Dirt Poetry Competition Winners!

I’m delighted to be among the winners of the inaugural Dirt Poetry Competition. The competition judges have paired me with the lovely poet Kara Barlow to create poems in response to a yet to be revealed prompt. The other couples are Morag Anderson working with Nasim Luczaj, and Linda France working with Roma Luo.
I’d like to thank the judges for this intriguing opportunity and extend my congratulations to my fellow winners and to the long and shortlisters who shared part of this journey with us.

Published by Karen Downs-Barton

Karen Downs-Barton is an award winning poet. Minx, her first collection, is published by Chatto and Windus, Penguin Random House in March 2025. Her pamphlet, Didicoy, won the 2022 International Book and Pamphlet Competition and was the Poetry Book Society recommended pamphlet 2023. Her writing incorporates experimental form and multilingualism alongside lyric pieces exploring an Angloromani heritage, times in state child care, and in diverse occupations including a magician's assistant. Karen has appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Verb, Ledbury Literature Festival, and is currently touring, promoting Minx. Karen gained a Doctorate in Creative Writing from King's College, London and is a regular workshop facilitator for Creative Future UK. Follow her on social media at: @downsbarton Instagram, @karendownsbarton.bsky.social

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