We had never run a competition before that looked for Dialect poetry, but judging it has proven to be one of the most rewarding times that I have had since I started the Hedgehog Press.
Dialect offers a richness and a reality that you often worry could be lost in the ‘homogenisation’ of language and poetry that the media imposes, for anything other than for ‘local colour’, but I was really pleased to see the diversity of approach from poets like Gavin Bourke and Kathy Finney who in the end were both Highly Commended and who displayed a beautiful and varied perspective.
The full shortlist was:
- Kathy Finney
- Grant McKain
- Sharon Larkin
- Maxine Rose Munro
- Roger Bloor, and
- Lynn Valentine
Highly Commended:
Gavin Bourke and Kathy Finney
But in the end, there could be only one and I am delighted to say that our winner is Lynn Valentine, who will see her collection A Glimmer o Stars published in 2021.
A big Congratulations to Lynn and thanks to everybody that made this such a fantastic competition.