Judgement Day

Making judgements about writing is a peculiar and intensely subjective thing to do.

Yet, as a teacher of writing, I perform acts of judgement daily in relation to the work of my students.

It is also something that I pin my own hopes on regularly whenever I submit something to a competiton, trusting that my own words will somehow reach out to a reader-judge.

This year, for the first time, I was called upon to be a judge in three very different adult competitions. It felt very different to the kind of feedback that is required in the classroom. It was both a remarkable privilege and a terrifying responsibility.

Earlier this year I was part of a panel of teacher-judges for a national book award for young adult readers. There were four categories, and it was the culmination of months of reading: first to get the longlist (of around 25 books) down to six in each category; then to choose the winner in each section. There were twelve of us on the panel and that made it feel like we really were a jury. It was interesting to see how the process worked in such an organisation.

Ultimately, three out of the four categories went exactly the way I’d hoped they would, and I was not unhappy with the fourth, it just wouldn’t have been my first choice. But, as one voice in twelve, I had to accept that. The responsibility was divided. There were moments where I felt the anguish of being totally split between two choices. It was in these moments that I learned to listened to my instincts. But I also saw how persuasive a lone voice can be in that ‘jury’ situation.

This month, I am the sole judge in a memoir competition, and, in August, a poetry competiton. I wonder how different the experience will be when others are not around to influence my decision. Or when there are just two of us, as there will be for the poetry competition.

Of all the competitions that I have entered lately, I have been most impressed by the Ver Poets 2022, judged by John McCulloch. I’m a fan of his poetry anyway, but I am also now appreciative of the sensitive feedback and commentary presented as his report in the anthology of selected verse. I’d like to emulate that in order to offer something that supports both writers and readers of the ‘winners’.

Right. I’m off to do some reading. And some, er, judging.