We are delighted to announce that Corinne Clark (Somerville College) has been awarded this year’s Lord Alfred Douglas Memorial Prize for their poem ‘1929-’. The prize is awarded annually for the best sonnet or other poem written in English and in strict rhyming metre.
The judges praised Corinne’s work, commenting: “We admired all three sonnets of Corinne Clark, by turns inventive, jazzy, and moving. Of these, ‘1929-’ stood out for its directness in the face of grief, and the strength of its quiet conclusion.”
Corinne commented: "This poem was written for my grandma. The Lord Alfred Douglas Memorial prize marked my first attempts to wrestle with the sonnet form and its traditional structure, rhyme and metre – deciding when to break it, when to bend it, when to let it be. It means so much to me that this sonnet in particular has been recognised, and I am grateful to the prize for inspiring me to write in a form which I would otherwise not have attempted, to the judges for their compassion and interest, and to my wonderful grandma, Evelyn."
Sam Collier (St. Catherine’s College) was awarded runner-up for their poem ‘On a couple good concerts’. The judges remarked: “We would like to commend Sam Collier for ‘On a couple good concerts’—perhaps the first ever sonnet about a mosh pit—for the working out of its ingenious metaphysical conceit and musical last line.”
Sam commented: "I'm absolutely delighted to get runner-up for this prize! The sonnet is a feat of wonder for what it can contain in so little, and I hope I've done the format justice in describing the sensation of a Limp Bizkit pit!"
Isabella Cho (Worcester College) was also awarded runner-up for their poem ‘Aphid Monody’. The judges commented: “We would also like to commend Isabella Cho for ‘Aphid Monody,’ sure-footed and flawless in its execution, for its contemporary verve and wit.”
Isabella said: "My growing sense is that the best, maybe the only, way to grasp how verse might blow open our habituated ways of seeing is by trying it out for ourselves. I’m grateful for the chance to have submitted to this wonderful prize, and am doubly grateful to have done so at an institution that boasts such a storied relationship to the sonnet form!"
Congratulations to all three poets on their exceptional achievements!
