Free to Enter: Southwark Cathedral Poetry Competition 2012 (£100 top prize | no entry fee)

Deadline: 21 September 2012

To coincide with the 800th anniversary of a great fire that swept through Southwark on St Benedict’s Day 1212, Southwark Cathedral invites poets of all ages to take part in an exciting new competition to be judged by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

The theme of the 2012 Lancelot Andrewes Award is ‘Journeys through Fire’: an opportunity to mark the ending of the old and the beginning of the new as the Cathedral commemorates the anniversary of the fire that destroyed much of the borough and the Priory that is now the Cathedral. This is one of the many events that has made us who we are, and celebrates the reconstruction of the Retrochoir of the Cathedral.

An Awards Evening featuring an exclusive new poem inspired by Southwark Cathedral written by Carol Ann Duffy alongside a reading of the winning poems will take place at Southwark Cathedral on 20 November.

COMPETITION GUIDELINES:

All entries must be submitted electronically by 12 Midnight on Friday 21 September 2012. Entries submitted after this date will not be considered. The theme of the competition is ‘Journeys through Fire’ which is open to interpretation by the entrant. The competition is free to enter. Poets must enter the relevant age category. The winner and shortlisted entries will be notified by early November (2012). The prizes will be awarded on 20 November 2012 at an awards evening at Southwark Cathedral.

Only one poem per entrant can be submitted. Any additional poems submitted thereafter the first will be discounted from the competition. The maximum length is 80 lines. All poems must be in English, your own original work and not the translation of another poet. Entries should not have been published in print or online (or self-published – including posting on social media) previously, or have won any previous competition.

Your name, address or any personally identifying marks should not appear on the poem entered. All entries will be judged anonymously. Please enter the title of your poem on the competition entry form.

Poetry must be typed in black in a clear font (such as Ariel or Times New Roman) and submitted as a Word document, PDF or Open Office document. Poems should NOT be submitted in the body of an email. (If you do not have access to a computer or email please contact the competition administrator.)

We are unable to offer feedback on individual entries and once an entry has been submitted no changes to the poem can be made. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. The judge’s decision is final. Your entry in the competition means you accept the guidelines of the competition. Copyright of individual poems remains with the poet but the competition reserves the right to use winning and short listed entries for related publicity.

1ST PRIZE: ADULT CATEGORY

£100 plus publication of winning poem in ‘Journeys Through Fire’ Anthology and performance of poem at awards evening

1ST PRIZE: UNDER-16 CATEGORY

£50 book vouchers plus publication of winning poem in ‘Journeys Through Fire’ Anthology and performance of poem at awards evening

Short listed entrants: publication of winning poem in ‘Journeys Through Fire’ Anthology.

JUDGES: Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and guest judges TBC.

Please email entries (by 12 Midnight on Friday 21st September 2012) to: laawards@southwark.anglican.org with the subject heading ‘2012 Poetry Competition Entry’.

Download: entry form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: laawards@southwark.anglican.org

Website: http://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org