Entry will soon be open for writers and poets of all ages to put pen to paper with the launch of the international competitions organised by Wells Festival of Literature for 2023. Entry is open from 1 April to 30 June so writers have just three months in which to hone and send in their works.
The competitions feature four categories of poetry and stories – Open Poetry, Short Story, A Book for Children and a section for Young Poets aged 16-22.
Young Poets will be judged by Deanna Rodger who won the UK Poetry Slam when she was just 18 herself. Since then she has curated spoken word events and in 2016 wrote a reimagined a version of If, by Rudyard Kipling, that was read by tennis star Serena Williams to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Rachel Hamilton, a lecturer in creative writing at Bath Spa University, will be judge of A Book for Children. As someone who has lived in the Middle East, and who has also worked in high-security prisons, she enjoys working with a wide range of voices.
She loves books with edgy humour triggered by characters’ choices, flaws and foibles – a heads up for anyone entering this category.
William Sieghart, best known for founding National Poetry Day which is celebrated in the UK every October, will judge the Open Poetry. He is also known for his Poetry Pharmacy which he began in 2014 listening to thousands of people’s problems and prescribing for them a poetic remedy.
Judge for the Short Story competition is multi award-winning novelist Claire Fuller, who received the Costa Novel Award for Unsettled Ground in 2021. Her new book The Memory of Animals will be published in April. In 2021
Each category offers the chance to win three prizes ranging in value from £50 to £1,000, and winners will be announced at a ceremony in Wells in the autumn at which judges will offer personal feedback to each of the winners.
The competition is now hugely popular globally, each year attracting hundreds of entries both locally and from around the world. Several local winners were in the audience for last year’s prize-giving, adding a real buzz of excitement to the event.
Wells Festival of Literature is a charity whose profits go towards working with local schools to foster a love of reading and learning in children. It sponsors visiting authors, theatre, workshops and the gift of books, along with support for Beanstalk reading volunteers in schools.
This year’s festival – now in its 31st year – runs from 27 October to 4 November with all events taking place in Cedars Hall in the grounds of Wells Cathedral School.
Talks by lively and interesting writers and broadcasters, along with a popular programme of events for schools, are all part of the week’s activities. The names of visiting authors are still under wraps but look out for future announcements – and start writing for your place in the competitions.
More details can be found on the festival website www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk which is due to go live in early March, or email email hidden; JavaScript is required