Press 53 Poetry Editor, Christopher Forrest, one of the creators of the Prime 53 Poem, served as the judge for the 2023 competition. This was a free contest, open to writers around the world, and from the hundreds of Prime 53 Poems we received, Chris selected the following four for publication:

“In a Typical Cathedral” by JZ Houlihan of Houston, TX

“Passage” by Janette Ostle of Wigton, Cumbria, UK

“Spring Field” by Patrick Parks of Chicago, IL

“Lost in Mind” by Spencer Spalding of San Francisco, CA

Scroll down to read our winning Prime 53 Poems

JZ Houlihan grew up in North Africa, Germany, Maryland, and around the Mojave Desert. At the University of California, Santa Barbara, he met the Portuguese poet, Jorge de Sena. (His translations of de Sena can be found in The Poetry of Jorge de Sena). His poetry is published in a chapbook, Driving Cabeza, and in Thirty-One Superior Poems of Our Time. Houlihan’s verse in Classical Latin is included in The Vates Anthology of New Latin Poetry. JZ Houlihan lives in Houston, Texas, and is writing a book for courses on Classics, Comparative Literature, and Translations Studies.

Janette Ostle lives in Wigton, Cumbria, UK. She enjoys walking and often finds inspiration from thoughts which occur whilst outdoors. Prone to occasional tongue-tied moments, she finds expressing herself on paper easier, as well as cathartic. She’s had poems and prose published in various anthologies.

Patrick Parks is author of a novel, Tucumcari, and has had fiction, poetry, reviews and interviews appear or forthcoming in a number of places, most recently, TYPO, Change Seven, Ocotillo Review, Bridge Eight, and Full Stop. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop and lives with his wife near Chicago. Learn more about Patrick at his website.

Spencer Spalding, from San Francisco, California, showcases versatility as an author, skillfully crafting short stories, flash fiction, novels, songs, and poetry. With a History degree from San Francisco State University, his studies focused on ancient Mediterranean cultures, classical architecture, art, and literature. His inaugural flash fiction collection, The Sunday Stories, is a captivating sci-fi fantasy series that emerged during the pandemic's peak. Learn more about Spencer at his website.