Choudhri wins Moth Poetry Prize with 'gorgeous' poem

British poet Aniqah Choudhri has won the Moth Poetry Prize for her "gorgeous" poem "The Unloving Ground". The announcement was made during a ceremony yesterday (28th April) which celebrated all four shortlisted poets.

Choudhri is a freelance journalist from Manchester. Her poetry has appeared in the Hippocrates Anthology for Poetry and Medicine, the Bristol Short Story Anthology and The Lightship Anthology. She has written for the Independent, Tribune and iD.

The award, which is worth over €10,000 (£8,400), is solely sponsored by publishers of the Moth magazine, is one of the world’s most valuable prizes for a single poem. Choudhri will receive €6,000 (£5,043) for her piece.
Each year a single poet is asked to judge the prize "blind", and this year’s winner was selected by Warsan Shire. 

Shire described the winning work as "a lush, gorgeous poem—one that indulges all of the senses, a heartbreaking poem, an unrequited love poem, a poem for a home that does not want you".

"Judging The Moth Poetry Prize was a beautiful experience. I’ve come away changed—inspired and hopeful," she said.
The other three shortlisted poems—"Hotel Petroleum" by Mark Fiddes, "Small Moon Curve" by Roz Goddard and "Chase Street" by Heather Treseler—were each awarded €1,000.

Poems by eight other poets—Sylvie Baumgartel, Laurie Bolger, Simon Costello, Christina Hutchins, Jasmine Ledesma, Daniella C Ndubuisi Ike, Othuke Umukoro and Anna Woodford—received commendations.

All shortlisted poems are printed in the current issue of the Moth.