HOW TO PAINT A MARIGOLD won second prize in the Rhyme and Reason poetry competition 2015. The judge, Terry Jones, said of it: ‘This is a wonderful, elegant poem. I love the way the carefully managed thought process flows through the poem, binding the stanzas together. It is partly due to the careful syntax, but also to the rich patterning of assonance and alliteration. It is also due to the ingenious comparison of music to painting, which is the poem’s leitmotif. Gentle humour too – as in the lovely switch in the final stanza.’
PHILIP BURTON
CV – MAINSTREAM POETRY
Major poetry competitions
FIRST PRIZES
THE CARPENTER won First prize in the National Arts Centre Jack Clemo (interdenominational Christian) poetry competition.
BLESSED FAIR SONNET won the Horwich Writers Hate Crime Awareness poetry competition 2018; the poem was composed for The Hammicks 2002National Poetry Day celebration, Liverpool,
ANOTHER COUNTRY won the Sandwich (Kent) Poet of the Year award, 2018.
RAVEN IN THE MARGIN won First prize in the BARN OWL TRUST poetry competition 2017. The judge was Mary Woodward.
FLOOD won the £200 First prize in the Sentinel Literary Quarterly August poetry competition 2014.
STIR won First prize (£500) in the Teignmouth festival poetry competitio2015. The judge was Penelope Shuttle.
SHIP OF RULES is a winner in the Litfest Poetry Competition, Lancaster, 2005, and is included in the anthology.
JABBERHACKY won the Star Magazine rhyming poetry competition, 2006.
BLESSED-FAIR SONNET won the Horwich Writers Hate Crime Awareness theme poetry competition 2018.
SECOND PRIZES
ON THE LEAVE OF ALL HALLOWS won Second prize in the Horwich Writers poetry competition 2019. The judge was Dorothy Nelson.
THE LONGEST WAIT received Second prize in the Sydenham Arts poetry competition 2018.
OUT OF SERVICE won Second prize in the Rhyme and Reason poetry competition 2017. The judge, Jan Moran Neil said of it, “You will revisit this poem in the same way that the subject keeps doing. It’s such an interesting spin on the theme. And the title has not only double entendre but triple meaning. A worthy runner-up.”
A FINE LINE won Second prize in the Ilkley Literature Festival poetry competition 2013 judged by Gillian Clarke.
THE KNAVE’S GRAVE won 2nd Prize in the Manyhands Cafe Poetry Competition in 2009-10.
WAXING WISE won second prize in the Poetry Nottingham International
Members and Subscribers Winter Competition. January 02.
RONDEAU REDOUBLE was placed second in the Albistons Bookshop Poetry Competition, Birkenhead, 2006.
THE PASSING ON OF HATS won Second prize in the Originals autumn poetry competition, Hoylake.
HOW TO PAINT A MARIGOLD was awarded Second prize in the Rhyme and Reason poetry competition 2015.
HIS USUAL THEFT was awarded Second prize by Stephanie Norgate in the Havant Literary Festival competition 2016.
OUT OF SERVICE won Second prize in the Rhyme and Reason poetry competition 2017. The judge was Jan Moran Neil. The poem was performed at GX Philosophical and Literary Festival in Gerrards Cross on Saturday 23rd September 2017.
THIRD PRIZES
FALSE MEMORY received Third prize in the Hastings Litfest poetry competition 2019.
BEFORE THE STORM received third prize in the Manifold Elizabethan Poem Competition, 2003
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FRANKINCENCE was awarded third prize and CLOVE was awarded Third place inthe Manifold ‘Spice’ competition 2003, judged by Jim Scrivener.
GARMENTS was awarded Third prize by Afam Akey in the Sentinel Annual poetry competition 2016.
A WINTER INTERLUDE was awarded Third prize, by Mat Black in the Buxton Literary Festival poetry competition 2017. The prize was presented by Lady Jasmin Cavendish.
AGAINST THE STREAM won Third prize in the 2018 Cruse Line poetry competition, Arundel.
FALSE MEMORY won Third prize in the Hastings Litfestpoetry competition 2019. The judge was John McCullough.
COMMENDATIONS
GARLAND, NUT, FIGURES AND GRACE won a Highly Commended award in the Federation of Writers (Scotland) 2019 Vernal Equinox poetry competition. The judge was Stephen Watt.
The judge commented,
“Formidable story-telling, bringing both context and a dark fairy-tale to the origins of the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Lancashire. Enchanting language, layout, rhythm and rhyme contribute towards a fascinating poem which is welcomely left field in its subject matter.”
THE CLOUDBUSTER received a Highly Commended award in the 2019 South Downs Poetry Festival Poetry Competition: The Binsted Prize. The judge was James Simpson.
MOONLIGHT FOUND received a Commended award in the 2019 South Downs Poetry Festival Poetry Competition: The Binsted Prize. The judge was James Simpson.
END HOUSE won a Highly Commended award in the Pendle War Poetry competition 2018 and is in the anthology.
CANAL COUNTRY was awarded a Distinction in the Mere 2017 poetry competition, and was awarded the senior judge’s discretionary prize. The competition was organised by Pennybank Writers of Mere. The Senior Judge was Dawn Gorman
HARVEST OF YOUTH received a Commendation from Clare Best in the Binsted Arts Poetry Competition 2017 and is included in the anthology. (NOTE – After publication of ID pamphlet)
THE ROOST received a Commendation from Penelope Shuttle in The Kent and Sussex Poetry Competition, 2009.
SEASONS won a Highly Commended from Jim Bennett in the PERFORM POETRY COMPETITION 2012.
THE GATEKEEPER won a Highly Commended in The Barn Owl Trust 2012-2013 Wildlife/Conservation Poetry Competition.
VIEW FINDER was awarded a Specially Commended by Sally Spedding in the Welsh Poetry Competition 2015.
THE RELEVENT DOOR was awarded a Highly Commended from Grevel Lindop in the 2015 Mungrisdale Poetry Competition and will appear in the anthology.
THE LAND BOOM was awarded a commendation by John McCullough in the Rottingdean National Poetry competition 2016.
HARVEST OF YOUTH received a Commendation from Clare Best in the Binsted Arts Poetry Competition 2017, and is included in the anthology.
DIVIDEND was awarded a Commendation in the Milestones / WRITE OUT LOUD Poetry competition 2017 by the judge Brian Patten, and the poem is in the anthology.
CANAL COUNTRY was awarded a Distinction, and a senior judge’s discretionary prize, in the Mere 2017 poetry competition organised by Pennybank Writers of Mere. The Senior Judge was Dawn Gorman.
SHORTLISTED
THE POCKET WATCH was shortlisted in The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition 1998 and is in the anthology.
HOLY AT HOME was shortlisted and published in the anthology the Manchester Cathedral International Religious Poetry Competition, 2003.
THE POETRY SHED was placed in the top 15% in the Davoren Hanna Poetry Competition 2004.
RIDING HIGH UNDER THE STAIRS was anthologized by the Thetford and Wymondham Annual Poetry Competition 1999.
THE ICE MAN was shortlisted in the Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk Winter poem competition 2010-11.
VIEW FINDER was specially commended in the Welsh Poetry Competition 2015 judged by Sally Spedding.
SMOKE AND MINNOWS was longlisted for the Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year 2015.
ANOTHER COUNTRY was shortlisted for the Swanwick poetry competition 2017.
THE ALWIN MACHINE was shortlisted by the Earlyworks Poetry Competition 2017,Hastings, and is in the anthology.
AGAINST THE STREAM was shortlisted for the Segora poetry competition 2017.
ETERNALLY YOURS was shortlisted for the Hammond House poetry competition 2017 and is in the anthology.
MAX PASTY was shortlisted for the 2017 POETRY KIT Summer poetry competition organized by Jim Bennet.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO THERE was shortlisted in the Dempsey and Windle National Poetry Day competition 2019 and published in the anthology Alternative Truths. The judge was Callum James.
DOWNSIZING was shortlisted in the Living Well poetry competition 2019.