A poet from Crosskeys has won the prestigious Costa Book Awards 2014 prize for poetry.
Jonathan Edwards won the award, the only major prize open only to UK and Ireland residents, for his debut collection My Family and Other Superheroes, published by Seren.
The English teacher’s work depicts life growing up in the post-industrial Valleys and was described by judges as “joyful and dynamic, a collection that’ll make you laugh and make you think”.
The motley crew of superheroes include Evel Knievel, Sophia Loren, Ian Rush and Marty McFly, alongside valleys mams, dads and bamps.
Other poems focus on the crammed terraces and abandoned high streets, where working-class and Welsh nationalist politics are hammered out.
Announcing the £5,000 prize, the judges said: “We haven’t had as much fun reading a poetry collection in ages. Joyous, brilliant and moving – this is a poet to celebrate.”
Edwards’ superheroes will battle it out for the overall Costa Book of the Year award, alongside the other four category winners, including Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing (First Novel) and H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (Biography).
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Central London on January 27.
The awards were originally established in 1971 by brewery Whitbread, and its Costa brand announced its takeover of the sponsorship in 2006.
In this, the 43rd year, there were 640 entries and since being launched in 1985 the Book of the Year has been won seven times by a collection of poems.
Christopher Rogers, Managing Director of Costa, said: “What a fantastic collection of books.
“The Costa Book Awards are all about recognising great writing and a good read and this year’s winners are, as always, superb examples of this.”