The annual Poetry Competition organised by the Gibraltar Cultural Services and the Gibraltar Chronicle, attracted a total of 221 entries. The Minister for Culture, the Hon Prof. Dr John Cortes, presented the awards on Wednesday 11th November 2020 at 4.30pm at the Mario Finlayson Gallery, City Hall.
Commenting on the competition The Hon Minister Cortes said:
‘The Poetry Competition adds a dimension to culture in a genre that I am very happy to support and promote. The announcement of the winners in the middle of Literature Week places it in context too. I am very pleased with the number of entries, but more importantly, with the quality of the entries.
I would like to thank everyone involved in this venture, including the Gibraltar Chronicle, the Department of Education and especially the adjudicators Mr Charles Durante & Mrs Conchita Triay. However, I would like especially to thank the many individuals who put pen to paper and in doing so allowed us to enjoy their excellent work.’
The Prize winners are:
Overall Winner: Rebecca Calderon – “Plague”
Runner-Up: James McNally – “Conversations without my Father”
Highly Commended: Audrey Maclean – “A Nurse’s Presence”
Highly Commended: Elena Scialtiel – “Tetouan”
Best Spanish Poem: Mark Montovio – “¡Que no muera el repicar!”
Runner up: Jonathan Teuma – “Tú”
Highly Commended: Elena Scialtiel – “Contágiame una sonrisa”
Highly Commended: Brian Gordon – “No me canso de Mirarte”
School Years 11 – 13:
Winner: Neil Derek Perez – “Mi surgimiento de las cenizas”
Runner Up: Sheridan Jamie Povedano – “El Enemigo invisible”
Highly Commended: Caitlin Ann Balban-Vecino – “Who am I?”
School Years 7 – 10:
Winner: Martha Taylor – “Who am I?”
Runner Up: Siddharth Lakhiani – “My Sepcial Casse”
Highly Commended: Louis Pitto – “Pollution”
School Years 5 – 6:
Winner: Analia Elizabeth Romero – “¡No Quiero Hacerme Mayor!”
Runner Up: Faye Chichon – “Just Listen”
School Years 3 – 4:
Winner: Krishaa Lakhiani – “Daddy’s Heart”
Runner Up: Avi Hassan – “Pollution”
The Overall winner received a £1000 cash prize and a trophy whilst the entry for the Best Poem in the Spanish language received a £50 voucher and a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture. Both winners also received a 3 month Chronicle subscription kindly donated by the Gibraltar Chronicle.
The winners in each school year category also received a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture, as well as a £30 voucher and pen kindly donated by the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Entries obtaining Runner-up Prizes and Highly Commended will be receiving corresponding certificates from the Ministry for Culture and a pen kindly donated by Gibraltar Cultural Services.
All winning entries will be published in the Gibraltar Chronicle.