Natalie Moores, who is an alumna of the University, was awarded the Prize for her collection of poetry, titled ‘Single Girl Lies Hidden’.
One of the judges, Carol Rowntree-Jones, commented: “The irony of the title is of course that this sequence is the work of a poet who is refusing to hide. Moores uses her singular skill with language and poetic structure to deal with a subject that is painful.
“Reading 'the tears, the wrath and the aftermath' is also painful at times, but it should be. The sequence is a brilliant response to personal experience: sadly, it is also poetry that speaks to a shared experience.”
The poetry pamphlet was debuted at an event which took place in Martin Hall on the University campus.
Natalie read extracts from her poetry, alongside students Hanna Pape and Julie Cheung, who study undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Creative Writing.
Guests were able to purchase the pamphlet and receive a signed copy from Natalie on the night.
The pamphlet has been published in collaboration with Wordsmith_HQ, ran by Dr Sophie-Louise Hyde.
Commenting on this year’s winning entry, Dr Kerry Featherstone commented: "The Overton Prize is judged anonymously, so we were amazed and delighted to find that the winning entry was by a º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ graduate!
“Natalie's work is hard-hitting and brilliantly written: it speaks loudly and clearly to the #metoo movement, with strength and skill. It will resonate with many readers."
Natalie Moores is a poet and businesswoman from South Manchester, who studied both an undergraduate degree and an MA in Creative Writing at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.
After leaving º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, she spent five years building a successful marketing career in London, before setting up her own brand marketing consultancy Mac&Moore with her business partner Jess MacIntyre.
The business is not only dedicated to supporting start-ups and small businesses to grow, but also creating equal opportunities for women through the organisation’s social community and mentoring.
Natalie regularly writes for The Huffington Post and her poetry has been published in the UK and North America. She speaks spoken word at open mic nights in London, covering subjects such as modern-day dating, the ‘thigh gap’, and having Northern parents.
Of the Prize, Natalie said: "Winning the Overton Prize not only feels like an amazing achievement, but it has particular emotional significance for me as a member of the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ alumni who was lucky enough to study during Bill's time at the University.
“The fact that this collection has been published has also given me the heart-warming reassurance that really great things can come out of really bad ones."
The Overton Poetry Prize, which was founded by the School of the Arts, English and Drama, is in memory of Professor Bill Overton (1946-2012) and is awarded each year to a sequence of poems on any subject, up to 300 lines.
Single Girl Lies Hidden is available to purchase online here.