D.A. Prince wins the East Midlands Book Award

I was delighted to learn last week that D.A. Prince had won the East Midland Book Award for Common Ground (HappenStance, 2014).

My delight was down to a number of factors: the book is excellent (you might recall I gave it a very positive review on Rogue Strands a few months ago), and the win is also a boost for HappenStance. However, perhaps the key point for me is that this collection is perhaps the type of work that should find wide recognition and doesn't tend to be given as much as it deserves. As discussed in my above-mentioned review, D.A. Prince writes a poetry of the almost-unnoticed accumulation of emotional impact, building imperceptibly towards unexpected ramifications.

In other words,  the winning text in this case wasn't packed with flashy fireworks and showy posturing, nor was the collection a debut written by a bright young thing who's been mentored by a famous name. In this case, the winner simply wrote a terrific book of verse. Congratulations, Davina!