The Isobel Slorach Poetry Award – Winner Announcement

During July, we received a staggering 126 poems in aid of Down Syndrome Scotland as part of the Isobel Slorach Poetry Award. Poems were received as far north as the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands to the most southerly ports of England, aged from 12yrs old to comfortably retired, and demonstrated a countrywide adoration for The Bluebells.

Our top five shortlisted poems could easily have been extended to a top twenty, such was the quality in writing, range, and method. We were thrilled to read through these, and give the final say to the boys in the band.

After deliberating over the overall winner, the band has taken nearly the full month of August to decide, unanimously, the one poem which deserved the prize to be turned into song. We can now reveal that the winner is…

Michael Brown ‘At Tottenham Court Road’

We hope that you agree that the poem below is a deserving winner, and we look forward to hearing Michael recite his poem at Sandfest, Strathaven Hotel on Sunday 25 October prior to The Bluebells performing their rendition of Michael’s fantastic poem. Tickets for Sandfest can be purchased at the link below:

https://dsscotland.org.uk/sandfest2026/

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At Tottenham Court Road

The faces of the young, the airbrushed, beautiful ones,
show their most mysterious smiles, their perfect teeth,
from the far side of platform one.
They have their lives to live for.
Marketed gods, they want us to believe
in their secret, arcane knowledge.
They will never tell. We are old, held
in thrall to their glistening skins,
their eternal peace of mind.
It’s 7.49.
Everyone is stunning there.
The next train will stop at Golders Green.
Up high on cross-track posters
where they sit and grin
what can they know of us,
of time —
how the weight of a human soul is less
than 21 grams,
that down here on earth
nothing stays that bright for long,
our daily fret for some other thing.

MICHAEL BROWN

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