BBC News
Stephen Fry names 'most beautiful tweet' at Hay
Festival
Page last updated at 18:11 GMT, Sunday, 6 June 2010 19:11 UK
The "most beautiful tweet ever tweeted" has been announced by broadcaster Stephen Fry.
Fry, whose musings on micro-blogging site Twitter have attracted 1.5 million followers, announced the
winner at the Hay Festival.
The winning tweet read:
"I believe we can build a better world! Of course, it'll take a whole lot of rock,
water & dirt. Also, not sure where to put it."
Marc MacKenzie, 41, from Canada, said he was "pleasantly surprised" to win.
"The recognition and knowing Fry picked my tweet is a huge honour."
Mr MacKenzie entered 35 tweets into the competition because it "was hard to choose one as when I come
up with a good one, I'm proud of them".
The father-of-two said he started tweeting because people kept telling him they enjoyed reading his
Facebook updates.
"What I like about it is how my brain works. Occasionally I have these odd thoughts that come to me and
they amuse me so I jot them down. I like sharing them and it's an interesting form to work with.
"A certain percentage of tweets are tired cliche phrases so when they come into my head I think 'That
won't do.' I can't stand triteness so I always look for ridiculousness in trite."
Mr MacKenzie has previously been short-listed in a national competition in Canada for the best tweet.
"Despite the public nature of what I do with Twitter and Facebook, it's not for me to divulge too much
information about myself - although I would like more followers. I'm a conflicted person."
Retweeter's mind
Organisers of the festival said the definition of the most beautiful tweet - a message no longer than 140
characters - fell into a number of different categories, including the most eloquent, most evocative or the
best pun.
Entrants were sent to Hay Festival's Twitter account.
Fry stopped tweeting while writing the second half of his autobiography
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