A LOCAL writer won first prize and £2,500 for her poem in the Stanley Spencer Poetry Competition run by the Cookham Festival.
The poem titled ‘The Heaven that Runs Through Everything,’ was written by Rosie Jackson who has lived in Frome for 20 years. Rosie’s poem was up against 250 other entries from all over the world. “I’m really thrilled to win, it’s a very prestigious competition,” she said. “I worked all last summer on five poems I submitted, and I’m very lucky that this one rose to the surface amidst some fabulous poems by other entrants.
“Poems had to be on the theme of the art, life and beliefs of artist Stanley Spencer. My poem called ‘The Heaven that Runs Through Everything,’ refers to many of his paintings, and to his conviction that the sacred is in everything. It also celebrates the natural landscape around Cookham, Berkshire, where he lived and which features in much of his work.”
The prize was presented to Rosie by Sir George Young at a special ceremony that was also attended by Stanley Spencer’s grandson. The long list of 70 poems from the competition have been made into an anthology called ‘Stanley Spencer Poems’ published by Two Rivers Press.
Rosie is well-known in Frome, helping other budding writers. She said, “I run writing workshops locally and abroad. I currently run classes on both poetry and memoir writing. My collection of poems The Light Box came out last year, as did my memoir The Glass Mother.”
To read Rosie’s winning poem, please visit the website www.stanleyspencer.org.uk and look under the heading ’News’. You can also find out more about Rosie by visiting her website, www.rosiejackson.org.uk
