MCR Poetry Competition winners

We are delighted to announce the winners of the MCR’s Poetry Competition 2021, and publish the poems online for the first time today.

The competition was open to all members of the MCR, and entries were judged by the graduate community, who then voted for their favourites. Of the fourteen poems submitted, three were chosen for the top prizes. An additional Special Prize was awarded by the MCR Committee for an outstanding poem that did not quite make the top three.

First prize was awarded to ‘I want to be the soul the gods pour their sky into’ by Cayla Bleoaja (below left), who is studying for an MSc in Sociology. Second prize went to Dan Gilchrist (below right), who is studying for an MSt in Music Composition, for Spring Rondel’. Cayla also won third prize for ‘spool hearts’.

MRC Poetry Competition winner Cayla Bleoaja (left) and second prize winner Dan Gilchrist (right)

MRC Poetry Competition first prize winner Cayla Bleoaja (left) and second prize winner Dan Gilchrist (right)

The Special Prize was given to Jason Chess, who is studying for a DPhil on the origin and development of writing in early medieval Wales, for his Welsh poem ‘A birthday in the time of COVID ‘

To read the winning poems, click on their titles below.