Anglia Ruskin University has a strong tradition of supporting contemporary poetry, and of nurturing distinguished contemporary poets among its staff and students. John James, Richard Berengarten (Burns), Nigel Wheale and Grahame Davies have all either studied or taught at CCAT, Anglia Polytechnic University or Anglia Ruskin University.

This month saw further international recognition for a poet with strong Anglia Ruskin connections, when former CCAT student and Anglia Ruskin University Hon D.Litt, John Burnside, was awarded the £10,000 Forward Prize for the best collection of the year for Black Cat Bone, his 12th book of poetry.

The Forward Prize has been described as the Booker of poetry, and this year's win represents a great personal accomplishment for John, who has been short-listed 3 times before, particularly as the short-list this year - which included outstanding new books by Geoffrey Hill, David Harsent and Sean O'Brien, among others - was considered by many to be the strongest since the prize began in 1991.

Sir Andrew Motion, chair of this year's judging panel, described John's winning collection, as "a very direct and a very subtle book. There's no doubting its big themes - of mortality, transience and various kinds of catastrophe - but they are handled in a way that rightly allows their menace to seem insidious as well as brutal. This makes the book one to linger over, as well as one to enjoy at first reading."