Winners of the 2024 Tower Poetry Competition announced

Christ Church, University of Oxford is delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Christopher Tower Poetry Competition, the most lucrative prize for young poets in the UK.

Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 reflected on this year’s theme, ‘Mirror', and came up with a vast array of interpretations. 

The judges, Will Harris, Jane Yeh and Mishtooni Bose, were faced with the difficult task of choosing just thirteen poems from over 1750 entries. First prize was £5000, second prize was £3000, third prize was £1500, and there were ten ‘Commended’ awards of £500 each. The total prize money amounted to more than £14,000.

Judging was conducted anonymously and now the wait is over…

Congratulations go to:

First Prize – Nabiha Ali, mirror in [virginia's room] circa 1919

Second Prize – Heather Chapman, Two Vampires Cut Each Other’s Hair in Front of the Mirror

Third Prize – Sasha Mostafa, Photographic Memory

Commended – Erin Bishop, Ode To The Older Sister

Commended – Magdalena Bone, 9:12am

Commended – Tabitha Giddings, After Eve

Commended – Daphne Harries, Mamgu / Mirror 

Commended – Ivy Leatherbarrow, Mice Bites (in the mirror)

Commended – William G Marshall, Driving Lessons To Reflect On 

Commended – Luke Roberts, Lake-Face 

Commended – Izzie Smith, The Worst Man You’ll Ever Meet 

Commended – Oscar Tavernier, NamoW 

Commended – Leah Vickery, Jej Twarz

Winners and their guests were invited to Christ Church for the prizegiving ceremony on 17 April, joined by members of the Tower Family. The Dean of Christ Church presented the winners with their certificates. 

Read the winning poems.

  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Winning poets with the judges and the Dean
  • The Dean presenting first prize
  • The Dean presenting second prize
  • The Dean presenting third prize
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting the prizes
  • Heather reading at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • Judge, Jane Yeh, speaking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • Judge, Will Harris, speaking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event.
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event.
  • Sign pointing towards the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Celebrating with family and friends
  • Winning poets with the judges and the Dean
  • The Dean presenting first prize
  • The Dean presenting second prize
  • The Dean presenting third prize
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting certificates to the winners
  • The Dean presenting the prizes
  • Heather reading at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • Judge, Jane Yeh, speaking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • Judge, Will Harris, speaking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event.
  • People talking at the Tower Poetry prizegiving event.
  • Sign pointing towards the Tower Poetry prizegiving event

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Winners of the Tower Poetry Competition 2024 with the judges and the Dean of Christ Church

Other Christ Church news

COLLEGE |

Christ Church at Oxford Torpids 2025

The Oxford Torpids is one of two annual series of rowing 'bumps' between University of Oxford colleges: races in which each boat strives to catch up with and bump the boat ahead, while avoiding being caught by a pursuing boat. This year's Torpids took place from 26 February to 1 March and saw teams from every Oxford college speed along a 1,500m stretch of the River Isis. Tom Harris, second-year student of Law at Christ Church and member of our Men's First VIII, describes his experience of the four-day event. 

The Christ Church Torpids team