to the overall impact. Aim for clarity and brevity.

Step 8: Add a Title
Technique: Summarization

Choose a title that captures the essence of your poem. It should be intriguing and give some insight into the poem’s theme or mood.

STEP BY STEP BREAKDOWN

Theme: Autumn

Step 1: Free Writing

Leaves falling, crisp air, golden hues, change, nostalgia, preparation for winter.

Step 2: Poetic Form

Haiku (5-7-5 syllable structure)

Step 3: Sensory Description

Bright leaves, cool breeze, earthy scent, rustling sounds, the taste of spiced cider.

Step 4: Create a Draft

Golden leaves descend,
Whispers of a crisp cool breeze,
Earth prepares for sleep.

Step 5: Use Sound Devices

Golden leaves descend,
Whispers of a crisp cool breeze,
Winter’s breath to come.

Step 6: Refine Word Choice

Amber leaves descend,
Whispers of a chilled zephyr,
Winter’s breath arrives.

Step 7: Edit for Conciseness and Clarity

Amber leaves drift down,
Whispers of a chilled zephyr,
Winter’s breath arrives.

Step 8: Title

“Autumn’s Prelude”
Final Poem:
Autumn’s Prelude

Amber leaves drift down,
Whispers of a chilled zephyr,
Winter’s breath arrives.

By following these steps and techniques, you can create a concise and vivid poem that captures the essence of your chosen theme.

ENTER NOW. The Plaza Poetry Prize. Judge: Lachlan McKinnon. 1st Prize: £1000 (US$1250). Deadline: 3oth September 2024.

Top 20 Poetry Entries
(titles listed in no particular order)

Prophecy

Buzzcut

From a Distant Country

An Amnesty of Moss

Odeon Days

When our approximate

Frelon

Swan Catching Ritual

Not Here Yet

Crossing Over

The Small Picture

Under the Hunter’s Moon

6 Days Without Blinking

Puck’s Glen

Electric Whooper

Seaquence

In Siberia

The Last Meatpacker NYC

Cagoule

Compeche Island

Congrats to the 20 poets who made the long list. The standard of entries was high. There were 561 entries in total (including Bursary and 50% Discounted categories).

The announcement of the shortlist of 10 will happen on the News page end of next week. The final 10 will be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology 2. So, pop back to see which made the cut. 

The Plaza Audio Poetry Prize is open to enter. Judge: Paul Farley. 1st prize: £1,000. Deadline: 30th June 2024.

Pulitzer Prizewinner, Junot Díaz, will judge The Plaza Audio Story Prize in 2025

Díaz was born on December 31, 1968, in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. At the age of six, Díaz immigrated with his family to Parlin, New Jersey, to join his father, who had moved to the United States earlier. Growing up in a working-class neighborhood, Díaz faced the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language, experiences that would later profoundly influence his writing. He attended Rutgers University, where he earned a BA in English, and later completed his MFA in Creative Writing at Cornell University.

Díaz first gained national attention with his debut short story collection, Drown (1996). The book’s vivid portrayal of the Dominican-American experience, capturing themes of identity, migration, and cultural conflict, resonated with readers and critics alike. His distinct narrative voice and ability to weave complex emotional landscapes established him as a significant new voice in American literature.

In 2007, Díaz published his first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which received widespread acclaim for its inventive narrative style and its exploration of the Dominican diaspora. The novel won numerous prestigious awards, including the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The story’s blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and pop culture references marked Díaz as a master storyteller capable of bridging diverse genres.

Díaz continued to build on his literary success with the publication of This Is How You Lose Her (2012), a collection of linked stories focusing on themes of love, infidelity, and heartache. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award and further solidified his reputation for creating deeply flawed, yet profoundly human characters.

Beyond his work as a writer, Díaz has made significant contributions as an educator and advocate. He is a professor of creative writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a founding editor of the Boston Review. Through these roles, he has mentored countless aspiring writers and contributed to the literary community’s growth and diversity.

Díaz’s work is celebrated for its candid exploration of the immigrant experience and its unflinching portrayal of the complexities of identity and belonging. His personal experiences of migration, cultural displacement, and the struggle to find one’s voice are intricately woven into his narratives, providing a powerful lens through which readers can understand broader social and political issues.

More details of when and how to enter The Plaza Audio Short Story Prize will be released soon.

ENTER NOW. The Plaza Literary: First Chapters Prize. Judge: US National Book Award Winner, Jason Mott. 1st Prize: £1500 ($1750) (US$1250). Deadline: 31st July 2024.

Top 4 Short Story Entries
(titles listed in order)

Thanks to our judge this year, Vanessa Onwuemezi. All comments listed below are hers.

1ST
THE OUTLAW FIDO McGOWAN
CONOR MONTAGUE (IRE)
‘Great story, you could make it into a longer piece if you wanted, the moments immediately following Fido’s death could be more drawn out to process the information we have just learned about them both, their abuse at the hands of this priest. The police arrive very quickly also, another way of drawing it out could be to prolong the ‘hold up’ and make the most of the excellent tension you’ve built.’

2ND
DIRTY CHICKEN & RICE
SIMON ROBERTS (ENG)
‘Very well executed. There’s scope to make this a longer story, going a little more into who Spence was, or the obvious feelings of grief felt by the protagonist could break through a little more, without it tipping over into something overly sentimental.’

3RD
THE POMEGRANATE LADY
LUCY FIELDING (ENG)
‘Great melding of two stories. I’d look for ways to tighten it, the first couple of pages jump around in focus a bit, and therefore we slightly lose the thread of the story. In the first section in italics, I wonder if you could move ‘Once I was seated opposite her…’ to the beginning, to embed us in the scene first, and then you can expand out to our protagonist’s thoughts.’

HIGHLY COMMENDED
BROKEN DOWN MESSIAHS
CHARLES KITCHING (ENG)
‘I enjoyed the long flowing sentences. This piece really has something original in its language use. Some very formal word use was jarring in contrast to this and interrupted the flow, the use of ‘thus’ and ‘one’, for example. The mixture between the Simple and Perfect Past tenses could be looked at.’

Congrats to these writers, who will be awarded their prizes at our second awards ceremony in Malta, in mid-October, 2024. They will also be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology 2.

The Plaza Audio Poetry Prize is open to enter. Why not experiment with new technology and a different form? Judge: Paul Farley. 1st prize: £1,000. Deadline: 30th June 2024.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to record an audio poem on your phone for submission to a competition:

1. Prepare Your Poem
Choose or Write Your Poem: Ensure your poem is complete and ready for recording.
Practice Reading: Read the poem aloud several times to familiarize yourself with the flow and identify any tricky sections.
Mark Your Script: Mark pauses, intonations, and emphasis points on your poem script.

2. Set Up Your Recording Environment
Quiet Space: Find a quiet location with minimal background noise. Do not record in a big room with ‘hard’ surfaces, in which you can hear your voice. Try using a smaller space. Use a duvet or blankets to ‘soften’ surfaces as this will improve the chances to recording your voice so it sounds like you.
Turn Off Interruptions: Put your phone on airplane mode to avoid interruptions from calls or notifications.

3. Choose a Recording App
Default Voice Recorder: Use the built-in voice recording app on your phone (e.g., Voice Memos on iPhone, Voice Recorder on Android).
Download an App: If you need more features, download a dedicated recording app such as “Voice Record Pro” (iOS) or “Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder” (Android).

4. Record Your Poem
Open the App: Launch your chosen recording app.
Position Your Phone: Hold or place your phone about 6-12 inches from your mouth.
Test Recording: Make a short test recording to check the sound quality and volume. Adjust your distance and the phone’s microphone direction as needed.
Record the Poem: Start recording and read your poem clearly and steadily. Aim for natural intonation and expressiveness.
Pause and Edit: If your app allows, pause if needed and continue recording. Edit out mistakes if your app supports editing.

5. Review and Edit the Recording
Listen to the Recording: Play back the recording to ensure clarity and quality.
Edit If Needed: Use the app’s editing features to trim, cut, or enhance the audio.
Add Effects: If allowed by the competition, consider adding minimal background music or sound effects to enhance the poem.

6. Save and Export the File
Save the Recording: Save the file in a high-quality format (e.g., MP3 or WAV).
Rename the File: Give it a clear and descriptive name, following any naming conventions specified by the competition.
Backup Your File: Save a copy of the recording in another location (cloud storage, external drive) as a backup.
Get Feedback: If possible, get feedback from friends or family or a CW workshop before final submission.

7. Submit the Recording
Check Submission Guidelines: Review the competition’s submission requirements (file format, length, etc.).
Meet the Deadline: Ensure you submit your recording before the competition deadline.
Transfer the File: Transfer the file to your computer if necessary, using a USB cable, cloud service (like Google Drive or Dropbox), or email.
Submit: Follow the competition’s submission process, which might involve uploading the file to a website, sending it via email, or using a specific file transfer service.

By following these steps, you should be able to produce a high-quality audio recording of your poem ready for submission. Good luck with your entry!

ENTER The Plaza Audio Poetry Prize. Judge: Paul Farley. 1st Prize: £1000 (US$1250). Deadline: 3oth June 2024.

Top 10 Short Story Entries
(titles listed in no particular order)

Genjo-no Oba

The Single Glove Museum

The Outlaw Fido McGowan

Sekijang Island

A Sea Storm

Dirty Chicken Rice

Broken Down Messiahs

The Beloved

The Pomegranate Lady

Return of the Egrets

Congrats to the 10 writers who made the shortlist. They will be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology 2.

The announcement of the winners will happen on the News page end of next week, so check-in to see which stories make the cut.

The NEW 2024 Plaza Literary: First Chapters Prize, judged by US National Book Award Winner, Jason Mott, is open to enter. 1st prize: £1,500 ($1750). Deadline: 31st July 2024.