Three talented local poets received prizes last night after being named as the winners of ‘The Writing on the Wall’ poetry competition in Mansfield.
Three talented local poets received prizes last night after being named as the winners of ‘The Writing on the Wall’ poetry competition in Mansfield.
An awards ceremony was held at Mansfield Museum to celebrate the winning and shortlisted poets, who received their prizes and copies of a printed anthology of 15 shortlisted entries.
Launched in March by Mansfield District Council, the competition invited local people to submit poems inspired by the words from the town’s Memorial Garden including community, hope, kindness, courage, strength and respect.
A mural to be added to the rear wall of the Old Town Hall, which overlooks the garden, will be inspired by words from some of the 60-plus poems entered into the competition.
First prize went to Stephanie Bognar, who is Mansfield born and bred, and was thrilled at winning the competition with her poem “Stop and See”.
She said: “I wasn’t expecting to win. I have written a few nonsense rhymes for myself in the past, but I haven’t written for a long time.”
Stephanie, who works in education, is also supportive of efforts to revitalise the town centre and improve life for residents and wanted to inspire others to be positive about Mansfield's future and to feel that when they are troubled, they are not alone.
“Mansfield has a lot of hidden talent and has lots to offer,” she said. “Creative writing has to mean something, and you have to feel something. I entered on a whim because I related to the words of the Memorial Garden.
“The town has a lot of heritage and history, and it tends to wear its pain on its sleeve. We have all suffered loss; we all have something we want to memorialise and we all want to feel like we are not alone.”
Runner-up in the competition was Lisa Brown with her poem “Kindness”, and third was Laura Leedham with her poem, “Stones that Hold our Stories”.
Lisa, a volunteer at King’s Mill Hospital, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, said: “I was inspired to enter the competition because my volunteering role makes me very aware of the need for kindness towards others when you don’t know what is going on in their lives behind the surface.”
Laura, who works with children with special needs, said: “I entered because I was inspired by the theme words, which resonate with how I feel about Mansfield, my hometown. I wanted to inspire children to look around them and be proud of the place they live.”
The competition was part of Mansfield Townscape Heritage Project which is helping to repair the rear wall of Old Town Hall and create the mural.
Shortlisted poems were judged anonymously by Mansfield Poet Laureate, Richard C. Bower who attended the awards ceremony along with Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams, who said: “What amazing talent we have in Mansfield!
“We knew people here would rise to the challenge and give us some good poetry, but we were bowled over by the quality of the writing.
“Very well done to all the winners of this competition. I can’t wait to see how these poems inspire the artwork on the back of the Old Town Hall.”
Competition organiser Theresa Workman added: “It was difficult to narrow the entries down for a shortlist, so we were extremely grateful to Richard C Bower for taking on the final judging.”
About Mansfield Townscape Heritage Project
Mansfield Townscape Heritage Project is a £1.3m project set up in 2018 and supported by The National Heritage Lottery Fund and players of The National Lottery.
The scheme has part-funded architectural improvements to 11 privately owned properties in the town centre and has now been extended to include renovations to the Old Town Hall.
These will focus on restoring two shopfronts in Queen’s Walk. The facades of the shops were originally designed by the renowned local architect Watson Fothergill with ornate stonework. They were altered in the 1960s which resulted many original architectural features being removed or concealed.
There will also be repairs using traditional lime render to the uneven stonework to the rear of the Grade 2* listed building (pictured) and a mural will be added to the wall as a visually appealing and respectful backdrop to the Memorial Garden.
The cost of extending the project is about £200,000, funded by The National Heritage Lottery Fund and £90,000 from the council’s allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The winning poem
Stop and See
Ayup!
Sit yersen dahn,
Here in this small garden of ahn.
Think about the day,
Or don’t think abaht owt.
Sit alone or with a friend,
Whatever floats your boat.
Are your feet aching?
Are your hands full?
Take a moment to yersen,
Weather shine or dull.
Is your mind restless?
Or your heart full of woe?
Do you need a break
From the stress of tomorrow?
Do you miss how things were?
Think, ‘It can’t get any woss!’
Are dark thoughts consuming you?
Fear, frustration, and loss?
Stop.
Take a break,
Close your eyes.
If your limbs need rest.
Your hands full of good buys.
Rest, breathe, and observe,
All walks of life you’ll see.
Different feelings and faces
Create our community.
Reflect on your surroundings,
See you’re not alone.
Everyone carries an inner burden.
Heavy, secret, or unknown.
Take courage in yourself,
You’re stronger than you know.
Loss is a part of life,
And gives you room to grow.
Be proud of yourself,
You’ve come this far.
You’ll never finish discovering
Who you really are.
See.
If these walls could talk, what tales
Of support and strength they’d tell!
‘Chin up! Head high! Is the only way
To read these words well!’
If you find inspiration in them,
Take it home with you.
Share your ideas and passions.
The quirks that make you you.
A simple act of kindness
Can cheer up someone’s day.
And in return, their thanks
Can also go a long way.
Don’t give up hope,
There’s plenty more to do.
For every thing ending,
Something starts anew.
So, are ye guin’ inte tahn?
Or are ye guin’ om?
The adventure is still ahead of you,
No matter where you’re from.