Closing date: Friday 1st June 2012
Winners notified: 1st July 2012
This year’s Wirral Festival of Firsts Open Poetry competition is now open for entries.
Last year The Festival of Firsts Poetry Steering Group inaugurated the Festival of Firsts Open Poetry Competition with just one general category and a very short time frame (April-June).
Our 2011 adjudicator, Gill McEvoy, reported that, “It was very encouraging to receive so many entries for this first ever poetry competition based in Hoylake. There were tender poems with happy memories of the docks, poems of heartbreak, poems about missing a beloved grandparent and other close relatives, and a good many poems of wit and fun.” The 2011 competition prize was won by Mandy Pannett with her poem “The Kelp Days”, “a vigorous and exciting poem … its language …simple and striking”.
This year we have expanded the categories to three, with 11 prizes altogether. We are hoping that many more poets will consider entering some of their poems into this year’s competition. A proportion of the entry fees will contribute towards the Festival of First overall donation to Claire House, the Wirral’s hospice for sick children.
The Festival of Firsts Open Poetry Competition is just one of a range of poetry activities planned for the festival building on our inaugural year – other events include the Poetry Proms (a day of performance poetry in various venues across Hoylake), the Poetry Concert (headline John Hegley) where the competition winners will receive their awards, Poetry Trails and a Poet Tree. For all those interested in taking part, the Festival of Firsts website will soon provide an outline of the full programme and how to get involved.
For convenience, I have summarized the Open Poetry Competition details below including a link to our website.
This year we have THREE categories!
1. Open Poetry Competition
A poem on any subject, no more than 40 lines.
First Prize: £100. Two runners up: £50 each
2. Humorous Poetry Competition
A humorous or comic poem, no more than 40 lines
First Prize: £100. Two runners up: £50 each
3. Under 16’s Poetry Competition
A poem on any subject, no more than 40 lines,
by anyone aged 16 years or under, on 31 August 2011.
First Prize: £50 in book vouchers.
Four runners up: £25 in book vouchers each.
Submission guidelines
· Please type poems on 1 side of A4 paper,1 poem per page.
· Please send a separate sheet listing your contact details and the title(s) of your poem(s).
· No on-line or email entries possible.
· Remember to include your entry fee: £3 per poem, £5 for two poems (free for under 16’s).
· Make cheques or Postal Orders payable to “Festival of Firsts”.
· Post all entries to: FOF Poetry, 71 Alderley Road, Hoylake, CH47 2AU
Please check our website for all the competition rules and more information about the Festival of Firsts 2012.
http://www.festivaloffirsts.co.uk/festival_of_firsts_poetry_competition.html
Our judges
We are delighted to have three wonderful, enthusiastic judges!
Jan Dean
Describes herself as “a poet who sometimes writes fiction…” Jan has worked extensively with schools for over 25 years, running poetry workshops in a variety of different settings and with many different kinds of groups.
http://www.jandean.co.uk/about_jan.html
Andrew Rudd
Among many achievements and honours as a poet, Andrew has been the Cheshire Poet Laureate 2006 and was the winner of the Cheshire Prize for Literature twice in 2004 and 2007.
http://freespace.virgin.net/sound.houses/poetry/poetry2.htm
Colin Watts
An experienced poet and playwright, Colin has taught theatre writing, poetry and general creative writing, and has been involved with Arvon Foundation's Young Poets Award writing week for over 10 years. Currently Colin chairs the Dead Good Poets Society, Liverpool.
Please address any queries and requests for printed competition leaflets to: judy@ugonna.net.
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