Opportunities

THE POETRY SOCIETY

22 BETTERTON STREET LONDON WC2H 9BX

TEL: 020 7420 9880

FAX: 020 7240 4818 EMAIL: info@poetrysociety.org.uk WEB: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk

POETRY COMPETITIONS LISTINGS Compiled with the assistance of the Poetry Library (www.poetrylibrary.org.uk) and Poetry Kit (www.poetrykit.org)

NOTE: The following is an overview of each competition. Please contact the competition organiser to obtain the full details and rules before submitting

Segora 10th International Poetry Competition Closing Date: 15-Jun-16

Details: Any subject, any style up to 50 lines. Results end of July. Judge: Roger Elkin. Prizes: £300, £50, £30 or equivalent in euros. Winning poems published on website. Presentation evening to be announced. Entry Fee: ££4 for single entry or 5.50 euro add £2.50 or 2.75 euro each subsequent poem Contact: http://www.poetryproseandplays.com. simms.gordon@orange.fr.

Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year Competition 2016 Closing Date: 17-Jun-16

Details: Prizes: 1st place – £200, and the title of Poet of the Year, 2nd place – £100, 3rd place – £50. Judges: Luigi Marcini, Abigail Morley, Patricia Debney. Entry Fee: £5 Web: http://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk/festival-friends/events/poet-of-the-year-2016.aspx. Contact: tina@canterburyfestival.co.uk

The McLellan Poetry Prize 2016 Closing Date: 19-Jun-16

Details: Maximum 80 lines. Prizes: 1st £1,000, 2nd £300, 3rd £100 and 6 commendations of £25. Judge: David Constantine. Entry Fee: £5 for first poem, £4 thereafter. Web: http://www.arrantheatreandarts.org/index.php/poetry-competition Contact: The Competition Organiser, The Yellow Land, Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran KA27 8PZ.

Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2016 Closing Date: 21-Jun-16

Details: Prizes: 1st £5,000; 2nd £1,000; 3rd £500, plus 20 prizes of £25 each plus a spring 2016 coffee-house-poetry season-ticket plus a prize-winners’ coffee-house poetry reading with judges Jane Yeh & Glyn Maxwell on Mon 31 October 2016 for all prize-winning poets. Entry Fee: £5 per poem Contact: http://www.coffeehousepoetry.org/prizes

The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2016 Closing Date: 30-Jun-16

Details: Looking for new poets whose work is adventurous, innovative and surprising in both form and content. Judges: Andrew McMillan and Rebecca Perry. Opening date: 1st May 2016. Prizes: 1st prize: £300, 2nd prize: £200, 3rd prize £150. Entry Fee: £7, subsequent poems: £5. Contact: http://www.thelondonmagazine.org

SPM Publications Poetry Book Competition 2016 Closing Date: 30-Jun-16

Details: Three poets will have their full-length poetry collections published. Judges: Andy Willoughby and Bob Beagrie. Prizes: Standard publishing contract with SPM Publications, cash prizes of £300 (1st), £200 (2nd) and £100 (3rd), plus 20 authors’ copies for each published poet. Entry Fee: £25 (UK) or £30 (Rest of the World) per collection Contact: http://www.spmpublications.com/competitions

The Battered Moons Poetry Competition Closing Date: 30-Jun-16

Details: Judges: Daljit Nagra and Cristina Navazo-Eguía Newton. First prize £700; second £200; third £100; plus four commendations of £25 each. Winners and commended poets will be invited to read at the Poetry Swindon Festival on Saturday 8th October 2016. Entry Fee: £5 for first poem and £3.50 thereafter. Contact: hamusandoichi@googlemail.com; cristina.ne.newton@gmail.com. Web: http://batteredmoons.com/

Carefree Kids Poetry Competition

Closing Date: 01-Jul-16

Details: Fundraising poetry competition for anyone, anywhere, of any age. Poems about the following subjects: Babies, Children & Young People, Parents & Carers, Siblings, Families, Play, Grandparents. The top 30 poems will be published in a beautifully produced poetry booklet, which each winning poet will receive. Judge: Lord Rowan Williams (poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury) is the Chair of the Judging Panel and will select the final winners. Entry Fee: £5 per poem or £10 for three, Unwaged or under 18 years: £1 per poem, Prisoners: free Contact: http://www.carefreekids.org/poetry-competition/#more-3507

The Elmet Trust Poetry Prize Closing Date: 08-Jul-16

Details: Celebrating the life and work of Ted Hughes. First Prize: £400; Second Prize: £100; Third Prize: £50. For poems in response to Ravens; The City. Attach your entries to an email, addressed to elmetsec@hotmail.co.uk.

Entry: up to 3 poems, at a fee of £5 per poem. Please make cheques or postal orders payable to The Elmet Trust & post them to 19, Roseneath Street, Wortley, Leeds LS12 4DY Contact: elmetsec@hotmail.co.uk Web: http://www.theelmettrust.org/elmet-trust-poetry-prizes

Wasafiri New Writing Prize Closing Date: 15-Jul-16

Details: Submissions are welcome in three categories: Poetry, Fiction and Life Writing. Ensure that you submit your entry/entries by the deadline: 5pm GMT on 15 July 2016. Winners will receive £300 and their entries will be published in Wasafiri. Entry Fee: £6 Contact: wasafiriprize@open.ac.uk Web: http://www.wasafiri.org/wasafiri-new-writing-prize.asp

Black Country Living Museum Annual Poetry Competition 2016 Closing Date: 29-Jul-16

Details: Theme is ‘Earth & Air’. Open to adults aged 18 years and over, and to poetry in any style. First prize is £100, a family ticket to the Museum and publication on the museum website, and there are other cash prizes and opportunities for publication. Judges: Dave Reeves, Liz Berry and Mel Weatherley. Entry Fee: free Contact: http://www.bclm.co.uk/learning/annual-prize-poetry-competition-2016/457.htm

PENfro Poetry Competition Closing Date: 31-Jul-16

Details: First prize: £300, Second prize: £125. Third: £75. Judge: Jonathan Edwards. Max 40 lines. Subject: open. Entry Fee: £4 a poem. Entry Fee: £4 per poem Contact: http://penfrobookfestival.org.uk/competitions/poetry

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2016 Closing Date: 31-Jul-16

Details: The biggest competition for writers aged 11-17. Winners receive a fantastic range of prizes, from mentoring to a residential Arvon writing course, Poetry Society membership to books. They also receive ongoing support and writing development opportunities. Judges: Malika Booker and W.N. Herbert. Entry Fee: Free Contact: http://foyleyoungpoets.org/

Winchester Poetry Prize – Inaugural prize 2016 Closing Date: 31-Jul-16

Details: First Prize £1000 Second £500, Third £250. Judge: Mimi Khalvati. Winners & runners-up will be invited to read their winning poems at the Winchester Poetry festival. Winning poems will be published in a Prize anthology. Entry Fee: £5 for first poem and £4 for each subsequent poem Contact: http://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org/prize

Poetry & Politics competition Closing Date: 31-Aug-16

Details: Any aspect of politics. Prize: £200 and publication in the Holland Park Press online magazine. Over 18s only. 50 lines max. Entry Fee: free

Contact: submissions@hollandparkpress.co.uk Web: http://www.hollandparkpress.co.uk/magazine_detail.php?magazine_id=407&language=English

The Poetry Society Stanza Competition

Closing Date: 12-Sep-2016 Details: Open exclusively to Poetry Society members, or anyone who joins before the closing date, who are also members of a Poetry Society Stanza. The theme for this year’s competition is SILENCE. Send up to two poems, max 40 lines per poem. The winners will be announced on National Poetry Day, Thursday 6 October 2016. Our judge is award-winning poet and novelist Ros Barber. Web: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/stanzacomp

Rubies in the Darkness Poetry Competition 2016 Closing Date: 30-Nov-16

Details: Judge: Peter Geoffrey Paul Thompson. Entries in traditional form with rhyme scheme preferred. No entry form required. Poems of any length. The author retains copyright and published poems are acceptable. Book prizes for the top three. Entry Fee: £3 per poem

Contact: Rubies Poetry Competition, 41 Grantham Road, Manor Park, London,