We begin the week here at My Poetic Side with articles about poems penned by the late music star Prince, the verdict in the case of the Zambian Student who was fighting to take part in a poetry competition and the collection of Dylan Thomas memorabilia that is to be digitised.

Paisley Park Enterprises May Release Prince’s Poetry

It has been 2 years since the pop icon Prince passed away, and now Paisley Park Enterprises, the group who deal with the estate of the singer may be set to release previously unheard lyrics and poems by the late singer for his fans to enjoy.

In January this year George Boxill, the late stars produced threatened to publish some unheard tracks that the pair had been working on together. However, a lawsuit was filed against him by Paisley Park Enterprises and the work was not released. Now, in a complete about turn the, estate themselves may be looking to turn the unpublished poetry and lyrics into profit.

There is also discussion that photos and journals that have not been seen before might be published as part of the deal. Rumours are that paperwork has been filed to produce several the stars books of handwritten lyrics including a number of poems he wrote.

Whilst fans themselves might be delighted at the prospect of seeing more work by Prince, there is little doubt that the star himself may well have been less than happy with these developments. Before his death, Prince made it very clear that companies who tried to sell him out needed to be ‘shut down’.

Judge Orders that Immigrant be Allowed to Compete in National Poetry Contest

Last week we brought you the story of the Zambian student, Allan Monga who was being told he wasn’t allowed to enter the Poetry Out Loud contest run by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

On Friday the judge presiding over the case ordered that the NEA needed to allow Monga to take part. This means that next week, the student will be able to compete in Washington D.C. for the national title.

The competition will take place tomorrow with the semi-finals taking place at 9am, the final is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 7pm.

Handwritten Manuscripts by Dylan Thomas to be Made Digital

Featuring some early versions of works by the poet Dylan Thomas, several manuscripts will be digitised as part of a project that will draw on archives of his most famous works.

The collection which includes around 8000 artefact, sketches, personal photos, and manuscript, is to be digitised and made available all over the world as part of a project that is being run as a collaborative effort between the Center of Harry Ransom and Swansea University at the Texas University in Austin. The Harry Ransom Centre is home to important collections of work by the poet.

The process of digitising the manuscripts is scheduled to begin next month on International Dylan Thomas day and it is expected that it will take 8 months to complete.