Sunday 30 January 2011

I'm a winner!

Yes it's true. As the super sleuth team of Peter Goulding and Michael Farry have already found, I have won the Plough Poetry Prize in the short category. I am absolutely delighted.

See my poem, Amsterdam Otto Recommends and others here. Congrats to Peter for being longlisted also in the short poem category and storming through the children's poems too.

Unfortunately I have a clash on dates and won't be able to make it to Devon to pick up the cheque in person.

What I found most interesting was the judge's comments. Dalgit Nagra (of whom I am an instant fan) read a lot of levels into the poem. Fascinating.

Some background on the poem. My beloved and I got engaged while we were living in the Netherlands so we went to Amsterdam to get a ring. Our diamond seller of choice was the campest diamond seller in the whole world, Norwegian Otto of the title. The wealth of diamonds scattered was, I suppose, like the proposed wealth on offer during the years of the Celtic Tiger.

18 comments:

Louise said...

Congrats, brilliant news.

Áine Tierney said...

Congratulations. Love the cleverness of the last line of the poem! Well done. Just recently started blogging and found your blog - so useful that you provide all those links to competitions and grants etc. It's a great resource. Thanks!

Orla Fay said...

Congratulations Kate!

Emerging Writer said...

Thanks. I'm delighted. And glad my posts are useful, Aine

Niamh B said...

Fantastic News, and a great poem, well done Kate!!!

Group 8 said...

Big congrats, Kate - it's a super poem.

Vanessa Gebbie said...

Many many congrats... I can see why he chose your poem. Fab.

Totalfeckineejit said...

You're always a winner Kate!

Titus said...

Brilliant! Congratulations and hooray for cheques. And glory and good poems!

Peter Goulding said...

Hi Kate,
Connie Roberts in America has been trying to post a comment unsuccessfully, so asked me to do so on her behalf -
"Hi Kate,

I've been a lurker on your blog for a while now, but your recent good news pulled me out of the shadows: let my first post be to congratulate you on your Plough Prize! That last line is a zinger! As a fellow emerging writer, I'm delighted for you. Relish your coup...

And thanks so much for all the work you do keeping up your blog. Between yourself, Michael Farry, Pete Goulding and others, I'm kept abreast of all that's happening in the creative writing community in Ireland, and beyond.

I wish you continued success with your writing and your blog!

Connie Roberts
New York"

Peter Goulding said...

Terrific poem. Worthy winner. To infinity and beyond!!!

Words A Day said...

congratulations! I was hoping it was true!

Karen said...

Fantastic news, well done. Great story behind the poem too :o)

Frances Valente said...

Brilliant poem, absolutely love it.
Frances

Peter Goulding said...

Great poem, multi layered. Well done!! Thrilled

Emerging Writer said...

Thanks everyone. Especially the de-lurkers!

Jeffe Kennedy said...

Congratulations! I really liked the poem, too.

LauraCassidy said...

Congratulations!!!