The Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize winners for this year have been revealed. The competition is now in its eleventh year, and this year attracted 136 poems from across New Zealand and Australia.
First place goes to Sophia Wilson from Ōtepoti – Dunedin for her poem “Sea-skins”. Runner up is Ōtautahi-Christchurch based Jenna Heller with ‘Kintsukuroi’.
The winner receives $500 and a week’s stay at the Caselberg House. The second placed poet receives $250. Both poems and the judges report will be published in November in Landfall 242 – Spring 2021. 
The five Highly Commended entries were “At Bluecliffs” by Alan Roddick (Ōtepoti – Dunedin), ‘The domestic assistant” by Jane Simpson (Ōtautahi – Christchurch), “Ode to L” by Sandie Forsyth (Ōtepoti – Dunedin), “Inversion Layers, Hāwea” by Jilly O’Brien (Ōtepoti – Dunedin), and “Kōanga Ngākau” by Derek Schulz (Raumati Beach). Their poems, along with the two winning entries and the judges report, will be published on the Caselberg Trust website in late November.
This year’s competition was judged by Ōtepoti – Dunedin writer Majella Cullinane.
“The subject matter of entries was broad: political and social commentary on recent events in Aotearoa, nature, love, ghosts, death and identity”, Majella noted in her judge’s report.
