Samuel Trevor Gardiner (1936–2016) was a Northern Irish poet, writer and architect.
The award was presented on January 17 by Miroslav Holub, and his poem read at the prize-giving event by Hull poet Sean O'Brien, and subsequently published in The Guardian.
[7][8][9][2] Following the win Sam Gardiner retired to write full time and published new work regularly across British, Irish and international poetry magazines.
[8] After a long period 'under consideration' by Faber, Gardiner became frustrated and embarrassed by the prestigious publisher's failure to make a decision on his first collection, and withdrew his work in the hope he could publish a series of small press pamphlets.
Instead he was picked up by Lagan Press who published a series of three long collections over the next 15 years Protestant Windows (2000), Night Ships (2006) and The Morning After (2011).