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Poetry Kit International Competition 2025
Judge’s Report
This year’s competition attracted a rich and varied selection of poems, demonstrating both technical assurance and a wide emotional and imaginative range. Many entries showed a keen attention to the textures of ordinary life—light, weather, memory, objects, and the subtle shifts of human relationships—while others reached outward toward history, art, and the natural world. The standard of the shortlist was particularly high, and selecting the final winners required careful rereading and discussion.
First Prize – Rachel Chook, “Leaving”
“Leaving” is a quietly powerful poem that captures the moment of departure with
remarkable restraint and emotional clarity. The poem’s strength lies in its
control: the language is simple yet resonant, allowing image and rhythm to carry
the emotional weight. From the opening line—“The door did not slam”—the poem
establishes a tone of calm inevitability. Everyday details such as cooling cups,
a chair “remembering / the shape of someone who once stayed,” and the fading
light of the house create a vivid emotional landscape without ever becoming
sentimental. Particularly striking is the poem’s sense of movement: the
transition from interior to exterior space mirrors the speaker’s inner
acceptance of loss. By the closing lines, the image of the once-shared home
becoming “only a light / I could no longer reach” offers a haunting and
memorable conclusion. It is a poem of quiet maturity that lingers long after
reading.
Second Prize – Matine Shelk, “Silk”
“Silk” is an elegant and delicately observed meditation on morning and the
gentle unfolding of time. The poem excels in its tactile imagery, transforming
light into something almost physical—thread, cloth, and silk. The extended
metaphor is handled with great care and consistency, giving the poem a sense of
cohesion and grace. Small details—a bus sighing at the corner, pigeons lifting
their “grey wings of paper,” footsteps crossing the fragile fabric of dawn—bring
the waking world to life. The poem’s calm, attentive tone invites the reader to
pause and inhabit the moment. Its closing image, in which the morning itself
seems dressed in silk, provides a satisfying sense of completion.
Highly Commended
The Highly
Commended poems offered a diverse range of styles and concerns. From the
imaginative textures of “Full of Holes” to the narrative charm of “Journey of a
Black Umbrella,” the shortlist included work that was inventive, thoughtful, and
emotionally engaging. Other pieces explored memory, language, art, and the
natural world with originality and craft. Each of these poems demonstrated
qualities that made them stand out during judging.
Commended and Shortlisted Poems
The remaining shortlisted poems also deserve recognition for their strong
imagery, distinctive voices, and imaginative approaches to theme and form. The
judge was impressed by the breadth of subjects—from intimate personal
reflections to wider cultural and philosophical explorations. Many of these
poems stayed with us long after the initial reading.
Overall, this year’s submissions reflected a vibrant and thoughtful community of poets. The judge would like to thank all who entered the competition and congratulate the prize winners and shortlisted poets for their excellent work.
Poetry Kit
Ekphrastic Competition for 2025
Winner
Diana Killi for Nude descending a staircase
(1912)
Runner-up
SallyAnn Ling for The Boathouse
Commended Poems
Rod Whitworth for printing with fish
Mandy Pannett for SPACES ON A SUMMER’S DAY
Patrick Osada for PICTURE
ON THE WALL.
Alwyn Marriage for
'Broadway Boogie-Woogie'
Roddy Scott for La Maîtresse Du Ballet
SUE HANSARD for WAR WORK.
Di Hills, for The Writer and her Maid
James Bain says
“A big thanks to all who entered. Once again, the overall
standard was exceptionally high, and it was a genuine pleasure to read such a
diverse and impressive array of poems. The decision regarding the winner and
runner-up was by no means straightforward, but I am confident that both are
thoroughly deserving of their recognition, as are all the poets whose work has
been commended. My congratulations to everyone who took part and made this such
a rewarding competition.” (James Bain)
Congratulations to the poets who made the final
selection.
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