More poetry, please!

One of the highlights of my week is listening to Poetry Please on Radio 4 (Sundays at 4.30pm) with Roger McRough. I love reading and listening to poetry and occasionally pen the odd poem myself (some are very odd...).  An excellent opportunity to air your poetry tendencies is to enter a competition.  So why not have a go and check out this tasty trio of poetry comps:

In order of submission deadlines...

Kent & Sussex Poetry Society:
2012 competition closes for postal entries on 31 Jan so you'll need to get this your entry in the post straight away!  But could be worth it for the prize pot is particularly generous.

• Deadline 31 January
• 1st - £800, 2nd - £300 and 3rd - £150 with 4 runner-up prizes of £75.
• 40 lines maximum of original and unpublished poems (any form or style).  
• Entry fee is £5 per poem (make cheque payable to Kent & Sussex Poetry Society)
• Typed on single side of A4 - no identifying details on poem
• Include separate sheet with your name and contact details (& list of poems submitted)

2012 Lumen / Camden Poetry Competition:
Run by Ward Wood Publishing and Lumen, Camden Poetry this competition is in aid of the homeless and will be judged by Carol Ann Duffy (current Poet Laureate).  Nice to see that all proceeds, including those from the publishing sales of anthology, will go to the London Homeless Cold Weather Shelters.

• Deadline for entries 14 February
• 40 lines maximum of unpublished poems
• Winner will see their work published in a 20-page collection by Ward Wood (and will receive 50 copies too) & get to read their work at a Lumen, Camden Poetry evening
• Entry fee is £2.50 for single poem or £10 for six
• For postal entries cheques should be made to Cold Weather Shelter 
• Online entries via the website and entry fee payable through Paypal

The 2011 competition raised £2,000 for this charity.

Cardiff International Poetry Competition 2012:
Worth a go as the top prize is £5,000 (think how many chocolates cakes that could buy).  However because of the tempting prize fund this is likely to receive many entries... but if you don't submit then you can't win it.

• Closing date is 2 March
• 1st - £5,000, 2nd - £500, 3rd - £250 and 5 runners-up get £50.
• 50 lines max for original, unpublished poems on any style and subject (single sides of white A4 & send 2 copies of each poem entered)
• Need an entry form which can be downloaded from website
• Entry fee is £6 per poem

Do check out website for FULL entry rules etc as £6 is a lot to throw away for an incorrect submission!

Let me know if you enter any poems and how you get on...