Essex Poetry Festival
9th Open Poetry Competition

Sole adjudicator:Jo Bell

First Prize £500
Second £200, Third £100
and 3 runner-up prizes of £10 book tokens

Closing date 30th July 2009

Prize giving will be in October at the Essex Poetry Festival
Winners & runners-up will be invited to read their winning poems at the festival. Winning poems will be published here on the website

Jo Bell is the Co-ordinator of National Poetry Day,
was Cheshire Poet Laureate for 2007
and will be touring with the poetry show Fourpenny Circus during 2009. Her collection Navigation was published in 2008.
www.bell-jar.co.uk

Competition Rules

1. Poems may be up to 40 lines, and on any subject.

2. Entries must be the poet's own unpublished work.
    They should not be on offer elsewhere during this competition.      
     Copyright remains with the author.

3. The entry fee is £3 per poem or £10 for 5 poems.
     PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO
                 ‘POETRY IN PRACTICE’
    Note. fees must be in UK currency.

4. Each poem should be typed on one side of A4 paper with the title of the     
    poem at the top of the sheet.
    The competitor's name must NOT appear on the poem.

5. All entries must be accompanied by A4 covering sheet with the author's     
     name, address, phone number, email & titles of poems.Click here for entry form

6. Poems cannot be returned, so please don't send original manuscripts

7. The adjudicator's decision is final.

Please read the rules carefully, and then send entries to the address below.

Essex Poetry Festival Competition
15 Seeleys,
Old Harlow,
Essex
CM17 0AD

click here to read last years winners