Dawn Gorman believes poetry should be everywhere - puts it on beermats, uses it to
work with people with memory loss, facilitates writing workshops, organises poetry
events and runs international poetry competitions. She is widely published, and has
performed in New York, Paris, London - and lots of smaller places in between.

“Poetry isn't a profession, it's a way of life. It's an empty basket;
you put your life into it and make something out of that.” Mary Oliver

Bradford on Avon Arts Festival Flights of Fancy Poetry Competition. Judge: Carrie Etter

Poems-on-a-Beermat Competition 2014

Bradford on Avon Fringe Festival Open Poetry Competition 2013

Words & Ears/Bradford on Avon Fringe Festival Open Poetry Competition 2012

Bradford on Avon Fringe Festival Poetry Competition 2011

First

Lesley Saunders, Berkshire

Adam

Second

John Glenday, Inverness-shire

A Pint of Light

Third

Roy Marshall, Leicestershire

Night Swimming

Highly Commended

Tammy Adams, Northumberland

Rock Plain Boxing Club

Russ Berry, West Midlands

How She Wrote Your Name

Rosie Jackson, Somerset

Night Sky

Ruth Roberts Owen, Gwynedd

Spell

Rick Rycroft, Somerset

Sunlight

Susan Utting, Berkshire

Pale

Sarah Westcott, Kent

Riverside

Rock Plain Boxing Club

by Tammy Adams

I dream about the Rock Plain Boxing Club.
Wake up anguished
by its non existence.
I cry for the respected founder
who will never channel the town's young men.
The august officials
who will never holler seconds out.
The local lightweight hero
who will never box me to life.

Judge's Comments - Martin Malone

This poem approached the subject in such an askance way that I missed its cheeky connection to the theme at first. I confess, I enjoyed the poem and set it aside to maybe follow up for The Interpreter's House. Then the old welterweight in me noticed the the local hero's weight category and just had to have it.