Autumn Writing Prize

October 2021 marks the first ever Visual Verse writing prize. This unique ekphrastic writing prize offered writers the opportunity to pen a response to an image and submit a response within a two-hour window. We expected maybe 50 submissions or so and were astounded to receive 280.

When judging the prize we looked for pieces that hit what our editors call the "Golden V". These are pieces that have three strong characteristics:

1. Accomplished, high quality writing
2. Relationship to the image
3. Innovative and/or brave

We selected a shortlist of 16 pieces and a handful of pieces that individual editors felt were special mentions. Our head judge Preti Taneja then had the task for selection just four winners. We congratulate Benedict Welch, Clio Velentza, K Roberts and Mitra Visveswaran for their exceptional writing.

We would like to congratulate every single writer who took the time and committed to this exercise. We hope that you surprised and impressed yourself, just as you did us, and that you will continue to write in extra-ordinary ways.