The winner of the CLPE Poetry Award 2014 is Tony Mitton for Wayland.
The CLPE Poetry Award 2014 is Tony’s first award for Wayland, and he joins a group of highly regarded previous winners including George Szirtes, Rachel Rooney, Jackie Kay and John Agard.The CLPE Poetry Award is the only prize for published children’s poetry in the UK.
Seven Stories holds Tony Mitton's archive in the National Collection as well as a selection of John Lawrence's artwork. Seven Stories Collection Director Sarah Lawrance said, "We would like to say a huge congratulations to Tony. This award underlines the significance of this archive in our Collection, and its potential as a learning resource."
Awarding the prize, the judges said: ‘Wayland was chosen for the mastery of the form, its epic nature and its beauty as a complete piece of art, poetry and legend. This verse retelling of the legend of a master blacksmith who fashions such ‘wonderful ware’ that he is captured by a king is a tour de force.’
Wayland is illustrated by John Lawrence and published by David Fickling books. Bookside Down by Joanne Limburg (Salt Publishing) is highly commended.
Now in its 11th year, the CLPE Poetry Award for a book of poetry for children was launched to highlight an important branch of children’s literature. The CLPE Poetry Award 2014 is sponsored by the King’s Cross partnership.
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