The Verve Poetry Festival in Birmingham, UK, has a competition this year, for poems that mention the city of Birmingham! There is a charge for adults to enter (judge: Hannah Silva), but: “The children’s category is open to any child in Year 11 or below in September 2016 (UK) or aged 15 or under on 1st September 2016 (non-UK).” The judge for the Children’s Category is Emma Wright, who runs The Emma Press. Deadline for both children and adults (new, extended deadline for the latter- ignore any references to an earlier date) is 30 September. More information here.
2016 poetry competitions
Cheshire Poets Wanted
The High Sheriff’s Cheshire Prize for Literature 2016 is open for poetry this year – to poets with links to the English county of Cheshire. You are eligible if were born, have lived, or have studied in Cheshire. This includes the Wirral, Warrington and Halton. First prize is £2,000! Closing date is 1 September 2016. More information: http://chester.ac.uk/literatureprize
Cross-Generational Poets Wanted
Poetry Together is a new competition for pairs of poets – one under 18, and one over 18. The competition is a collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Children’s Book Festival and The Red Cross, under the directorship of Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. Poetry Together aims to highlight the potential loneliness of the elderly, whilst emphasising the important work of The Red Cross. The closing date is 29 April 2016. The winning duo will win £250 each. More information here.
Political Poems for Holland Park Press
You have until 31 August 2016 to enter this writing competition, entitled ‘Poetry & Politics’. It’s free to enter, and the winner will receive £200. Poems by the winner and runners-up will be published in the Holland Park Press online magazine. One poem per entrant. Your poem must be original (hope that would go without saying!), unpublished, and up to 50 lines in length. Poems must be in English, but may be from poets anywhere in the world and of any nationality. Please refer to the website for full submissions info: http://hollandparkpress.co.uk/magazine_detail.php?magazine_id=407&language=English
Agincourt 600 Young Poets’ Competition
Copied and pasted from Poetry Library newsletter:
Closing Date: 31-Jan-16
Calling all writers between the ages of 5 and 18 from the UK – enter the Agincourt 600 Poetry Competition. This new competition, launched in partnership with Agincourt 600, commemorates 600 years since the Battle of Agincourt, a landmark conflict in European history. This battle looms large in our imaginations for lots of reasons, including the scale of the French loss and the acclaim that was lavished on the victorious Henry V. We’re looking for poems which delve into Agincourt’s history and legacy to explore the battle afresh. The judges for the competition will be Agincourt 600, the Poetry Society, and Daljit Nagra, and prizes will be awarded in two categories for primary-level and secondary-level entrants. The overall winner in each category will receive a certificat e, £100 in book tokens and a day of poetry workshops at the winners’ school.http://www.youngpoetsnetwork.org.uk/2015/10/28/agincourt-600-young-poets-competition/
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