WINNING entries in an open competition organised by the Ver Poets will be presented with their prizes by Martyn Crucefix at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans on Saturday afternoon.

Martyn, who recently presented a Radio 3 programme on the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, will be handing out the prizes at the event which starts at 2.30pm.

Members of the Ver Poets will be greeting visiting poets, one travelling from from Belfast and another from Northumbria. Local member John Hussey, who won the �500 first prize, will also be reading his award-winning poem. After the interval Martyn will be reading from his latest collection entitled Hurt.

A donation of �100 from the proceeds of the competition will be presented to a local counselling organisation for young people.