Chch winner of poetry award

Press, 12 November 1985, Page 8

Chch winner of poetry award

Alexa Walters, aged 16, of Christchurch, who has won the 1985 P.E.N. young writers’ incentive award for poetry. Miss Walters, who recently had her name changed from Anna by deed poll, had not heard of her win from competition organisers when approached by “The Press,” yesterday. The news media had been sent the results. The poetry judge, Mrs Betty Gilderdale, of Auckland, said yesterday that she had awarded first-placing to the poems by Miss Walters KS 5 Her writing «“ entered J™, u nnems on a variety about 14 pwms on fgv of topics. She sai fae ouritf wm callefl

Dying Bird.” Last year she received the Peter Smart Memorial award for original writing. Miss Walters said she sometimes wrote three poems a week and sometimes none at all, but she threw most of her work away. “I learned to read on poetry and I have really been reading it ever since.” She has just finished her seventh-form year at Bumside High School and thinks she may go to university next year to study art. More than 300 poems were entered in the competition, the competitors ranging in age from nine to 19. Tilly Flood, aged 19, of Christchurch, won the second award in the poetry competition, and Samara McDowell, aged 17, of Wellington, was third.