At a ceremony that would have made Odyseas Elytis and Elizabeth Barrett Browning proud, the recipients of the 2^nd Annual Khronicles Poetry Awards, with microphone in hand, read their winning verses to the delight of an enthralled audience.

In the English language category, Gill Kirkby took home the first place plaque for her poem, The Cat, which appeared in the August edition, and, in the Greek language division, top honours went to Maria Didahou for her untitled work from a collection of poems, printed in the March edition.

The honourable mention trophies went to Steve Briggs, for his work entitled A Smile For All, the selection of the month for last March. In the Greek language category, Vasiliki Alexaki-Hronaki won honourable mention for To the Memory of Maria Hronaki printed in the August edition.

Following the reading of the winning poems, this year's judges, Ellen Weijers, a noted artist and poet, who reviewed the English poems, and Nikos Gigourtakis, a professor of literature at the Music School of Iraklion, who judged the Greek works, explained their choices while making the official presentations.

Mrs. Weijers, who is the creator of Pegasus Paper Art, a professional design company in Kokkini Hani, said: The language is descriptive with appealing word pictures. The beauty of the poem is in the thoughts it evokes. It’s a powerful poem, one that moved me…showing me that a cat is not just a cat…it is a delightful poem."