National Poetry Competition: Mona Arshi and Wayne Holloway-Smith on writing a prize winning poem

The Poetry Society

Mona Arshi, one of three judges in the 2019 National Poetry Competition, joins Wayne Holloway-Smith, the winner of the 2018 National Poetry Competition, to talk to Oliver Fox about what makes a successful poem. They discuss two prize winning poems from the competition's history: 'Oiled Legs Have Their Own Subtext' by Momtaza Mehri (3rd Prize, 2017), and 'The Body in the Library' by Jane Yeh (commended, 2009). If you'd like to enter the National Poetry Competition for yourself, the deadline for entries is 31 October each year. To find out how to enter, visit poetrysociety.org.uk/npc. Links to featured poems: 'Oiled Legs Have Their Own Subtext' by Momtaza Mehri: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/oiled-legs-have-their-own-subtext 'The Body in the Library' by Jane Yeh: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/the-body-in-the-library/