From the 17th of April to the 18th of May 2020, during the height of lockdown, B&NES Libraries ran two creative, online competitions. Working in partnership with Bath Spa University and Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, they asked adult members of LibrariesWest to submit poems or short stories based on the theme of ‘Lockdown’.
The judges awarded my entry first prize, commenting:
This was the poem that wouldn’t go away. It remained with us throughout our readings. We particularly liked the pace of it, the way that it moves in space, time and scale, from the first stanza, which casts a spell, a magical recollection of both a particular time and a more specific childhood, a bit like magic, like childhood, to the more mundane, domestic and current concerns of the final stanza. It encapsulates the spirit of lockdown in both a personal and universal spirit. 'It’s nice/Right here, isn’t it? Better than any café.'
This poem is read by Chris Beale, a performance poet who runs the event series Bristol Tonic. He is a writer, producer and a real supporter of libraries.
I’m over the moon to have won. I hope you enjoy the poem, which you can listen to below.