Andrea Wren: Journalist

FREE entry charity poetry competition - 1 day left to enter!

I have just stumbled upon this free entry charity poetry competition (first prize is £250 IF 1000 entries are received) being run by Forward Press for the Golden Grove Mansion Appeal (Healing the Wounds).

The Golden Grove Appeal is raising funds to buy the Golden Grove Mansion near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, for use as the first Welsh convalescent home and PTSD treatment centre for servicemen, women and veterans who have been wounded physically and mentally. Forward Press is helping in the appeal by compiling a poetry collection for which a percentage of the book sales will raise much-needed funds for the charity. 

The published collection will comprise of poems that have been entered for the competition, for which there is a prize of £250 for the best poet in the book, if 1000 poems have been received. So, it's worth having a go and getting one of your poems to Forward Press!

The competition closes tomorrow on the 30th July but is really simple to enter - you can do so via email or by uploading on the Forward Press website. See the terms and conditions and how to enter on the web page for the competition, and good luck!

Link: Golden Grove Mansion Appeal (Healing the Wounds) Competition

Poetry & short-story competitions closing in June 2010

Here's a list of national and regional poetry competitions which have entry deadlines for June 2010.

Good luck if you're entering any of them, and remember - READ the rules!

Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition 2010

Closing Date: 01-Jun-10

Details: First prize: £5000. Judges: Robert Crawford and Kathleen Jamie. For poems of up to 60 lines.
Entry Fee: £5 per poem
Contact: Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition, c/o David Kinloch, ENGLISH STUDIES (in caps), Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XH
Website: www.vitalsynz.co.uk

The Samuel Taylor Coleridge Memorial Poetry Prize

Closing Date: 01-Jun-10

Details: Judged by Peter Wyatt and Alison Courtney. Theme - Nature or The Sea. 30 lines max. 1st Prize £500; 2nd £300; 3rd £150
Entry Fee: £3.00 (up to 3 poems) by cheque payable to John Garland which will be receipted.
Contact: S.T. Coleridge Poetry Prize, 38 Brendon Road, Watchet, Somerset TA23 OAX
Website: www.coleridgepoetryprize.com
Tel: 01984 631 075
Email: johngarland1@hemscott.net

Poetry Competition in aid of educating Kenyan Orphans

Closing Date: 07-Jun-10

Details: Judged by John Hegley. First Prize £1000, Second Prize £500, Third Prize £300, Fourth Prize £200. Open to anyone aged 17 or over. Any theme. 30 lines max (not including title). No restriction on number of poems entered. Receipt of postal entries will only be confirmed if a SAE/postcard is enclosed. Online entry form can be downloaded from website.
Entry Fee: £5 per poem. Please make cheques payable to: Educating Kenyan Orphans.
Contact: Competition Organiser, Educating Kenyan Orphans, Glen View, Church Street, Coleford, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 5LZ.
Website:  www.educatingkenyanorphans.co.uk/poetry

Ledbury Poetry Festival Competition 2010

Closing Date: 10-Jun-10

Details: For poems of up to 40 lines. Three categories: Adult (18 and over), Young People (12-17), and Children (11 and under). Judges: Billy Collins (adult), Brian Moses (children and young people)
Entry Fee: £3.50 for the first poem for adults, first poem free for other categories
Contact: Ledbury Poetry Festival, Church Street, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1DH
Website: www.poetry-festival.com
 
Understanding Literary Magazine Poetry Competition 2010

Closing Date: 15-Jun-10

Details: First prize: £250, Entry Fee: £1.50
Contact: Understanding, 127 Milton Road West, Edinburgh EH15 1JG

The Bridport Prize 2010

Closing Date: 30-Jun-10

Details: For poems of up to 42 lines and short stories of up to 5000 words and flash fiction of up to 250 words. First prize in poetry category: £5000.
Entry Fee: £6 per poem, £7 per story, £5 for flash fiction
Contact: The Bridport Prize, PO Box 6910, Dorset DT6 9BQ
Website: www.bridportprize.org.uk

Frederik van Eeden Poetry Competition

Closing Date: 30-Jun-10

Details: Write a poem on the theme of the purpose or indeed the futility of life from your point of view, male or female. We are looking for poems that are based on your personal experience but have a universal appeal. 30 lines max. 1 poem per entrant. The prize for the winning poem is £100 and publication in our online magazine.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact: submissions@hollandparkpress.co.uk
Website: www.hollandparkpress.co.uk

Poetry & short-story competitions closing in May

Here's a list of national and regional poetry competitions which have entry deadlines for May 2010.

Good luck if you're entering any of them, and remember - READ the rules!

Poetry on the Lake 10th International Poetry Competition
Closing Date: 15-May-10
Details: 3 categories, suggested theme all: 'Mediterranean'. Silver Wyvern:max.60 lines. Formal verse: max.40 lines. Short: max.10 lines Adjudicators: James Harpur, Carole Baldock, Kevin Bailey. Prizes: Silver Wyvern + 500 Euros; 100 Euros x 3 runners-up; Short & Formal: each 100 Euros.First in each also: a year’s subscription to Orbis and publication therein
Entry Fee: £8 for the first poem; 2nd & 3rd £6 per poem, then £5 per poem. Under 18's: two free, then £5
Contact: UK cheques or postal orders crossed, payable to G.Griffin-Hall. No entry form required, send 2 copies of each poem, one anonymous, other with contact details to Poetry on the Lake, Isola San Giulio, 28016 Orta NO, Italy
Website: www.poetryonthelake.org
Email: poetryonthelake@yahoo.co.uk 

Indigo Dreams Summer Collection Competition 2010
Closing Date: 21-May-10
Details: Three winners will have poetry collection published by Indigo Dreams Publishing and receive 50 copies. Submission: Selection of 10-15 poems to 36 lines max. Full details/email/overseas entries visit the website.
Entry Fee: £18 per block of poems. Cheque payable to IDP or PayPal from website.
Website: www.indigodreamsonline.com
Contact: Indigo Dreams Summer Collection, 132 Hinckley Road, Stoney Stanton, Leics LE9 4LN. 
Email: dawnidp@btinternet.com or idpoet@rocketmail.com 

Welsh Poetry Competition 2010
Closing Date: 30-May-10
Details: For poems of up to 50 lines. Judge: John Evans. Prizes are: 1st Prize - £300, 2nd Prize - £150 and 3rd Prize - £75.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem
Contact: The Welsh Poetry Competition, 9 The Avenue, Pontypridd, CF37 4DF
Website: www.welshpoetry.co.uk

Lymington Arts Festival Open Poetry Competition 2010
Closing Date: 31-May-10
Details: For poems of up to 40 lines on the theme of Solstice. Three categories for entrants; up to age 11 ; up to age 17; 18 and over. Over £250 of prizes.
Entry Fee: £2 per poem for ages 18 and over
Contact: Lymington Arts Festival Poetry Competition, Lymington Community Centre. Lymington
Website: www.lymingtonartsfestival.org.uk

4th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting Competition 2010
Closing Date: 31-May-10
Details: For poems of up to 40 lines. First prize poetry category: £200. Judge: Linda Walters
Entry Fee: £4 for the first poem, and then £3.50
Contact: Tommy McBride (Group Secretary), The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning, 50 Onslow Road, Elm Park, Liverpool, Merseyside L6 3 BB
E-mail: thomas.mcbride2@sky.com
Website: www.the-village.co.uk/tedwalters.htm

Leaf Books Poetry Competition
Closing Date: 31 May 2010
Details: Leaf Books invites you to submit poems (max 35 lines) on any subject. Winning and commended entries will be published in an anthology and very outstanding poems in the Leaf Writing magazine. First Prize: Winner receives £200 and a free copy of the anthology. Runners up receives a free copy of the anthology and 10 free mini-books. All published authors will be able to pre- order the book and the magazine at a significantly reduced rate.
Entry Fee: £3 per entry, 4 entries for £10.
Website: www.leafbooks.co.uk

Poetry London Competition 2010
Closing Date: 31-May-10
Details: First prize £1000. Judge: Michael Longley. For poems of up to 80 lines.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem for Poetry London subscribers; for non-subscribers £5
Contact: Poetry London Competition, 81 Lambeth Walk, London SE11 6DX
Website: www.poetrylondon.co.uk