Today in our poetry news round-up, we look at the badly neglected birthplace of a poet, the 2020 winners of the Speculative Poetry Awards and the Scottish Writers who have received grants for new projects.

Birthplace of Tamil Poet in Poor State of Neglect

In 1984, the ASI excavated an ancient mound that is often referred to as Kambarmedu. Geological surveys of the area showed that it had been occupied by the Megalithic people followed by people during the medieval period. Whilst the area was declared to be a protected monument following the excavation work there has been no work since.

Kambarmedu, which is in Terazhunthur, is thought to have been the place where Kambar, the Tamil poet was born.

Photos of the site were recently shared on social media and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have taken note. As a result, they have declared that the site will receive their full attention in the very near future.

It was the discovery of coins from the Chola period, together with such semi-precious stones as coral, carnelian, steatite and agate that has led people to believe that Kambar once lived in the region. A spokesman for the ASI, however, dispelled rumours that the poet might have used a newly made clay pot each day and then discarded them once they had been cooked in resulting in the creation of the mound that has been found on the site.

Winners Announced for the 2020 Speculative Poetry Awards

The international membership of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association has since 1978 presided over several awards ranging over a number of different categories. They have been awarding the Elgin Award since 2013, for chapbooks and full-length books

The annual speculative poetry Contest for SFPA is awarded in three different categories: the dwarf form category, the short form category, and the long-form category. The entries are judged on a blind basis by a single contest judge, this year that honour fell with Neil Aitken.

There were also four nominees under consideration for the 9^th Grand Master Award this year. Each of the nominees is a distinguished figure, well known in the realms of speculative poetry. The judges for this special award have named Linda D. Addison as their winner and she joins a very distinguished panel of previous winners.

Addison, as the 1st African American to win the well-regarded Bram Stoker Award,  is an author of five poetry collection. She has previously also previously been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by HWA.

Scots Writers Receive Boost to Start New Project

Three writers based in Scotland; two poets and a filmmaker have been given financial support as they begin new projects. Each of them will receive a bursary worth $2000 which is funded by the Gaelic Books Council as part of the Gaelic Ignite Fellowship.

They are all due to begin work on their projects in the New Year.