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Magma 2022/23 Poetry Competition
The Magma 2022/23 Poetry Competition is now open for entries in both categories.

The Judge’s Prize – poems of 11 to 50 lines

The Editors’ Prize – poems of up to 10 lines

Read more here: Magma 2022/23 Poetry Competition

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older posts:

Magma 2021/22 Poetry Competition

We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2021/22 Poetry Competition

Read the poems here: Magma Poetry Competitions 2021/22 — Winning and Commended Poems

Winner of the JUDGE’S PRIZE judged by Marvin Thompson:
Gwen Sayers with Archbishop Tutu’s funeral seen from thousands of miles away

Second Prize:
Pen Kease with Talking coconuts in the staffroom

Third Prize:
Sophie Dumont with Notes addressed to the person who received my ex’s heart

Commended Poets:
Taymour Afdhal with Stumpgrinding
Helen Bowell with 闭口藏舌 / Close Your Mouth, Hide Your Tongue
Leah Larwood with House without Walls
Sophie Segura with Zodiac Is A Proprietary Eponym
James Sutherland Smith with A Walk in Winter

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Winner of the EDITORS’ PRIZE for poems of up to 10 lines, judged by Magma editors:
Tim Scott with Displacements (Armagh, 1972)

Second Prize:
Maria Ferguson with I didn’t get to say goodbye, I barely said hello

Third Prize:
Gavin Ritchie with Brilliant White

Commended Poets:
Jen Campbell with Fell
Jacqueline Hutchinson with Figure of Eight
Christopher M James with Minka
Oluwaseun Olayiwola with Uses of the Sky
Jim Patterson with Night Out

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Older posts:

Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21
Winning and Commended Poems

We are delighted to share the winning and commended poems from the Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21!

Click on the link below to read the poems:

Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21 Winning and Commended Poems

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Older posts

Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20
Winning and Commended Poems


We are delighted to share the winning and commended poems from the Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20!

Click on the link below to read the poems:

Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20 Winning and Commended Poems

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Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20 — Winners Announced

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magma Poetry is excited to announce the winners and commended poets for its 2019/20 Poetry Competition for both the Judge’s Prize and the Editors’ Prize.

Many thanks to everyone who entered our annual Competition. Our Judge Caroline Bird and Magma Editors’ have been busy reading thousands of entries and we have had some very tough choices to make, but we now have our list. Congratulations to all the winners and commendeds and huge thanks to everyone for your continuing support of Magma.

JUDGE’S PRIZE

FIRST PRIZE: Mark Russell from Arrochar, Scotland with Hospitality

SECOND PRIZE: Victoria Richards from London with The mothers scream into the void

THIRD PRIZE: Rachael Matthews from New York with Ventriloquism

COMMENDED POEMS in no particular order:

Cameron Brady-Turner from Hemel Hempsted with Animal Crossing
Katie O’Pray from Bedford with Four Kisses
Nicola Daly from Chester with All I know About: J
Sally Baker from Mytholmroyd, W. Yorks with Fear of Arsenical Green
Liam Bates from Wednesbury, W. Midlands with The Protagonist

EDITORS’ PRIZE

FIRST PRIZE: James Pollock from Madison, WI, USA with Goose Neck Lamp

SECOND PRIZE: Paul Nemser from Cambridge, MA, USA with Morning After

THIRD PRIZE: Lydia Harris from Orkney with Muldro

COMMENDED POEMS in no particular order:

Maria Isakova-Bennett from Liverpool with The Alt at Lunt Meadows
John Maguire from Northumberland with The artist responds to criticism
Ian Chamberlain from Teignmouth, Devon with Certificate PG
Dean Gessie from Ontario, Canada with existential deer
Kathy Pimlott from Covent Garden with After the Fall

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The three winning poems in each competition will be published in Magma 77, Act Your Age, and the Commended poems on the Magma website when the issue launches.

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We are delighted to announce the winners of Magma Poetry Competition 2018/19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judge’s Prize

Judged by Andrew McMillan

First prize:  Inua Ellams – ‘Fuck/Boys’

Second prize: Rowena Warwick Stillborn’

Third prize: Ben Strak – ‘Hangover’


Commended
(in no particular order)

Milena Williamson – ‘On our night out’

Catherine Norris – ‘Break the fast with peaches’

Inessa Rajah – ‘Checklist’

Regina Weinert – ‘Sheffield Fox’

*The fifth commended poem for the Judge’s Prize has since been withdrawn by the poet

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Editors’ Prize

Judged by a panel of Magma Editors

First prize: Derek Hughes – ‘A Strange Boulder’

Second prize: Kathy Pimlott – ‘Entertaining Sammy Davis Jnr in St Ives, 1962

Third prize: Katie Hale – ‘Lanterns’


Commended
(in no particular order)

Ian Patterson – ‘Violin’

Robyn Steely – ‘Still Life with Cigarette’ 

Ken Babstock – ‘Infinite Jump Glitch’

Claire Gallivan – ‘The Text’ 

Barbara Hickson – ‘At Logan Botanic Garden’

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We are delighted to be hosting our Prize Winners’ Reading in the beautiful and atmospheric setting of Exmouth Market Centre in Islington, North London. Book your tickets here

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