“The Blake Poetry Prize challenges poets to explore themes such as faith, spirituality, religion, hope, humanity, social justice, belief and non-belief. The Prize starts an important conversation about who we are as human beings,” said Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller.
Tonight, the winner of the 2017 Blake Poetry Prize was announced at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC), with Julie Watts (Watermans Bay, WA) taking out the $5,000 prize for her poem The Story of Julian who will never know we loved him.
Julie Watts has been published in various journals and anthologies including Westerly, Australian Poetry Anthology and Australian Love Poems 2013. Her first collection of poetry, Honey & Hemlock, was published by Sunline Press in 2013.
“Julie’s poem is nothing short of brilliant,” said CPAC Director Craig Donarski. “The religious and spiritual integrity that shines through her writing is exemplary of what the Blake Poetry Prize is all about, and we couldn’t be more excited to co-present this incredible achievement. Bravo!”
The judging panel consisted of three high-profile, accomplished writers, including award-winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke; winner of the prestigious 2017 Windham-Campbell Prize Ali Cobby Eckermann, and the winner of the inaugural Blake Poetry Prize Mark Tredinnick.
“In The Story of Julian who will never know we loved him, the hierarchy of society is untangled in a moment allowing a glimpse into compassion and thought; a sliver of the everyday dialogue, rewritten as a reminder to us all,” said Maxine Beneba Clarke.
The competition saw no shortage of excellent entries, with the Highly Commended going to Libby Hart (Elwood, VIC) for The Engine Room.
“We were looking for poetry that was strong, clear, enchanting, spiritually intelligent, and open to the world beyond the merely human. All poems on the 2017 Blake Poetry Prize shortlist revealed these worlds,” said Ali Cobby.
Taking its name from visionary artist and poet William Blake, the biennial Blake Poetry Prize challenges contemporary poets of disparate styles to explore the spiritual and religious in a new work of 100 lines or less.
The winning poem, along with the highly commendeds, shortlist and full judges comments may be viewed in full >> here
