Top poets of 2024 announced in Badenoch
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The 2024 Badenoch Poetry Competition judge, Hugh McMillan, has announced his short-list from the dozens entries received up to the closing date of April 1.
Poems were invited this year on the theme of Kith and Kin, also the theme of the 2024 Kingussie Festival of Words.
Announcing the short-list, Mr McMillan said: “I was impressed not just by the number of entries but also by how personal, thoughtful and well-written they were.
“The short-listed entries in particular show tenderness, atmosphere and musicality while dealing with some hard-hitting issues.
“It was especially nice to have several entries in Scots, one of Europe’s most beautiful languages. Narrowing down to a short-list was no easy task.”
From the adult entries, the top four poets are: David Bleiman from Edinburgh, Karen Hodgson Price from Aviemore, Finola Scott from Kirkintilloch, and Stephen Watt from Dumbarton.
In the young person’s category - which attracted over 80 entries from Kingussie High School students - the four short-listed poets are: Jemima Benbow, Torrin Haworth, Malin Hayes, and Maisie Wallace.
Competition organiser Andrew Wilson said: “This is only the second year of the competition and we are delighted to have so many entries.
“It’s one of our aims that the competition encourages people to think about writing poetry, so it is particularly thrilling that so many great poems came from Kingussie High School students.
“We look forward to hearing the poems read at the prize-giving during the Festival of Words.”
The announcement of winners will take place on June 22 as part of the Kingussie Festival of Words.
Selected pieces will be reproduced in forthcoming Strathies.
