WHYT PUGH
is the 2018 winner of the AmeriCymru Poetry Prize and 2011 recipient of the Terry Hetherington Young Writers’ Award - their poetry and short stories have been published in Sand Hills Literary Review, Genre: Urban Arts, West Trade Review, Still: The Journal, six Chevalanthologies published by Parthian, Opening Chapter’s Secondary Character and Other Stories, The Seventh Quarry, and the New Welsh Review’s online platform. Whyt holds a PhD in Literature from the University of South Wales where they taught Literary Theory and Romanticism until 2015.
Winner's Statement:
'In the writing of The Light of Stars Long Ceased to Be, I set out to examine separation, longing, and the fracturing of identities. With the hope that this collection might offer some resonance to those facing such crises, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to share the book through the Melita Hume Prize and Eyewear/Black Spring Press.'
CHRISTIAN WETHERED
is a poet and songwriter based in Dublin. He was selected for the ‘Poetry Ireland Introductions Series’ in 2017, and has since featured in Poetry Ireland, The Moth, and Ink, Sweat and Tears. In 2018 he published his pamphlet I Don't Love You (Eyewear), and was anthologised in Writing Home (Dedalus) and Best of New British and Irish Poets. In 2019 his poem 'M1' was used for David Fox's acclaimed exhibition 'An Altered Land' at the Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin. He was runner up in the 'Café Writers' and the 'Aesthetica Creative Works competitions', and in 2020 was awarded a Development Fund by UCD and funding from Arts Council Ireland. As a songwriter he has collaborated with Loah, Trinity Orchestra and the Discovery Gospel Choir; his songs have featured on RTE1, RTE Arts, Midlands 103 and Today FM. His debut album, Mon Petit Jardin, is due in 2021.
Winner's Statement:
'I'm so happy! Thanks so much to the judges and The Black Spring Press Group. It's an honour to join such a great list alongside some of my favourite writers and musicians.'
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON
was educated at Charterhouse School, the University of Nottingham, and the College of Law. Qualifying first as a solicitor, he subsequently worked for many years as a journalist with work appearing in The Times, Country Life, The New Statesman, Mail on Sunday, City AM and numerous trade publications. His books include The Fragile Democracy (2016), Roger Federer (2017), Theresa May (2018) and several poetry collections. He appears regularly on television and radio outlets including Sky, Bloomberg, BBC Radio 4, and LBCdiscussing politics and literature.
JUDGE'S CITATION:
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