It seems appropriate on the eve of National Poetry Day that we launch our shortlist for September 2018’s Pick of the Month particularly when two past winners, Jess Mookherjee and Antony Owen are amongst the six selected. Our shortlist this month, including also Amy Kean, Aaron Kent, Amanda Oosthuizen and Gareth Writer-Davies, takes us to other times, other lands, maybe even other dimensions. We are on our own doorstop or revisiting places that we must not forget. It is a wonderfully eclectic, talented group with three newcomers to Ink Sweat & Tears and three IS&T stalwarts.
Do, then, take the time to go through the superb poems below (or click on ‘Vote for your September 2018 Pick of the Month′ in the Categories list to your right on the screen.)
Voting has now closed. The winner will be announced at 4pm on Monday 15th October.
The winner each month will be sent a £10 book giftcard or, if preferred, a donation of the same amount will be made to a chosen charity. In the event of the winner being from outside the UK mainland, we will make every effort to provide a reasonable alternative. All shortlisted poetry Picks, provided they remain unpublished and meet other eligibility criteria, will be considered as IS&T submissions for the annual Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. (‘Frequency Violet’ by Kate Edwards was a Pick of the Month for November 2017 and has just been Highly Commended by the 2018 judges. It features in The Forward Book of Poetry 2019.)