Deborah Miller Wins the Maya Poetry Book Awards

The organisers of the international Maya Poetry Book Awards 2026 have named Deborah Miller the overall winner for her book, ‘Echoes Of Silence‘.

Our judge picked three top prize winners, and they are as follows:

1^st Prize – Echoes Of Silence by Deborah Miller

2^nd Prize – The Ice Sonnets by Christopher James

3^rd Prize – Ten Thousand Nights by Yvette Thomas

Deborah Miller is a poet and emerging audio-visual artist based in Devon, originally from Hampshire. A late arrival to poetry, she began writing during her Fine Art degree at Arts University Plymouth, where words first surfaced quietly between images, sound experiments, and long walks home.

Her work explores trauma, memory, and the spaces where language falters, often drawing from lived experience with PTSD. Her poems are intimate, atmospheric, and grounded in the body. She works with voice recordings, layered soundscapes, and visual projection to create immersive pieces that invite stillness, reflection, and emotional resonance.

She writes to honour what is felt but not always said.

“My overall winner is not for the faint-hearted. Deborah Miller’s words and images are raw, open wounds from a lifetime of struggle for survival against overwhelming odds. I could go so far as to say that if this poetry doesn’t make you cry, then something is wrong with you. To talk about abuse in such an honest, heartbreaking fashion is one thing, but to come up with such mind-blowing metaphors and descriptions is the mark of a true genius poet,” said judge Dave Lewis.

As well as ‘Echoes of Silence ‘, our judge also singled out Christopher James’s work ‘The Ice Sonnets’ on the famous Shackleton expedition and US/New Zealand writer Yvette Thomas for her look at our planet in ‘Ten Thousand Nights’. A further mention was also given to Marc D. Goldfinger for his excellent short work, ‘Relationships’.

Our Children’s Poetry Book Prize went to Irene Edwards for ‘Zog Zog and the Monsters’.

Lewis added, “And lastly, I’d like to say a huge thanks to all entrants. Your work has been inspiring, and I’m so glad you took the time to enter. And whilst it would have been nice to reward more writers, the real winner here, once again, is poetry. Already, in just seven years, I feel we’ve discovered some incredible poetic talent. Long may it continue.”

To buy a copy of Deborah’s book, click here.

www.poetrybookawards.co.uk

Deborah Miller Wins the Maya Poetry Book Awards

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“I’m very pleased with the results of my collaboration with Poetry Publisher. My questions to the publisher were answered promptly and always in an encouraging manner. I especially liked Dave’s ideas for the cover.”
– Anita Namyslo

“The book arrived and it looks fantastic! It’ a great feeling to see it in print. Thanks for making the whole process so easy and successful!”
– Jim McCarthy

“The book is spot on, couldn’t have asked for a nicer job.”
– Dee Donnelly

“I was a newbie to the publishing process, and I have to say that Dave Lewis at Poetry Publisher made it happen! It can be a little daunting, actually, to figure out what you need to do. But Dave’s wonderful support, knowledge, skill and patience were absolutely outstanding… thank you, Dave!”
– James Henderson

“Choosing to publish my first collection of poetry through Poetry Publisher seems to have been a very good move. I had read books on self-publishing and it involved more work than I was prepared to do. I wanted to outsource, and Dave Lewis was the ideal person to approach. He took care of everything, was very easy to collaborate with plus providing lots of support and advice. I am delighted with the final product.”
– John Short

“As a young author seeking to publish my first book, David has been an invaluable help. From proofreading and suggesting edits to producing the perfect cover image, Dave deserves a medal for his patience and commitment to publishing!”
– Amelie Ash