Congratulations to Shaw Worth (Magdalen College) for winning the Sir Roger Newdigate Prize 2024 for their poems ‘At the Papal Palace’ and “After ‘Horses, Peacefully Farting & Snoring.’”
The theme this year was “animals” and poets were also encouraged to work in syllabics. The judges, Dr Erica McAlpine, Professor Helen Small, and Professor A.E. Stallings, have awarded the prize this year to “After ‘Horses, Peacefully Farting & Snoring.’” The judges commented: “We were intrigued by an ekphrastic work engaging with a YouTube animal video and social media, that was also rigorous in its versification and surprising on the level of sentence and phrase.”
Shaw commented:“I’m tremendously honoured and more than a little shocked to receive this year’s prize; it can become hard during a degree of reading verse to remain hopeful about writing it. My huge thanks to both the judges and the painted animals of Avignon.”
You can read 'At the Papal Palace' here
Congratulations also to Liv Goldreich (St John’s College) who was given an 'Honourable Mention' for their poem ‘The Fish-Eaters to Cambyses: A Reckoning.’
The judges said: "We commended 'The Fish-Eaters to Cambyses: A Reckoning' for its authority of voice, its eye for image, and ear for the line."
Liv commented: "I'm deeply moved to have been commended, especially in my first year in a city full of poets – past and present – whom I admire so much."
You can read 'The Fish-Eaters to Cambyses: A Reckoning' here