For details of further competitions the south bank library has compiled quite an extensive list.
The link is:
http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/
Friday, 20 June 2014
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Saturday, 14 June 2014
FREE READING
It's no secret that as a writer you have to read. I also find it helpful to listen to audio recordings just for variety. Micheal Moorcock and T H White bluntly advise "Read. Read everything you can lay hands on".
As there has been quite a bit of talk about J K Rowling's The Silkworm I sounds like it's probably worth a read.
You can hear an audio of chapter one here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2014/jun/12/jk-rowling-robert-galbraith-the-silkworm-audiobook-listen
For those of you who aspire to write children's books, The guardian also has a list of books you can preview on their website. I particularly liked If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch.
Here's the link:
http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/interactive/2014/apr/30/free-read-she-wore-red-trainers-naima-b-robert
As there has been quite a bit of talk about J K Rowling's The Silkworm I sounds like it's probably worth a read.
You can hear an audio of chapter one here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2014/jun/12/jk-rowling-robert-galbraith-the-silkworm-audiobook-listen
For those of you who aspire to write children's books, The guardian also has a list of books you can preview on their website. I particularly liked If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch.
Here's the link:
http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/interactive/2014/apr/30/free-read-she-wore-red-trainers-naima-b-robert
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Cape Open Submissions - Vintage Books
Cape Open Submissions - Vintage Books
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
From 1–30 June, 2014, Jonathan Cape will be open for fiction submissions from new writers of high calibre and imagination.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
From 1–30 June, 2014, Jonathan Cape will be open for fiction submissions from new writers of high calibre and imagination.
VILLANELLE: FORM OF THE WEEK
The highly structured villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two repeating rhymes and two refrains.
The form is made up of five tercets followed by a quatrain.
The first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain.
Example
Newness of Life
by Shadow Hamilton
In Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
life around us is renewed
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Do entice men with a curtsey
careful least it's a wedding bed
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
Now the ladies, a few doxy's
love to spin, their skirts all spread
Ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Love comes courting in ecstasy
the fashion this year is redheads
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
The ladies are so full of moxie
lead men on but no maidenhead
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Fluttering eyelids so saucy
men their passions this time unfed
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Another example
One Art
BY ELIZABETH BISHOP
The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
The form is made up of five tercets followed by a quatrain.
The first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain.
Example
Newness of Life
by Shadow Hamilton
In Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
life around us is renewed
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Do entice men with a curtsey
careful least it's a wedding bed
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
Now the ladies, a few doxy's
love to spin, their skirts all spread
Ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Love comes courting in ecstasy
the fashion this year is redheads
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
The ladies are so full of moxie
lead men on but no maidenhead
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Fluttering eyelids so saucy
men their passions this time unfed
in Spring young thoughts turn to fancy
ladies wearing gowns all chintzy
Another example
One Art
BY ELIZABETH BISHOP
The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
2014 Poetry and short story competitions
26th May: David burland
Web: www.davidburlandpoetryprize.com
31st May: Bridport Prize
www.nestmagie.co.uk
31st May: Sentinal (Poetry and short story)
17th June: Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition
http://www.mslexia.co.uk/poetry
30th June : Battered Moons Poetry Competition 2014
http://www.poetry-festival.co.uk/poetry-competition.html
30th June: London Magazine International Poetry Competition 2014
31st July: Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award now open
17th August: Buzzwords
31st August: Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2014
31st October: Cannon Poets Sonnet or Not
31st October: Poetry society.org.uk
31st October: Poetrycan.org.uk
31st October: National Poetry Competition
Web: www.davidburlandpoetryprize.com
31st May: Bridport Prize
www.nestmagie.co.uk
31st May: Sentinal (Poetry and short story)
17th June: Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition
http://www.mslexia.co.uk/poetry
30th June : Battered Moons Poetry Competition 2014
http://www.poetry-festival.co.uk/poetry-competition.html
30th June: London Magazine International Poetry Competition 2014
31st July: Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award now open
17th August: Buzzwords
31st August: Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2014
31st October: Cannon Poets Sonnet or Not
31st October: Poetry society.org.uk
31st October: Poetrycan.org.uk
31st October: National Poetry Competition
Tips: Preparing for Competitions
Preparing for the poetry competitions.
Its always worth entering a poem or two to build your confidence if not to launch your career and get noticed as a writer. But how do you get inspired to write in time?
I also follow a few simple rules to get started
1. Read the guidelines.
This is extremely important. Don't waste your time working on a beautifully written piece of work only for it to be rejected because it exceeds the word limit. What a waste! And get it in on time!
2. Read about the judges.
I particularly recommend doing this as each judge tends to express what they are looking for in the poetry that they will be judging. This could help you decide, not only your subject matter, but also whether to work with form or free style.
3. Read about the magazine.
Have a look at the poems which have won in the past. Also looking at the type of material the magazine publishes is a good indication of what material they are looking for.
4. Try to stand out
Poetry is not meant to be boring. Its expressive and it can be technical in structure. Poetry uses words to paint an image which changes how the world is viewed by the ordinary reader.
5. Your a writer all day.
If you keep your mind open for writing ideas throughout the day your bound to be inspired. Read Poetry, fiction, newspapers keep your mind in shape with ideas and vocabulary. Write wherever you are: on your phone, hand, paper, tablet etc, don't just wait until you get home.
Happy Writing
Its always worth entering a poem or two to build your confidence if not to launch your career and get noticed as a writer. But how do you get inspired to write in time?
I also follow a few simple rules to get started
1. Read the guidelines.
This is extremely important. Don't waste your time working on a beautifully written piece of work only for it to be rejected because it exceeds the word limit. What a waste! And get it in on time!
2. Read about the judges.
I particularly recommend doing this as each judge tends to express what they are looking for in the poetry that they will be judging. This could help you decide, not only your subject matter, but also whether to work with form or free style.
3. Read about the magazine.
Have a look at the poems which have won in the past. Also looking at the type of material the magazine publishes is a good indication of what material they are looking for.
4. Try to stand out
Poetry is not meant to be boring. Its expressive and it can be technical in structure. Poetry uses words to paint an image which changes how the world is viewed by the ordinary reader.
5. Your a writer all day.
If you keep your mind open for writing ideas throughout the day your bound to be inspired. Read Poetry, fiction, newspapers keep your mind in shape with ideas and vocabulary. Write wherever you are: on your phone, hand, paper, tablet etc, don't just wait until you get home.
Happy Writing
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