2013 War Poetry Competition Lauched!

We are pleased to advise that the 2013 Pendle War Poetry Competition is now up and running! Full details of judges and prizes are yet to be finalised but the completion is still completely FREE to enter so there's no reason to not get writing!

The CLOSING DATE for this year's competition is 30th SEPTEMBER 2013.

Make sure you have read the competition rules before you send in your entry.

Please email all entries to info@pendlewarpoetry.com , putting "War Poetry 2013" in the subject box.

Please also indicate where you are sending from and if you are over or under 18 as this affect the category your poem will be entered for.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF TWO ENTRIES PER PERSON

Poetry Readings on 103.2 Preston FM - Friday from 7pm

Two of the top poems from the 2012 Pendle War Poetry Competition will be read out in a special "Hero 2012" radio programme on 103.2 Preston FM on Friday evening from 7pm.

The show features musical tracks donated for a special "Christmas Present For the Troops" CD which is not available for sale anywhere and there will also readings of poems by William Stephenson from Colne and Olwen Lund from Barnoldswick (in photo) which were recorded at the Prize Presentation Evening in October.

You can tune in to Preston FM on 103.2 FM in the local broadcast area or "listen live" worldwide via the internet at www.preston.fm
For more information about the radio show, click here:
http://www.bestkeptsecrets.biz/2012/12/hero-special-on-1032-preston-fm-friday.html

Limerick Competition Announced - Closing Date: 10th January 2013

Lancashire Day is 27th November. It commemorates the day in 1295 when Lancashire sent its first representatives to sit in Parliament under then king Edward 1st of England.

As the popularity of celebrating Lancashire Day sperad acrsoo the county Paletine, ie incluidng sreas that used to be in Lancashire but aren't any more, such as Barrow, Manchester and Bolton, we have decided to mark this occasion by devising the free to enter Lancashire Limerick Competition.

The Concise Encyclopedia defines a limerick as follows:

"Popular form of short, humorous verse, often nonsensical and frequently ribald. It consists of five lines, rhyming aabba, and the dominant metre is anapestic, with two feet in the third and fourth lines and three feet in the others.

The origin of the term is obscure, but a group of poets in County Limerick, Ire., wrote limericks in Irish in the 18th century.

The first collections in English date from c. 1820.

Among the most famous are those in Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense (1846)."
 
A full set of rules will be issued shortly but basically:

• The Closing date for entries is 10th January 2013.
• There is just one category for all age groups and entrants for all locations. 
• The prize will be a £25 Amazon voucher, which has been kindly donated by poet, writer and poetry historian Lucy London who will also judge the competition.
• To enter the competition, simply e-mail your limerick to info@pendlewarpoetry.com and put "Limerick" in the subject box.

PLEASE NOTE: ENTRIES THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO LIMERICK STRUCTURE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

ENTER NOW FOR 2013 COMPETITION!

It's never too early to start thinking about next year's Pendle War Poetry Competition. The panel of judges may not yet be in place, nor the prizes lined up or even the closing date decided upon, but you can already start sending in your entries for the 2013 competition.

The Rules will be roughly the same as the 2012 competition and there will, again, be four categories:

1) Under 18
2) Overseas
3) UK National
4) Local Pendle.

More news will be posted here on the website as things are finalised and we move into 2013.

If you'd like to send in your entry now (some people already have...!), send it in an email - or as a word attachment - along with your name and locality to info@pendlewarpoetry.com , and please put "War Poetry 2013" in the subject box.

Christmas Present Idea: Winners' Book Offer Ends 30th November

Looking for an idea for a special Christmas present...? Well, look no further.... our special offer prie of £5.00 per copy of the Selected Poems 2012 will remain in place until 30th November.

After that, the book will go back to it's original selling price of £6.00 per copy - with normal P&P charges applying.

To take advantage of this not to be repeated offer, click below to place your order:

Read All About It - Poets In The News

Sorry for the late notification of this but this great story and photo was published in the Nelson Leader on 26th October 2012

Prize Winning Poem - Under 18 Category

Here is the winning poem in the Under 18 Category.  It was written by Meredith Graham from Surrey and she read the poem out herself on the night.

“Known Unto God” by Meredith Graham

 Fields of white and row on row

The sorrow from the ground it grows,
Of wasted youth and missing names,
Through history this war was named as great,
And true,
But all they knew was dark and pain and death and blame.
 
The air’s now soft, all sounds serene,
And sunlight ‘pon the crosses gleams,
But where I stood was where men fell,
Just puppets under war’s great spell.
No thought but fight, no wish nor will,
For King and Country they would kill.

Such blood was shed, but not in vain,

As our respect shall never wane,
For those who fought and those who lost,
And those who paid the highest cost