Entry to Poetry London’s 2018 competition is now open, and we are delighted to announce Kwame Dawes as this year’s judge.
Poetry London is pleased to announce the distinguished poet Kwame Dawes, as the judge of its new 2018 Poetry London Clore Prize. He is the author or twenty-one books of poetry, and numerous other works of fiction, criticism and essays. His most recent collection, City of Bones: A Testament appeared from Northwestern University Press in 2017.
His awards include the Forward Prize, The Musgrave Silver Medal, several Pushcart Prizes, The Barnes and Noble Writers for Writers Award, and an Emmy. He is Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner, Associate Poetry Editor for Peepal Tree Books, and Director of the African Poetry Book Fund. He also serves as Chancellor Professor of English at the University of Nebraska.
The closing date of the competition is 1 May 2018. Winners will be notified by 16 July 2018; the first, second and third prizewinners will be published in the Autumn 2018 issue of Poetry London and on our website. The prizes will be awarded at our Autumn launch reading in London in September.
Competition Rules
- Entries must be in English, your own unaided work, and not a translation of another poet. Entries must not have been previously published or self-published, in print or online, or have won a prize in another competition. The maximum length is 80 lines.
- Your name and address must not appear on the poems entered, nor any other marks that could identify you.
- Entries must be typed or written clearly in black on white A4 paper or us letter size.
- Each poem must start on a new page. They will be judged separately on their own merits.
- You may enter as many poems as you wish, accompanied by the appropriate entry fee. For Poetry London subscribers the entry fee is £3 per poem; for non-subscribers £7. You are also eligible for the lower entry fee if you take out a subscription now: see form for details.
- The closing date is 1 May 2018. Winners will be notified by 16 July 2018; the first, second and third prizewinners will be published in the Autumn 2018 issue of Poetry London and on the magazine’s website. The prizes will be awarded at our Autumn launch reading in London in September (date to be confirmed). Copyright remains with the authors, but we reserve the right to publish the winning poems.
- The results will be published on our website by 16 July 2018.
- We will not enter into any correspondence about entries, or make changes to entries received. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. The judge’s decision is final. Your entry in the competition means you accept these rules. We will abide by good practice in the running of this competition, but cannot be held responsible for circumstances beyond our control. Should the named judge be unable to proceed, we aim to find an alternative judge of equivalent standing as a poet. Prizes may be withheld or altered if we receive no outstanding poems, or insufficient entries.
