Jane Caven

 

 

 

On judging the Environmental Poet of the Year prize

I am delighted to be a part of the inaugural Environmental Poet of the Year prize and am particularly looking forward to reading short portfolios on this theme.

So much information is reported about the impact of climate change on the environment that we risk becoming desensitised to the data. I hope to find poems that convey these urgent messages not only through language but in ways that engage both hearts and minds. Poetry that remains in the thoughts of the reader, waiting to be understood, giving cause for reflection, and shifting understanding.

We are facing an existential crisis. By seeking poems that create insights into the environment and climate, and about which readers truly care, we may help to promote a sense of interconnectivity and mutual understanding. In turn, this might inspire personal changes to mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment. No one is too small to make a difference.

Poetry cannot fix the climate crisis, but people can, readers can. I hope that this prize might be a perfect vehicle for poets to stimulate our empathies and imaginations.

 

Environmental Poet of the Year prize

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