The Webb-Pullman Family take great pleasure in announcing the honours for the second Mercedes Webb-Pullman Poetry Award, on the topic of RESISTANCE.

The award was blind-judged by two poets: Fiona Bolger of Dublin, Ireland, and Piet Nieuwland of Whangarei, New Zealand.

The winners, their country, and the title of their poem, are as follows:

Winner:

Ceridwyn Parr – Cambridge, New Zealand
The Last Fig in Gaza

Runner-up:

Maryam Sarwar – Auckland, New Zealand
To breathe against injustice                                        

Other finalists in alphabetical order

Jackson – New Zealand
ever

Jane Graham George – Raumati South, New Zealand
Meteorology

Lyndsey Knight – Auckland, New Zealand
this is where we face ourselves 

From the judges

As usual, Piet and I both agreed on all of these and had lovely chats about the wonderful poems and the way in which resistance was interpreted throughout by all the entrants.

We were impressed with the energy and vitality of the pieces.

Videos of the finalists for the 2024 and 2025 Awards will soon be posted on the Mercedes Webb-Pullman Poetry Award website.

Details of the Third Mercedes Webb-Pullman Poetry Award will be advised in February 2026.