Our congratulations go to first place winner Derek Sellen for his poem against cartography, to second place winner Mary Anne Smith Sellen for her poem Gardening in the Otherworld and to third place winner Laura Theis for her poem imagine a field. Remarkably, Derek has won the competition twice before, and Mary Anne has won it once. Marcella Remund, shortlisted beneath, is also listed among our alumni competition winners.

The selection was made from 480 entries representing 16 countries. As per usual, winners will read their entries at Ó Bhéal’s 17th anniversary event, during the launch of Five Words Vol XVII (both online and via zoom, on the 8th April 2024), as will many of the commended (other shortlisted) poets and regular five word challenge contributors.