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National Poetry Anthology Winner - 2008

Roy Lewis

Roy (73) of Merthyr Tydfil, has won the £1,000 first prize in the UK's biggest annual free-to-enter national poetry competition.

"Roy's prizewinning poem is evocative and eerie," said United Press Managing Director Peter Quinn, who made the presentation. "It is a beautifully crafted piece of gothic poetry in the mold of Edgar Allan Poe. It's a really worthy winner in a competition which has grown bigger every year and culminated in this - the best and biggest National Poetry Anthology we have ever produced. There are 290 winning poems in it this year and the standard is better than ever."

Roy said: "I realised that this competition is a great opportunity for aspiring poets. It's free to enter and has a big cash prize. I told myself - I can do that. I might as well try, because I've got nothing to lose. It was a real shock when I was told I'd won. To be voted for by almost 300 other poets is a very humbling experience. I'm absolutely stunned."

Tens of thousands of poems were entered for this UK-wide annual competition which began in 1998, aimed at unearthing new poetry talent. Roy receives the cash prize of £1,000 plus a magnificent trophy to keep for life.

Out of all the entries that are submitted every year over 250 are picked to represent different regions in the UK and all are printed in the annual National Poetry Anthology. Each author receives a free copy of the book and votes for the best poem in it. The author of that poem receives £1,000 and a magnificent trophy to keep for life.

Roy's poem was inspired by a photo he took of his wife. Roy has been writing poetry for 50 years and has been a keen photographer for over 20 years. He has exhibited his photography for several years and has had a number of solo exhibitions. "I love to write poetry because it expresses things that I can't say in everyday words," explained Roy.

You can read Roy’s winning poem below:

 

LADY IN RED

He glanced at the picture that hung by a string,
Then looked again at the lady within,
So aloof, yet alone, so silent, withdrawn,
An impression so gentle, yet sad and forlorn.
In misty surroundings she walked through the wood,
He longed to be with her, if only he could.

Alone and lonely, walked the lady in red
With a scarlet umbrella to cover her head,
Lovely and lonely like a painting of old,
A picture to hang in a frame made of gold.
A picture of dreams, so vague yet so deep,
Does she laugh? Does she cry? Does she sigh?
Does she weep?

His chair is now empty, he's gone from the place
Where he gazed at the lady dressed in crimson and lace,
But glance at the picture and then look once again,
Look past the umbrella that's shielding the rain,
Look through the mist, just past her head
And you may see him waiting for the lady in red.

Roy Lewis, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales