Café Writers are delighted to announce the winner
of
the
2008 Norfolk Commission:
Meirion Jordan, graduate of the MA in poetry at
the University of East Anglia.
Meiron will be reading at Cafe Writers on Monday
May 11th 2009
Meirion’s inspiration for the commission comes from exploring and responding to the role of outsiders in Norwich, from its beginnings as a Saxon settlement in post-Roman Britain, through to the modern city as home to as substantial international student population. Taking its direction from the museum of the same name, Strangers Hall, in the city centre, the poems are intended to represent the rooms in the house, each from a different period of time and connected to the next in loose chronological sequence but, like any house, in no way insulated from the other rooms whose inhabitants have no quite faded our of earshot. Merion’s poems are intended to provoke engagement on a personal level with the history for the reader and to bring the reader forward through their sequence into a present both recognizable and new.
The winning of this substantial award reconnects Meirion with Norwich where he graduated from the UEA Creative Writing MA in 2008. Born in Cwmllynfell, near Swansea, he went on to read mathematics at Somerville College, Oxford. His first collection of poetry entitled ‘Moonrise’ is published by Seren in October 2008.
The
Commission
The commission, now in its second year, has been made possible by a generous private donation by Kate and Dominic Christian, who have long standing connections with the county. It offers a remarkable opportunity, in a region known for its literature connections, to build a body of work year on year that reflects the unique landscape, history and culture of the county. It aims to give a graduate a springboard to continue in their creative practise.
‘We love the county which can be such an inspiring place. We wanted to support new poetry and we feel that funding, publication and performance are all crucial when it comes to developing young and emerging talent.’ Kate Christian. Patron.
In addition to the cash prize of £2,500 Meirion will be invited to read at one of Café Writers monthly meetings alongside established poets and will also read at the Poetry-next-the-Sea festival. Gatehouse Press will publish a pamphlet of the winner’s work and the New Writing Partnership will offer support.
‘This is a really exciting opportunity for a writer at the start of their writing life. It shows the commitment to finding and supporting new talent in the area; something Café Writers have always been passionate about.’ Helen Ivory. Poet, Café Writers Director and UEA Tutor.