If, like me, you’ve always fancied being a poet in residence and you love gardens, then the Mixed Borders training project could be for you! Hosted by the Poetry School in London, together with the London Parks & Gardens Trust (LPGT), the scheme will provide successful applicants with a day’s training in March. Poets will be allocated a garden during the Open Garden Squares weekend in London in June. Deadline is Friday 3 February 2017. Full details here.
Deadline is 5pm on 4 March 2017. Full details here
The Curlew describes itself as a: ‘high-quality periodical dedicated to fine writing about the natural world’. The journal is published on a quarterly basis: the next deadline is the end of February 2017. There is no payment, but the editors state that proceeds will go to support conservation projects. Submissions information here. There is even a section for work by under-16-year-olds: http://www.the-curlew.com/sanderlings
Exciting news: Liverpool University Press is inviting submissions of first full collections (i.e. collections from poets who have not yet had a full collection published) to its Pavilion Poetry series. I asked via Twitter about the quantity of poems to submit and was told ‘as long as it’s above 48 pages, we’d love to see it’. Get your submission in by 31 January 2017. Visit the website for full details of what to send (paper submissions only).
The Snowdrop Festival in Shepton Mallet is running a poetry competition on the theme of this pretty harbinger of spring. Poets may also choose to take inspiration from the story of James Allen, who lived in Shepton Mallet, and was the first person to breed new snowdrop varieties from wild ones. There are three age ranges: 6-11; 12-16; over-16. Deadline is 15 January 2017. Full details here. There is also a photography competition.
Storage company Safe Store is running a poetry competition! Deadline is 15 January 2017. Write a poem in any style, describing what you like about winter. Three age ranges: 11 and under; 12-17; 18+. The winner in each category will receive a £30 e-gift voucher for stationery store Paperchase. UK residents only, I’m afraid. Full details are here.
The theme for this competition is ‘To a Friend’ – to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of John Keats’ first poetry collection. Poems should not exceed 30 lines. Deadline for entries is 15 January 2017. Full details here: Keats-Shelley Prize
