Lumen Camden Poetry Competition 2012

Home>competitions>


Poetry
Novels
Anthologies
Novellas & Short Fiction
Plays
Author search
Kindle ebooks
Book Clubs

Trade
Events
Manuscripts
Competitions

2012 Lumen/Camden Poetry Competition

Judged by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy

Congratulations to Bob Cooper who has won the 2012 Lumen/Camden Poetry Competition with his poem:

Mr And Mrs Anwar And The Utter Significance Of Beds.

Bob is now working with Ward Wood towards completing his short collection which will be launched in the autumn. There will be a prizewinner’s reading from the collection at the Camden and Lumen venues (watch our events page for details when they are announced later this year). Proceeds from sales of the pamphlet also go to support the Cold Weather Shelters, and you can pre-order from the Ward Wood Web site or from the regular Camden and Lumen open mics.

Highly Commended

Peter Kennedy – ‘Three Skeins’
Roger Elkin – ‘Paeony’

Commended

Gillian Henchley – ‘Love Bites’
Roger Elkin – ‘The Other’
Zelda Chappel – ‘Open’
Eleanor Vale – ‘Know That I Loved Her’
C. Gillet – ‘Another Life’
Ray Liversidge – ‘The Lake’
Crysse Morrison – ‘Previously Loved’

Mr And Mrs Anwar And The Utter Significance Of Beds

by Bob Cooper

This bed you’re on will glide through ward doors
enter a lift before we pass exit signs to trundle down ramps
that will lead us past the empty car park onto streets
where, pushing you gently downhill, waiting at lights,
selecting lanes at roundabouts, we’ll soon be home.
There, in arms that will never be as strong as then,
I will cradle you, carry you upstairs with the warmth
I still feel shared between our hands. And I will lay you
where we both wished you to be, your head turned on the pillow
next to where mine, too, rested for all the hours we slept
because that is where I want to find out I realise
you are not here, nor there, but somewhere you belong.

Preorder the winning pamphlet: only £3 in the UK and £4 elsewhere including postage.

Read some great poetry and support London's Cold Weather Shelters.

(we will forward the winning collection to when it is available)