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Competitions
"we can not compete
but perhaps we meet somewhere"
from 'Red Rose and a Beggar' by H.D., found in Hermetic Definition (New
Directions,1972)
- This list is compiled monthly from information sent to The Poetry Library by organisers of competitions.
- Each competition has different regulations. In most cases, poems should be in English and not previously published.
- Where regulations and entry forms are available online, a link is provided, but in other cases, competitors should write to each competition, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for an entry form before submitting work. For competitions suitable for children and young people, click here
- The Poetry Library accepts no liability in connection with the information contained in the list.
Now displaying records 1 to 20 of 31
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Mere Literary Festival Open Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 07-Jul-09
Details:First prize: £200 plus local prize. For poems of up to 40 lines. Judge: Louis Bernières. Junior sections: under 11s, 12-16s.
Entry Fee: £3.50, £1 for juniors
Contact:
Mrs Adrienne Howell, "Lawrence's", Old Hollow, Mere, Wiltshire BA12 6EG
Website: www.merelitfest.co.uk
Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 07-Jul-09
Details:For poems of up to 40 lines. First prize £100. Judges: Andy Willoughby and Bob Beagrie. Cheques payable to Sentinel Poetry Movement.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem or £12 for 5 poems
Contact:
Sentinel Poetry Movement, Unit 136, 113 ? 115 George Lane, London E18 1AB
Email: sentinelpoetry@gmail.com
WebsiteL www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk
Essex Poetry Festival 9th Open Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 30-Jul-09
Details:For poems of up to 40 lines. Adjudicator: Jo Bell. First prize £500.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem or £10 for 5 poems
Contact:
Essex Poetry Festival Competition, 15 Seeleys, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0AD
Website: www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk/compb.html
Wells Festival of Literature Poetry and Short Story Competitions 2009 | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:First prize £500. Poetry category is for poems of up to 40 lines on any subject, showing imagination, skill and originality. Short stories should be between 1800 and 2000 words.
Entry Fee: £4 per poem or short story
Contact: Poetry Competition, 2 The Gardens, Sadler Street, Wells, Somerset BA5 2SF
Aldeburgh First Collection Prize 2009 (formerly Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize) | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:Any first collection of at least 40 pages published in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland between 1st August 2008 and 31st July 2009 is eligible. Entrants should submit three bound or proof copies. Judges: Michael Laskey, David Constantine, Mimi Khalvati.
£3,000 plus a fee-paying invitation to read at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival 2010 and a week's paid 'protected' writing time in Suffolk.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, The Cut, 9 New Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BY
Telephone: 01986 835 950
Email: info@thepoetrytrust.org
Website: www.thepoetrytrust.org
Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2009 | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:Judges: Lemn Sissay and Selima Hill. For poets aged between 11 and 17
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Website: www.foyleyoungpoets.org
Email: fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7420 9892
McLellan Award for Poetry 2009 | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:For poems in Scots or English of up to 40 lines. Includes youth award for poets between 12 and 18 years old. First prize £1000. Judge: Robert Crawford
Entry Fee: £5 per poem or £15 for four entries
Contact:
The McLellan Poetry Award, Corriegills Farm, Corriegills, Isle of Arran KA27 8BL
Email: info@mclellanawards.co.uk
Presteigne & Norton Twinning Association Children's Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:For under 16s. For poems of up to 40 lines on the theme of France. The winner will receive a cash prize, a two-book poetry anthology and the competition poetry booklet. There are extra prizes for Under-11s and commended entries.
Entry Fee: £1 per poem or £3 for five poems
Contact: PNTA Poetry Competition, Bridge Cottage, Norton Manor Park, Norton, Presteigne, Powys LD8 2EG.
Website: www.pnta.org.uk/poetry
Eleventh Scintilla Open Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:First prize £200. Two categories: for short poems of 50 lines or under, and for long poems or sequences. Judges: Anne Cluysenaar for long poems/sequences, and Hilary Llewellyn-Williams for short poems.
Entry Fee: £5 for first long poem, £4 for further long poems, £3 for first short poem, £2 for each further short poem
Contact:
Anne Cluysenaar, Little Wentwood Farm, Llantrisant, Usk, Mon. NP15 1ND
Email: anne.cluysenaar@googlemail.com
Great Trees of Cornwall Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 31-Jul-09
Details:Two categories - class 1: aged under sixteen years, class 2: aged over sixteen years. First prize in each class £25. The theme is great trees of Cornwall and poems should be no longer than 36 lines.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Great Trees, Poetry Competition, 11a Penryn Street, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 2SP
Email: loveday.jenkin@nationaltrust.org.uk
Havant Literary Festival Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 01-Aug-09
Details:Prizes: £250, £100, £50
Details: Poems up to 40 lines on the theme of 'Water'.
Judge: Anne Stewart.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem.
Contact:
Havant Literary Festival Poetry Competition, The Nineveh Gallery, 11 The Pallant, Havant, Hampshire PO9 1BE
Email: hlf2008havant@googlemail.com
Website: www.havantlitfest.hampshire.org.uk
Torbay Open Poetry Competition 2009 | Closing Date: 15-Aug-09
Details:For poems of up to 50 lines. First prize: £700. 14-18 years' prize: £200. Judges: Mario Petrucci, Alison Varndell
Entry Fee: £4 per poem or £2 per poem for 14-18 years
Contact:
Tje ad,omostratpr. c/o 6 The Mount, Brixham, South Devon TQ5 8QY
Envelopes should be marked 'Torbay Open Poetry Comeptition'
Aesthetica Creative Works Competition | Closing Date: 31-Aug-09
Details:For five poems of up to 40 lines. Also includes categories of short story and artwork. First prize of £500.
Entry Fee: £10 for five poems
Contact:
Creative Works Competition, Aesthetica, PO Box 371, York YO23 1WL
Telephone: 01904 527560
Email: info@aestheticamagazine.com
Website: www.aestheticamagazine.com
Salopian Poetry Society's Open Poetry Competition 2009 | Closing Date: 31-Aug-09
Details:For poems of up to 40 lines. Adjudicator: Hilary Llewellyn-Williams. Prizes to the value of £500.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem or four poems for £10
Contact:
Roger Hoult, 5 Squires Close, Madeley, Telford, Shropshire TF7 5RU
Telephone: 01952 587 487
Website: www.thesalopianpoetrysociety.webeden.co.uk
Tall-lighthouse Poetry Competition 2009 | Closing Date: 31-Aug-09
Details:Prize includes publication of a pamphlet and £100.
Entry Fee: £10 for up to 10 poems
Contact: Please send email to tall.lighthouse@btinternet.com with the header 'competition' to receive full competition rules & entry criteria.
Raise Your Banners Political Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 01-Sep-09
Details:For poems on the theme of on the theme of living in 21st Century Yorkshire not exceeding 50 lines.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Raise Your Banners Poetry Competition c/o Bradford Resource Centre,17-21 Chapel Street,Bradford, BD1 5DT
Email: raiseyourbanners@gmail.com
Chroma International Queer Writing Competition 2009 | Closing Date: 07-Sep-09
Details:Short story and poetry competition for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered writersStories up to 5000 words. Poems up to 50 lines. Velvet Flash Fiction entries, no longer than 150 words. Poetry Judge: Cherry Smyth. First prize £300
Entry Fee: £5 per poem or story
Contact:
Chroma Writing Competition, PO Box 44655, London N16 0WQ
Website: www.chromajournal.co.uk
Poetry Society Stanza Competition | Closing Date: 11-Sep-09
Details:Theme: 'Villains'. Exclusive to Poetry Society members who are also members of a Poetry Society Stanza. For poems of up to 30 lines.
First prize: a free Poetry Prescription (your poetry appraised by an expert) or 1 year's free Poetry Society membership (or equivalent); plus publication in Poetry News, the Poetry Society's membership magazine, and on the Poetry Society website.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Contact: Membership Manager, The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BX
Website: www.poetrysociety.org.uk
Tel: 020 7420 9881
Email: membership@poetrysociety.org.uk
Basil Bunting Poetry Award | Closing Date: 30-Sep-09
Details:For poems of up to 42 lines. First prize £1000. Judges: Sean O'Brien, Linda France and Paul Batchelor. The winners' work will be read by Neil Astley.
Entry Fee: £7 for the first poem and £3 for further poems
Contact: Website: www.basilbuntingaward.co.uk
Biennial British Haiku Society Haibun Anthology 2009 | Closing Date: 01-Oct-09
Details:For haibun inn English between 100 and 2000 words long. Assessors: Jo Pacsoo and Lynne Rees.
Entry Fee: £6 plus £3 for each additional haibun
Contact:
Andrew Shimield, Haibun Anthology, 18 Deepwell Close, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 5EN

