14/10/2026
We’re incredibly proud to celebrate Young & Talented Cornwall alumna Olive Mills, 24, from Falmouth, who has been named the overall winner of the brand-new Matthew Lanyon Poetry Prize!
Beating more than 600 entries from across the UK, Olive’s poem What am I Doing at the Bottom of the Ocean wowed the judges, who described her work as “intoxicating”.
Two years ago, Olive received a Y&TC Creative Writing Award, including £1,000 in funding and one-to-one mentoring with internationally acclaimed poet . Olive credits the experience with helping her find her own voice and grow in confidence as a writer.
She used her award to fund a 300km walk along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, an experience that inspired her to slow down, notice the little things and bring fresh perspectives to her poetry.
Reflecting on her Y&TC experience, Olive said:
“The world rewards talent but it also rewards audaciousness. Give it a go – you don’t know what might happen.”
Olive’s incredible achievement is a wonderful reminder of what can happen when young people are given the support, encouragement and confidence to pursue their passions. 💛
We can’t wait to see what comes next for Olive, and we’re delighted that she’ll be reading her prize-winning poem at this year’s Y&TC Creative Writing Awards at Falmouth University on 22 October.
👏 Congratulations, Olive!
