Poetry biography and CV

Vivienne Tregenza is a prize-winning Cornish poet who comes from Mousehole and lives in Penzance with her family where she returned after two years spent teaching in Sri Lanka and Turkey, following her work as a primary school teacher in Hertfordshire and Cornwall.

Winner of the Formal Poetry Prize at Poetry on the Lake (Orta San Giulio, Italy), where she has also been placed third in the Silver Wyvern and twice commended, she continues to be successful in
international competitions.

Her pamphlets have been placed as runner-up in the Cinnamon Press Debut Poetry Competition and short-listed for the Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Award several times.

Vivienne is well-published in UK poetry journals including Ambit, Acumen, and The Frogmore Papers and in many anthologies including Fanfare by Second Light Publications.

She was one of twenty-three women poets from Cornwall whose work was celebrated in Invisible Borders, an anthology published by the Hypatia Trust (2020) and winner of the Holyer An Gof Award from the Cornish Gorsedh.

In 2022 her poem Woman, cliff, islands was chosen for Cornish Modern Poetries published by Broken Sleep Books.

Vivienne is active on the local poetry scene and in the community as reader, workshop leader and volunteer and during the pandemic organised a poetry competition for local primary schools.

Conversations with Magic Stones is Vivienne’s first collection. It’s published on 22 September 2025 by Indigo Dreams Publishing.

Poetry Competition Successes/Awards:

2007 The Bridport Prize – shortlist

2008 Poetry on the Lake – First Prize/commended (Formal Poetry)

2010 Poetry on the Lake – Third Prize (Silver Wyvern)/commended (Formal Poetry)

2014 ARTEMISpoetry competition – commended

2014 The Frogmore Prize – shortlist of ten

2014 Cinnamon Press Debut Prize – shortlist

2016 Cinnamon Press Debut Prize – runner-up

2017 Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – longlist

2018 Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – shortlist

2019/2021 Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – longlist

2021 Holyer An Gof – Jointly for ‘Invisible Borders’ (Hypatia Publications, Penzance)

2022 Holyer An Gof – Jointly for ‘Cornish Modern Poetries’ (Broken Sleep Books)

2022 Mslexia Pamphlet Competition (Bloodaxe Books) – longlist

2023 Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – shortlist

2024 Cinnamon Press New Voices Award – shortlist

2024 Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – longlist

2024 The Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine – commended

2024 The Ver Prize – shortlist/selected for anthology

2024 The Frogmore Prize – shortlist of ten

2024 Hedgehog Press Proper Pamphlet Competition – shortlist of ten

2024 Welsh Poetry Competition – Special mention

2024 Geoff Stevens Memorial Prize (Indigo Dreams) – Highly commended

2025 Plough Prize – longlist

2025 Poetry Teignmouth Graham Burchill Award - shortlist

2025 Welsh Poetry Competition – Highly commended

2025 Canterbury Poet of the Year – Longlist

Acknowledgements (poems published in the following publications):

Acumen, Ambit, ARTEMISpoetry, Caduceus, Cinnamon Press anthologies ‘In the Cinnamon Corners’ (showcase of ten poems), ‘Quintet and other poets’ and ‘In the Voice of Trees’; Cornish Modern Poetries (Broken Sleep Books), Envoi, Fanfare (Second Light anthology), Fore Street Press anthology ‘Despite Knowing’, Hypatia Publications anthology ‘Invisible Borders’, Inkfish, Orbis, ‘Poetry on the Lake’ journal 2008, Poetry Scotland, South, ‘the simple things’ magazine, The Alchemy Spoon, The Dawntreader, The French Literary Review, The Frogmore Papers and The Frogmore Press anthology ‘Pale Fire – New Writing on the Moon’; The Hippocrates Prize anthology 2024, The Ver Prize anthology 2024, Word Aid anthologies ‘Did I tell you?’ and ‘Not only the Dark’.

Online websites:

Hermitage Press (featured writer), ‘Poetry p f’ (Anne Stewart), Second Light, The Poetry Shed (Abigail Morley), The Poet By Day (J. Dedes, USA)