Sun-Tipped Pillars
of Our Hearts
Welcome to the Dai Fry Award for Mystical Poetry. We are very proud to launch the contest anthology for our inaugural prize set up to commemorate the work of Swansea poet, Dai Fry, and to inspire mystical imagist poetry. For the 2022 contest, Min Tabb (Dai's wife), Swansea poet Polly Oliver and Black Bough editor Matthew M. C. Smith joined forces to select a longlist, shortlist, then three finalists. This proved extremely difficult so Graham Parker, our anthology artist, and Dai's son, Jacob, joined the selection panel.
The Anthology
We proudly present Sun-Tipped Pillars of Our Hearts, the annual contest anthology for the Dai Fry Prize for Mystical Poetry. In this volume, we transcend multiple realms, embark on mystical journeys and bear witness to the might and awe of the cosmos from the seed to vast nebular. The poets take us deep within and to the edge. And we meet the mystic poet Dai Fry on the hill of his childhood, turning forever under the stars. The anthology's poems are given extra charge through Graham Parker's artwork. The result is a moving, beguiling collection, one that will capture you, yet always slip away.
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To order in the UK click here
To buy in the USA click here
To buy in Australia click here
To buy in Ireland / Germany click here
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Min Tabb
Polly Oliver
Matthew M. C. Smith
Graham Parker
Dai Fry
The Winners
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Lauren Thomas has been published in various print and online publications, including Black Bough Winter edition, Lighthouse Journal and Magma. Her pamphlet ‘Silver Hare Tales’ was published in 2021 by Blood Moon Poetry. She is in her second year of the MA in poetry writing with Newcastle University.
Jane Dougherty writes novels, poetry and short stories. She has published two poetry chapbooks, thicker than water and birds and other feathers, and her poems and stories have appeared in various publications.
Andy Harrett lives in Cardiff with his Italian wife. He likes to saunter through suburban streets, walk along the Welsh coast, and explore the landscape of the border country. After a long gap, he has picked up his pen once more.
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To order this anthology in the UK click here
To buy in the USA click here
To buy in Australia click here
To buy in Ireland / Germany click here
