A CHANCE TO WRITE YOUR NAME IN THE STARS


>>The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award opens for entries


Deadline: 31st July 2012 www.foyleyoungpoets.org


“Entering the Foyle Young Poets of the Year competition was one of the best things I’ve ever done; judging it is a dream I didn’t think would come true. It proves what a good idea dreaming is! I’m looking forward to reading poems that move, surprise, intrigue and inspire me, poems that pull away my chair while I’m not looking.”


Former Foyle Winner and 2012 judge, Helen Mort


T


he Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is an opportunity for any young poet aged 11- 17 to accelerate their writing


career. Since it began 15 years ago the Award has kick-started the career of some of today’s most exciting new voices, including this year’s judge Helen Mort, a highly successful poet whose next collection is to be published by Chatto & Windus (whose alumni include A.S. Byatt, Toni Morrison and poet Ruth Padel).


Helen is joined by the acclaimed Costa Award winning poet, Christopher Reid, on the judging panel.


Last year’s competition attracted entries from a staggering 7,215 young people and the quality of the poems was impressive as ever. The award is recognised as a career-changing competition of cultural significance nationally and internationally, with previous winners coming from as far as New Zealand, Malaysia and the U.S.A. The press attention and number of entries it has garnered in recent year is testimony to the gravitas of the competition. To reach the top 100 is truly to be marked out as a rising literary star. The top fifteen poets will be published in an anthology going out to more than 20,000 people worldwide in March 2013.


There are two prizes available for the 15 overall winners of the award. The 14-17 year olds get the chance to attend a week long residential course at The Hurst in Shropshire, one of the prestigious Arvon centres, where they will be tutored by this


year’s judges Christopher Reid and Helen Mort. The younger age range winners (11-14 year olds) will receive a visit to their school from a professional poet, followed by distance mentoring. The 85 Commended Winners also receive book prizes and a year’s Youth Membership of the Poetry Society.


All 100 winners of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award benefit from ongoing support and encouragement, via publication, performance, promotion and internship opportunities throughout the UK.


Any young person writing in English can enter the competition, whether they have been writing for a long time or just started, all they need to have is a passionate engagement with words, and wonder.


The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2012 is supported by the Foyle Foundation, and is free to enter.


full on! 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24