In our April competition, young writers created impactful pieces of spoken and page poetry, demonstrating the versatile nature of the poetic form. “My writing tends to choose what style it wants to come out as without asking for my permission, varying from spoken word to lowercase prose poetry,” says Anne Blackwood, winner of the Best Spoken Poem. “I think this helps my writing avoid becoming overly contrived, which cultivates greater authenticity in my work.”
Read on to meet the winners of the competition, and hear their insights on poetry, performance and peer review.
Sasindie Subasinghe, Best Written Poem:
Can you tell us a bit about your winning poem ‘After the sea’, and what inspired you to write it?
Writing in a language that is not my mother tongue has been quite a journey and that is the inspiration behind my piece. I write all my poems in English; it feels natural to me, possibly because of my Western upbringing. Still, I know that I can’t achieve the same closeness to the language that a native speaker feels—to me, it’s both familiar and foreign at the same time. And sometimes when writing my poems I can’t help but feel as if I’m betraying my own language in pursuit of another. With English, I am an immigrant who crossed the sea to arrive in another land, hence the title, ‘After the sea’.
Guest Judge Elisabeth Sharp McKetta was impressed with the emotion in your poem, which ‘simmers just below the surface’. How did you convey this emotion whilst keeping the piece subtle and open to interpretation?
Honestly, I have no idea. But if I were to take a good guess, I’d say the emotion shines through because I wrote about something personal and close to my heart. As for the subtleness, I realized that the piece would read more like an essay if I were to be definite about the story I was telling—an indistinct metaphor felt just right.
What are your current writing goals?
I want to read or perform my poetry in front of a crowd this year! It’s a scary one, but I think there’s so much joy to be found in sharing your poetry live with people and I would be missing out if I don’t. When it’s like this, I can sort of hide behind the page, but no more of that! One of my bigger goals is to write and publish a chapbook of poetry (or even a book!) within the next three years.
Anne Blackwood, Best Spoken Poem:
How long have you been performing your poetry? Does it influence the way you write?
Actually, most of my poetry is written solely for the page. I have only written a handful of spoken word pieces, and my main performance experience is in front of a camera. My writing tends to choose what style it wants to come out as without asking for my permission, varying from spoken word to lowercase prose poetry, and I think this helps my writing avoid becoming overly contrived, which cultivates greater authenticity in my work.
Your winning poem “revisit[s] a childhood moment with older, wiser knowledge”. How did you approach writing about this early moment from a more mature and reflective viewpoint?
The theme I sought to depict in my poem was the importance of wonder. Part of my personal growth has been learning to listen to my inner child and embracing her boldness and passion for life. My poem is meant to be a snapshot of those traits in action, and the last stanza invites my audience to reflect with me on the deep joy to be found in them. I hope it inspires people to get in touch with every part of themselves that makes them the fabulous individuals they are.
Are there any spoken word artists who particularly inspire your work?
Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye can be credited with being my first introduction to the world of spoken word poetry. Sarah’s authenticity and tenderness and Phil’s raw earnestness have always captivated me, and I strive to be a powerful storyteller just like they are. Another poet who I discovered fairly recently on Instagram is Abbie Chelle. Like me, she engages in both written and spoken poetry, and her gentle yet tenacious presence is a masterclass on connecting with people through art, something that is very important to me as a poet.
Ananya Venkateswaran, Best Peer Review:
What is the first thing you do when giving feedback on a piece of writing?
When giving feedback on a piece of writing, I begin by trying to understand it: its focus, its tone, its purpose. I analyze the piece the way I might analyze literature for school; from word choice, to structure, to themes, assuming that the author’s choices convey exactly what they intend. Once I think I understand the piece’s overarching intent, I look for what helps readers identify that, and what may be confusing as they interact with the piece. The feedback I give—both overall and in specific—focuses on those areas so that the author’s ideas may come across as clearly as possible.
The Guest Judge praised your review for the way it “encourages while it teaches”. How do you strike a good balance between positive comments and suggestions for improvement?
Getting feedback can be hard! I know I struggle sometimes with receiving literary feedback, especially if it’s too harsh with no encouragement (I begin to wonder if I’m meant to write at all!), or too kind (I know there’s always something that could improve my writing). I try to keep that in mind when I’m giving feedback—I want the person whose work I’m reviewing to know exactly what’s working (it’s important to know what you’re doing well at!) and what might need to be tweaked a little. At the end of the day, this is their piece and they get to choose what direction they take it in; my job is to help it on its path however I can so that it’s the best version of itself that it can be, regardless of whether that’s the path I’d have chosen.
If you could have dinner with one famous author/poet, who would it be and why?
That’s a hard question—I think that I’d likely want to set up a literary dinner banquet! There are so many writers who have impacted the writer and person I am, and getting to talk to any of them would be incredible. I think Harper Lee would have been somehow both kind and candid, and to be in the presence of the pioneer she was would be amazing. Marge Piercy would be a joy to spend an evening with—she’s so witty and has so many interesting opinions about, well, just about everything. She has got the kind of personality that shines through all of her poetry, and I think that would just light up a room. Given that I have to pick just one writer, though, I think I might pick Ben Mikaelsen, author of Touching Spirit Bear, my favorite childhood novel and still one of my favorites now. I have a feeling that he would share wonderfully distilled life advice—through his simple (yet so fabulously nuanced) narration, he just exudes a kind of gentle, compassionate wisdom.