Forward Prize First / WW1 Poet Published – Poetry News Roundup November 7th

This week on My Poetic Side we look at a first from the Forward Prize and the forgotten World War One Poet whose work has finally been published.

A First for the Forward Prize

For the first time ever, the Forward Prize has announced that will be sharing the honour that comes with winning one of the most prestigious poetry awards in the UK between two poets. They have named Karen Solie and Vidyan Ravinthiran as joint winners in a first for the history of the prize.

Ravinthiran, who now lives in the US, was born in Leeds. He has Sri Lankan Tamil parents. The poet was named for Avidyā. The poetry collection is the result of
Karen Solie, who is Canadian, was awarded the honour for Wellwater, which was described as

Both poets will receive a cash prize of £5000.

Three other winners were also recognised by the Forward prize committee, Isabelle Baafi, of Jamaican and South African descent, and who now resides in London was awarded the Jerwood prize for best first collection with Chaotic Good, a poetry collection inspired by the story of escaping a toxic marriage.

Abeer Ameer, a poet of Iraqi heritage, who is based in Cardiff, won the prize for the best single poem in written form with At Least. Her poem was written in response to the violence of airstrikes on a block of flats and the tragedy of the media coverage of the situation in Gaza.

Manchester based poet Griot Gabriel won the prize for best single poem in the performance category with Where I’m From. The poem is described as a “love letter to Manchester”.

Speaking abut the decision to name two winners in the best collection category, the co-executive director of the prize said the decision reflected on the strength of modern poetry. Both poets had captured lived experiences in their own unique way and the judges found it impossible to choose one over the other.

New Book Showcases Words of War Poet Nowell Oxland

A newly published book is set to bring the words of the fallen First World War poet, Nowell Oxland, to a bigger audience.

“Chasing the Phantom” is a joint project between Cumbrian author Zoe Gilbert and Stephen Cooper a military historian. It takes a look at Oxland’s life and poetry. Oxland died at Gallipoli in 1915, just nine days before one of his poems was printed anonymously in The Times. The book takes a look at his early life, his time at Oxford and his service with the Border Regiment. It also features a number of his unpublished stories and poems.

The poems and stories were discovered as part of a museum research project when Gilbert was looking for Cumberland voices to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Only one private edition of his poetry is known to have been produced and of this only one copy is known to exist.