Alfred Poynt Award in Poetry
A prize of $350 is awarded competitively to a full-time student in any undergraduate degree program based on a submission of poetry that is original, titled, and previously unpublished. Poems must be in English and may use any style of poetry. Poems will be judged for their originality, and for their use of form and technique, traditional or contemporary, in a skillful and creative way to create or intensify themes or effects. Recipients will be selected by a committee in the Department of English and Writing Studies that will include a published writer from London or the University community.
This award was made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Alfred Poynt.
Contest opens Friday, March 1, 2024.
Contest Rules
- Entries must be submitted no later than midnight on Monday, April 1, 2024.
- Participants must be full-time students registered in any undergraduate (baccalaureate) program at Western University, including Affiliates.
- Previous first-prize winners are not eligible.
- Entries to be submitted by email in PDF format to: uenglish@uwo.ca.
- Submission must include a separate cover page marked Alfred Poynt Award in Poetry with the following information:
- your name
- student number (NO SPACES)
- email address
- permanent mailing address
- telephone number
- title of poem(s)
- contest name: Alfred Poynt Award in Poetry
- Include the cover page within the same document/pdf file as the creative work (one file in total to be submitted).
- Do not include any personally identifiable information on the creative work itself.
- Include the title of the submission on the creative work.
- Submissions will be coded by a contest organizer who is not a judge.
- Submissions must be in English and may use any style of poetry.
- Submissions will be judged for their originality and for their use of form and technique, traditional or contemporary, in a skillful and creative way to create or intensify themes or effects.
- Total entry not to exceed 4 pages. Maximum 150 lines. Entries might be one longer poem or several shorter poems.
- Submissions must be original, titled, previously unpublished, and not currently under evaluation for publication.
- Submissions must be typed on 8.5 x 11 paper in 12-point type.
- Submissions cannot be returned. Entrants retain their copyright.
- The winner will be notified by email by May of 2024.
- The results will be posted on the Department of English and Writing Studies website and social media channels.
Inquiries
Meet the 2024 Judge
Adjudication will be done by a published writer from London or the University community selected by the competition organizer.
Kit Roffey
Kit Roffey is a queer writer. They hold a BA in English and Cultural Studies from Huron at Western University. Their work has appeared in Prairie Fire, Vallum, Event, and Existere among others. They can be found on Instagram @poetry_kit and are always happy to talk writing, or debate the best pen brands, boygenius songs, and coffee orders.
PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS
Year | First prize | Title | Honourable Mention | Adjudicators |
2023 | Katherine Barbour | "Camp Wildood" | Lyndsay Momney | Jennifer Wenn, Jen Mustapha, Shannon Arntfield |
2022 | Margaret Huntley | "Teal" | Katherine Barbour | Emily Lu, Misha Bower and David White |
2021 | Akshi Chadha | "Diaspora Diorama" | Ye Shen | Michelle Arnett, Kevin Heslop, Michele (Nicole) Vanderwal |
2020 | Julia Rooth | "Dysmorphic" | Elizabeth Sak | Jenny Berkel, Sydney Brooman, Tom Cull |
2019 | Noelle Schmidt | "a demand that knows nothing" | Camille Intson | David Barrick, Sile Englert, Brittany Renaud |
2018 | Jonathan Pavey | "Unbecoming" | Camille Intson | Emily Izsak, Kevin Shaw, and Blair Trewartha |
2017 | Marta Croll-Baehre | "The Basin Woman" | Hilary Doyle | Matthew Godden, Angie Quick, Andy Verboom |
2016 | Emma Croll-Baehre | "Whereabouts i, ii, iii" | Marta Croll-Baehre | Jason Dickson, Mike O'Connor, Peggy Roffey |
2015 | Sakariya Ahmed | "Foreigner" | Robyn Obermeyer | Laurie D. Graham, Ola Nowosad, Ron Stewart |
2014 | Katherine O’Reilly | "On the Night Before Your Father's Funeral" | Robyn Obermeyer | Adrienne Barrett, Frank Beltrano, Karen Schindler |
2013 | Kerrie McNair | Alex Carey | ||
2012 | Laura Johnson | Erin Lamotte | ||
2011 | Mark MacKichan | John Vincent | ||
2010 | Millie Ho | John Vincent | ||
2009 | Saiyid Hasan | Malory Smith | ||
2008 | Amy Sanders | Brooke Nolan | ||
2007 | Kevin Shaw | Laura Krahn | ||
2006 | David Barrick | Sara Clarke, Kevin Shaw | ||
2005 | Asher Ghaffar | Jessica Balmer |