Here are the twelve finalists. You can hear the authors reading their poems by clicking on the links on the right hand side of the page. City's Moon by Joe Broady Infant sees accomplice moon,
Mirrored in petrol-rainbow-pools,
From dampened terraced rooftops now,
Follows him through town, Boy knows moon,
The one they learnt about in school,
Hangs above the terraced street,
Where boy and friends now meet. Poem Manchester by Christopher Radcliffe Manchester
Womanchester
Personchester
Allchester Rockchester
Rollchester
Popchester
Soulchester Boychester
Pinkchester
Girlchester
Drinkchester Shopchester
Tradechester
Moneychester
Madechester Fasionchester
Trendchester
Passionchester
Friendchester Madchester
Clubchester
Ladchester
Pubchester Citychester
Pridechester
Unitedchester
Dividechester Flychester
Homechester
Mychester
Manchester How To Make Manchester by James Woodward A bucket of music
A bowl of shops
A pinch of China
There's lots and lots Mix it all together
In an enormous bowl
Drop it down and it's
A gooaall! Manchester Contrasts by Mark Baxter Cobbles, concrete
Dirt tracks, motorways
Tudor structures, glass skyscrapers
trucks and trams Children's playgrounds, Commonwealth Stadium
Narrow passages, wide causeways
Ancient and ultra modern
Shopping streets, covered malls Mini cars, stretch limousines
Transport cafes, classy bistros
Manchester contrasts
Perfect Mix. Manchester Haiku by Mike Garry Football fans Slumber
Imagining Miracles
A Curious Joy Tea in The Winebar
chips and curry from The chinese
Trams in the bus lane wry smiles from grey skies
streets pathed with Paving Stones
People cast in Gold Manchester by Carole Houlston High rising
Energising
Spirit raising
Flag waving
Lowry-loving
Boundry shoving
Cottonmilled
Fountain-filled
Sculpture clad
Football mad
Rainwashed
Canal-crossed
Night clubbing
Shoulder rubbing
Cultureshocked
Bomb-rocked
Unbroken
Outspoken
Manchester Hard by Flic Everett Hard is the word. The streets, the rain, the faces
The shouting in the night, the neon, dangerous places.
They grow up tough; no quarter asked or given
In Manchester, this concrete piece of heaven. in the rain by Mike Duff i don't care if you're black, chinese white or tan
don't care if you're old, gay, a woman or man
you can sit down next to me
if you're mancunian Manchester by Steven Whaling From Peterloo to the Commonwealth Games
your history is printed on my skin.
From Wythenshawe to Harpurhey
my veins are streets my arteries roads.
You are my heart my soul my lungs:
I breathe in coffee-bars, breath out arcades. Walk by Louise Mulvey To the sounds,
The rival grounds,
Get a round in Manchester. Into the shops,
The hooded tops,
The café pop of Manchester. Towards the decks,
Red brick 'techs,
Baggy kecks of Manchester. Amongst the flash,
Minted cash,
Panache of Manchester. A Poem for Manchester by Jim Taylor The Smiths singing me to sleep,
Parties in the rain,
A dream of theatres, galleries, posh shops,
And the Halle's last note floating into the night,
Walk beside my canal, look back,
Over Lowry's shoulder, sit down next to me. Manchester by Donald Beck Fire stokers, bridge builders, ball jugglers,
weavers, tunnellers, atom chasers,
guitar thrashers, cyber geeks, sausage sizzlers,
peaceniks, heretics, rebels, refugees,
carnivalists, miserablists,
swindlers, poisoners, punks, poets,
centurions, slave barons,
divas, Destroyers,
rocket scientists, revolutionaries
all live/d here. | 
