My first posts on this website blog were a tongue-in-cheek look at some recent competitions I didn't win. Here is a post that gladdens my heart to write; the sweet smell of success.

I receive newsletter updates from Cinnamon Press by email, which include news, book launches, events, and competition results. I began the year reading in the January newsletter that my poem 'Turandot' made the shortlist for the Cinnamon single poem prize, judged by Judy Kendall, which got my year off to a brilliant start.

On 10th May the latest newsletter arrived bearing the title Pamphlet Results. I started reading the long list and there was my name! I continued reading and there in the shortlist again was my name! At the end of the results came the four winning pamphlets, and there with 'Dressing Up' was my name.

Two factors that really boost my confidence are that the pamphlets were submitted under a pseudonym, and the judge was Ian Gregson who I have never before spoken to. I have talked to Jan Fortune, editor of Cinnamon Press, many times over the years, have been to Cinnamon events including Jan reading her own poetry, so the confidence boost comes from knowing it is my poetry that is speaking for itself, not any good favour that I have accrued.

Giles Turnbull — Dressing Up. These poems use energetic and open free verse forms to evoke the slippery and mercurial nature of contemporary urban experience, and have a conspicuous command of voice and tone, so that they are very lively but also capable of shifting, with high intelligence, into more meditative modes. (Pamphlet competition judge, Ian Gregson)

I am looking forward to reading the other 3 winning poetry pamphlets too: 'The Book of the Breast' by Dana Smith, 'An Amphitheatre of Moss' by Sarah Watkinson and 'The Phantom Fundamental' by Ruby Turok Squire.

Do go over to the Cinnamon Press website and look at all the lovely books and pamphlets that are available in the online store. Sign up to their newsletter and keep your eyes on their competitions :)

The four winning pamphlets, including 'Dressing Up', poems by Giles L. Turnbull will be published by Cinnamon in 2017. Leave a comment or drop me a message on Facebook or Twitter, and I will update you as publication gets closer.