Russell Jones beat more than 20 finalists with his winning poem, ‘A Tempest’.

Russell Jones wins nationwide search for outstanding creative writer

Blue Cross has appointed the UK’s first pet poet laureate to write a series of poems about pets and the impact they have on people’s lives.

Russell Jones beat more than 20 finalists with his winning poem, ‘A Tempest’, which describes the struggles of an abandoned cat and her homeless kittens. He will now work with the charity to create poetry that explores various themes, including pets’ impact on child development and pets in the First World War.

“We are very excited to present the nation’s first Pet Poet Laureate to champion the huge impact pets have on people’s lives,” said Julia McKechnie-Burke, fundraising, marketing and communications director at Blue Cross. “We wanted to tap into the wonderful world of poetry, which is undergoing an exciting renaissance and reaching increasingly diverse audience, to demonstrate our mission in a unique way that has never been done before.”

Russell Jones commented: “Having been a pet owner for as long as I can remember I am absolutely delighted to have chosen to take on the role of Pet Poet Laureate. I feel extremely grateful that the judges chose me as their winner and can’t wait to get started on writing more pet-themed poems to be released throughout the year.”

True to its title, Russell’s poem gives each kitten its own stanza and takes the physical form of a wave-like quality. It describes the ordeal mum Ella and her kittens went through; being separated, then rescued and finally reunited by Blue Cross.

The pet poet laureate role was filled after a nationwide search to find somebody that demonstrated outstanding creativity in their writing and shared Blue Cross’s passion for pets and their welfare.

Image (C) Blue Cross