A huge ‘Thank you’ to the Encompass Network for organising the first ever Cambridge LGBTQ+ History Month Creative Writing Competition, judged by local writers Paulina Palmer and Michael Brown. I really enjoyed hearing some of the winning stories and poems at the prize-giving event on Thursday 27th February, and it was an honour to receive 1st prize in the poetry category. Thanks very much to CUP for sponsoring this prize; I’m really looking forward to spending my book token.
My winning entry, ‘The Devil’s Droppings’, is a found poem which was inspired by a collection of things that have been said to LGBTQ+ people by other Christians. My intention with this poem is not to amplify these hurtful messages, but rather to contain them within the space of the poem, to hold them to the light, and to expose them for the ignorant and bigoted perspectives that they represent – perspectives which, for me, are far from being representative of what a loving God would say.
