Medieval Poetry Contest 2025
Ballads of Medieval Devotion is an extra-ordinary anthology that links the timeless beauty of medieval, Renaissance, and classical poetic traditions with the fresh voices of today’s contemporary writers with vintage soul. Curated by Wingless Dreamer, this collection honors the rich tapestry of our cultural heritage and highlights the enduring power of poetry across generations.
In preserving the past, we illuminate the present. Let us celebrate poetry together—its power to connect, to inspire, and to transcend sands of time.
Join our literary community Wingless Dreamer to unapologetically embrace your writing career and have fun while composing ballads or writing a novel.
May your ink never run dry and your muse never take a coffee break!
Ruchi Acharya,
The Judging Panel,
Wingless Dreamer
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Honouring the Poets of Chivalry and Lore
We’re thrilled to unveil the winners and top finalists of the Ballads of Medieval Devotion poetry contest! Whether you claimed a title or simply shared your verse, we deeply appreciate every poet who dared to journey through the realms of medieval and renaissance inspiration. This initiative was born from a passion to preserve cultural heritage and celebrate the timeless beauty of classic balladry. And now, without further ado, let us honor the voices that echoed most powerfully from the past…
Taking the first-place prize is “The Crusader’s Canto” by Kyle Mickleson, an epic masterwork that weaves mythology, history, and haunting imagery into a powerful meditation on war, faith, and the weight of time.
“Blind Byard’s Barcarole” by Hetta Jones earns the title of first runner-up for its lyrical rhythm, folk-tale charm, and memorable refrain that brings a timeless tale to life.
Our second runner-up, “In Good King Arthur’s Golden Days,” by Matthew Dentice enchants readers with its classical tone, lush descriptions, and reverent homage to the Arthurian legend.
Rounding out our top finalists are the dreamlike and metaphor-rich “Cloudy Courts,” by Alexander Graham the bold and dialect-laced “Sevin Siblings – Auld Scottish Luve Song,” by Hugh Findlay and the enigmatic, shadowy verse of “A Knight’s Midnight.” by Terry Brinkman.
Congratulations to all the poets for their outstanding contributions in preserving the spirit of medieval and renaissance poetics through a modern lens.
THE CRUSADER’S CANTO – KYLE MICKLESON
Kyle Mickelson is a masters student studying pure and applied mathematics in Boston, Massachusetts. When he is not studying math, he is writing fiction or poetry.
BLIND BYRAD’S BARCAROLE – HETTA JONES
Hetta is a lawyer living in Lincolnshire, UK. She takes inspiration from the rural landscape, coast and history of the area.
IN GOOD KING ARTHUR’S GOLDEN DAYS – MATTHEW DENTICE
Matthew S. Dentice is an author, artist, and academic based in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in medieval literature. He is the recipient of the Medieval Association of the Pacific's Founders' Prize for 2019 and the Brooks-Hudgins Essay Award for 2020 and 2022. His work has previously been featured in Bad Bride, The Write Launch, The Closed Eye Open, and on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Religion and Ethics portal, as well as in several print anthologies from Free Spirit, Wingless Dreamer, Middle West Press, and Nat 1 Publishing. He currently writes the column In Newest Days for Patheos.
CLOUDY COURTS - ALEXANDER GRAHAM
Alexander is a Classicist educated at Oxford and Durham, whose first poetic love was most certainly Virgil. After straying from his Classical roots for a time, he has again been enjoying the challenge of working within more traditional metrical (and rhyme) forms, and exploring their ability to shape engagement with the poem.
SEVIN SIBLINGS – HUGH FINDLAY
Hugh Findlay’s writing and photography have been published worldwide. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2020 for poetry, the Best Microfiction Anthology in 2024 for prose, and the Best of the Net Anthology in 2024 for photography, he is in the third trimester of life and hopes y’all like his stuff. IG: @hughmanfindlay. Web: https://www.hughmanfindlay.com
A KNIGHT’S MIDNIGHT - TERRY BRINKMAN
Terry Has been painting for over forty five years; now he paints with words too. Poems in Rue Scribe, Tiny Seed. Winamop, Snapdragon Journal, Poets Choice, Adelaide Magazine, Variant, the Writing Disorder, Ink Pantry, In Parentheses, Ariel Chat, New Ulster, Glove, and in Pamp-le-mousse, North Dakota Quarterly, Barzakh, Urban Arts, Wingless Dreamer, True Chili, LKMNDS and Elevation
