THE PRIZE

Two winners will have a 52-page collection published plus 25 copies and royalty contract.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED THIS COMPETITION. JUDGING WAS MADE PARTICULARLY HARD BY THE OUTSTANDING QUALITY OF THE SUBMISSIONS. EACH ONE ENTERED HAS BEEN READ; THOSE LISTED READ SEVERAL TIMES.

Geoff Stevens was born at West Bromwich 4th June 1942. He worked as an industrial chemist until 1995.

In 1976 he launched his own poetry magazine, Purple Patch, a successful and long-running magazine, called 'a national treasure' by The Guardian. The magazine closed with his death in February 2012. Geoff was also a successful poet in his own right being published in many magazines both in UK and overseas. We were lucky enough to be his friend and publisher, his last Indigo publication, Sleeping With You, being published just one month before he died. He saw it, he loved it, and wrote: "I’m glad that Indigo Dreams is so busy – it means the UK’s best poetry publisher is being successful." Totally over the top, but hey, who cares?

A great lover of poetry; a great man to know. We will keep his name alive through this competition in his honour.

Geoff Stevens 04/06/1942 - 02/02/2012

ABOUT GEOFF STEVENS

THE WINNERS

From an initial VERY long list of about 50 titles, we can now announce our two winners for 2024, plus those who are highly commended and commended. In making our choice we have been mindful not only of the type of collection that we at IDP enjoy publishing, but also the type of poetry Geoff enjoyed and championed. Geoff was a dear poetry friend and we want to respect and honour his legacy to poetry in our choice.

Congratulations to all!

AN ORDINARY SUICIDE by Lucy Anderson

CONVERSATIONS WITH MAGIC STONES by Vivienne Tregenza

EARLY MODERN by Michael Brown

POMEGRANATE SEEDS by Ela Kumcuoglu

THE DAUGHTER OF A MAN WHO LOVED BIRDS by Kathryn Anna Marshall

HIGHLY COMMENDED

COMMENDED

DARLING BLUE by Sarah James

WOLVES AT THE DOOR by Ansuya Patel

BRIOCHT by Pratibha Castle

COLD POND PLACES by Alice Brooker

DANDELION QUEENS by Rufus Mufasa

OILS IN THE BLOOD by Denise Bundred

THE GOLDFINCH SURVEY by Dominic Fisher

THE HOW IN THE WORLD by Louise Longson

THE WATER BETWEEN MY FATHER AND ME by Kerry Darbishire

UNWORLDED by Rebecca Gethin

YEAH YEAH INDUSTRIAL ESTATE by Paul McGrane

GEOFF STEVENS MEMORIAL POETRY PRIZE 2023

2023 WINNERS

Lucy Dixcart: Company of Ghosts

Gail Ashton: If this was a map of your life