Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Bridport Prize blogger in residence...

I am delighted to be The Bridport Prize's first blogger in residence for their lovely new website.
The first  post has gone up - in which I natter about my win in 2007 and what it has meant. http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/blog/turning-points-vanessa-gebbies-blog-her-2007-bridport-prize-win

I will be writing something every couple of weeks for the next few months - so if you have anything you'd like me to address, please do say and I will do my best!
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12 comments:

  1. Sue Guiney23 January 2013 at 02:10

    How terrific! Off to read it now....

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  2. Shelley23 January 2013 at 08:14

    Hi Vanessa,

    I've just read your blog on the Bridport Prize, it was really interesting. What an amazing competition to win. I can imagine that it gave your confidence as a writer a real boost. As a currently unpublished writer myself, I wonder at what point you can call yourself a writer? I write and I consider that to be enough but the little voice in my head often interrupts and tells me that I shouldn't class myself as such until I have the validation of somebody wanting to publish my work. Have you always considered yourself a writer, even before being published?
    Warm wishes
    Shelley

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    1. Vanessa Gebbie23 January 2013 at 14:05

      Hi Shelley - thank you for reading, and thinking, and posting and asking...and it's a very good question. I will use it in a forthcoming post on the Bridport blog - watch this space!

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  3. Sally Zigmond23 January 2013 at 09:35

    An excellent piece, Vanessa. I have entered the competition a couple of times in the past only for my manuscript to sink in the mire. I remember being particularly disheartened by one judge's report in which he described most of the entries that didn't make the short-list as dross. Well, you know me. I assumed he was squinting at my manuscript as he wrote that!

    And I understand entirely what you mean by validation. That's why I would never ever self-publish.) Bridport is my Holy Grail. So, girding my loins, and strapping on my sword. I shall venture forth once more this year.

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  4. Vanessa Gebbie23 January 2013 at 14:11

    Hi Sally - we think alike, me dear! I sent in a poem which was sent to the judge one year (along with another squillion) and it was of course, a work of utter genius, made up of two line stanzas, and rather long. It didnt get anywhere further.
    I was at the prizegiving, as I was running a workshop for the festival or something, and the judge described 'a few' poems on the shortlist as "looking like supermarket receipts.' Which, if you think about, it, a long poem made up of two line stanzas might just...

    mind you - since then, I have made very sure that if I'm writing a supermarket receipt poem, the structure absolutely HAS to be that and nothing else. (!)

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  5. Rachel Fenton23 January 2013 at 17:33

    Supermarket receipt poems don't get the appreciation they deserve! I may just enter something into Bridport - no luck there yet - as I hate to be beaten! I'm off to read your post now. Very good news...

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    1. Vanessa Gebbie24 January 2013 at 01:59

      Go on - it's a great comp - but then I would say that wouldn't I?!

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  6. Dora Dee27 January 2013 at 12:26

    congratulations Vanessa! I hope to participate more now that I'm back home.

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  7. The Divorced Lady's Companion to Living in Italy29 January 2013 at 05:49

    Sounds like fun, and a great discussion going on here. Will pop over too! Xcat

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  8. Vanessa Gebbie3 February 2013 at 08:47

    Great stuff, cat. x

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