Yvonne wins publishing deal for work inspired by late father
An award-winning poet from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has won a pamphlet publishing deal with a leading independent literary publisher.
Dr Yvonne Reddick, a lecturer in creative writing, won the Mslexia poetry pamphlet competition for two sequences of poems: one remembering her mountaineer father who died in the Highlands last year, and one inspired by her Alpine French and Swiss heritage, which was written following Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
The national competition is open to all women and Yvonne’s work will be published by Seren next year. The win follows another recent award for the poet, after Yvonne received a Northern Writer’s Award in June for a poetry collection manuscript.
"I am really grateful to Amy Wack at Seren for this wonderful opportunity, and to Mslexia for supporting me and so many other women writers. I’d strongly encourage students, colleagues and Preston’s literary community to enter competitions like this."
She commented: “When I heard that I’d won, I was so surprised that I was speechless at first. I am really grateful to Amy Wack at Seren for this wonderful opportunity, and to Mslexia for supporting me and so many other women writers. I’d strongly encourage students, colleagues and Preston’s literary community to enter competitions like this.”
Seren Poetry Editor Amy Wack said: “This manuscript kept rising to the top for three reasons: its gorgeous thorny texture, with many words derived from Scots dialect and a colourful vernacular; its immersion in the art/sport of mountain-climbing; and a subtext that deals in a profound and original fashion with grief for the death of a beloved father.”
Yvonne, who hails from Preston, is an academic expert on poetry, landscape and the environment, especially the work of Ted Hughes.
