Poetry Competition
NB Due to the coronavirus outbreak and the cancellation of the main festival, there will now be a virtual awards ceremony where winners will be announced.
Our Poetry Competition is open to all writers of poetry aged 18 and over. We are looking for unique voices, precise use of language, powers of observation and use of fresh imagery, and qualities such as lyricism and rhythm.
Prizes
1st Prize £60
2nd Prize £30
The winning poets will be invited to read at the festival in May 2020.
The poetry prize is run by Oakwood Literature Festival. We aim to promote all forms of creative writing and have a particular interest in providing a platform for the poetic word.
Essential Information for All Entrants
- Entries can be on any subject.
- Poems should be not more than 30 lines (excluding the title).
- Closing date for receipt of entries: Sunday 5 April 2020, 11.59pm
Fees
The entry fee is £5 per poem. You can send multiple entries (maximum of four).
Fees are payable online or by cheque made out to ‘Oakwood Literature Festival Ltd’.
How to Enter
Complete Application Form which contains full details of how to apply. Please DO NOT include your name on the submitted work (just on the application form.
Terms and Conditions
Eligibility
The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over who is resident in the United Kingdom (Oakwood Literature Festival is unable to offer any financial assistance for winners to attend the prizegiving).
Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been published, self-published, published on any website or online forum, broadcast nor won or been placed in any other competition (as at May 2020).
Copyright
Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author, but by entering the competition the entrant agrees that Oakwood Literature Festival will have the unrestricted right to publish the winning poems and stories, (including those of three runners up), on the Festival website or as ‘posters’, postcards and/or celebratory pamphlets for display and distribution during the Festival and the entrant waives his/her rights in relation to such publication to the extent that he/she is able to do so.
Judging
Poetry Competition will be judged by a panel of professional poets: judges will be Charlotte Lunn (Lottie Poet) and Beckie Deans, poets.
The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into.
Judges are unable to comment on individual entries.
Judging will be fair and unbiased. Experienced readers will assist the named judges in selecting the shortlists.
The organisers reserve the right to change the panel of judges without notice and not to award prizes if, in the opinion of the judges, such action is justified.
Results
Prize winner and runners up will be notified by Friday 1 May 2020 and invited to a virtual reward ceremony to acknowledge their prize and read their work at a virtual ceremony.
The list of prize winners will be displayed on the website after 23 May 2020.
Please Note
Entry implies acceptance of all the above rules.
Failure to comply with the entry requirements will result in disqualification.
