Poetry competition 2010

 

The key to writing good poetry is to immerse yourself in reading and listening to poetry and what better place to do that than the Ledbury Poetry Festival? During the Festival there will be writing workshops, reading groups, ' one on ones' and open mics, as well as readings, performances, music, talks, walks, exhibitions and the slam. The Festival atmosphere is friendly and lively. Ledbury is a charming medieval market town, near the Malvern Hills.

How to take part

Contact admin@poetry-festival.com or call 0845 458 1743 for a Competition Entry Form or alternatively, you can download the form here > (Please be patience as this can take a little time.)

Closing Date: 5pm Thursday 10 June 2010
Judge: Billy Collins (Adult) and Brian Moses ( Children and Young People)

 

Prizes Category 1 (18 and over)

First Prize: Ty Newydd writing course in 2010
Second Prize: £250
Third Prize: £150

Prizes Category 2 (12 – 17)

First Prize: £100
Second Prize: £50
Third Prize: £25

Prizes Category 3 (11 and under)

First Prize: £25 book token
Second Prize: £15 book token
Third Prize: £10 book token

 

“Winning at Ledbury was wonderful.” Jacob Polley

Highly respected, Ledbury Poetry Competition is renowned for spotting new talent first. Our 2009 winner Mick Wood read his poem on The Guardian Books Podcast with Claire Armistead. 2001winner Jacob Polley has since published two collections with Picador. 2005 winner Mike Barlow went on to win the 2006 National Poetry Competition. His book Another Place is published by Salt Modern Poets. 2006 winner Christopher Jame's book The Invention of Butterfly is now published by Ragged Raven Poetry and he went on to win the 2008 National Poetry Competition.

The First Prize in the adult category is a Ty Newydd writing course. Ty Newydd, the National Writers' Centre for Wales, is renowned for its excellent residential writing courses, taught by outstanding poets, in a stunning location. Visit www.tynewydd.org for more information about the courses on offer.

Competition winners are also offered the chance to read at the Ledbury Poetry Festival, to meet other poets and to enjoy the other events.

 

Judges

Billy Collins (Adult)

Former United States Poet Laureate, Billy Collins combines high critical acclaim with broad popular appeal. Many call his poetry accessible. Billy Collins prefers the term hospitable. "Luring his readers into the poem with humour, Mr Collins leads them unwittingly into deeper, more serious places, a kind of journey from the familiar to quirky to unexpected territory, sometimes tender often profound." (The New York Times) His collections of poetry include Ballistics, Taking off Emily Dickinson's Clothes, Questions About Angels andThe Art of Drowning.

Billy Collins is appearing exclusively at Ledbury as poet in residence during the Festival, where he will lead workshops and give a reading of his own work.

 

Brian Moses (Children and Young People)

Hugely popular, Brian Moses has written and edited over 150 books for children and teachers. He performs widely, using percussion to emphasise the rhythms in his poems. His books include, The Beetle in the Bathroom, The Budgie Like to Boogie, Behind the Staffroom Door and Greetings Earthlings: Space Poems written with James Carter.

 

Read the poems by the 2009 winners here>

 

 

         Judges

    

      Billy Collins (Adult)

Former United States Poet Laureate, Billy Collins combines high critical acclaim with broad popular appeal.

        

            Brian Moses

   (Children and Young Persons)

Hugely popular, Brian Moses has written and edited over 150 books for children and teachers.

         Prizes

 

            Ty Newydd

The National Writers' Centre for Wales.

Read 2009's competition winners here.