Poetry Book Society

The T S Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme 2011

Congratulations to Liam O'Brien from East Barnet School who has won the T S Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme 2011 for his rationale in praise of Carol Ann Duffy's collection The Bees, which you can read on the emagazine website. Carol Ann Duffy was also the most popular poet on the shortlist according to the student poll.

The Bees was one of 8 collections shortlisted for this year's T S Eliot Prize for Poetry, described by The Irish Independent as ‘the world's top poetry award'. Run in partnership with emagazine, the Shadowing Scheme invites students to take part in shadowing the judges of the prize each year to select their own preferred poet ahead of the judges' decision.
 
The shortlist was announced on 20th October 2011 and a few days later students were invited to download two poems from each of the shortlisted poets' collections. They then had until 15th December to vote for their choice of winner in the student poll and to write a rationale explaining their choice, based on the sample poems.

As part of Liam's prize, he attended the Readings by the shortlisted poets in London's Royal Festival Hall on 15th January 2012. He was then a guest the following evening at the glamorous Award Ceremony held at Haberdashers' Hall in London where John Burnside was announced as the winner of the T S Eliot Prize 2011 for his collection Black Cat Bone. Liam was also announced as the winner of the T S Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme and presented with signed copies of all eight shortlisted collections.

As well as having his writing published in emagazine, Liam has also won a year's subscription to emagazine and a year's membership of the Poetry Book Society. In addition, he has won a prize for his school; a year's education membership of the Poetry Book Society.

The T S Eliot Shortlist 2011 judges were Gillian Clarke (Chair), Stephen Knight and Dennis O'Driscoll. From the shortlist of 8 below, they chose John Burnside as the winner of the T S Eliot Prize 2011.

Black Cat Bone                       John Burnside             Cape
The Bees                               Carol Ann Duffy           Picador
Profit and Loss                       Leontia Flynn              Jonathan Cape
Night                                     David Harsent             Faber
Grace                                    Esther Morgan             Bloodaxe
Tippoo Sultan's Incredible         Daljit Nagra               Faber
White-Man-Eating Tiger
Toy-Machine!!!
November                              Sean O'Brien               Picador
Farmers Cross                        Bernard O'Donoghue    Faber