The award-winning poet Helen Mort has been announced as the judge for the 2019 Winchester Poetry Prize which is now open for entries.
Helen will be the sole judge and will read all entries. First prize will be £1000, second prize £500 and third prize £250.
Winchester Poetry Festival aims to promote and foster exciting talent with this open award. The winners will be announced during at a special event in October 2019.
Now in its fourth year the Winchester Poetry Prize aims to give serious recognition to the successful poets. As well as receiving substantial prize money, the winners will be invited to read at a special awards event in October. Winning and commended poets will also see their entries published in a special anthology to coincide with the presentation.
The closing date is 31 July 2019. Full details of how to enter are on the Winchester Poetry Festival website.
Festival chair,the poet Stephen Boyce said: “The Winchester Poetry Prize has gone from strength to strength. We have been delighted by the quality of the entries over the last three years and look forward to receiving poems from around the world for this our 4th annual competition.”
Inua Ellams,winner of the 2018 prize with his poem Plight/Fantasy said: “It was such an unexpected honour to win the prize last year. I entered a poem about my mother and her boundless courage, and the news came as I sat with her at a friend’s wedding, adding a supreme element to the celebrations around us. I encourage everyone to enter and Helen Mort, this year’s judge, is such a fine poet with a discerning eye and huge heart.”
The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over and may be on any subject in any form or style and no longer than 40 lines. Entry fee is £5 for the first poem and £4 for subsequent entries. There is also a special prize for a Hampshire-based poet.
The Winchester Poetry Prize is sponsored by Paris Smith,and the prize for a Hampshire based poet is supported by Warrens Stationers.
