Get Writing
The Friends of the Folkestone Literary Festival have launched
their 2007 Short Story Competition in partnership with The Folkestone Herald,
BBC Radio Kent and Waterstone's. Ellie Beedham, Festival Director and Head of
Arts at the Creative Foundation said “The festival is a catalyst for creativity
and can encourage people to start writing. I am very pleased that this year, in
addition to their short story competition, the Friends will be running one for
poetry.”
Entrants to the Poetry Competition are asked to submit two pieces choosing from
a sonnet, a limerick, free verse or a villanelle. The poems should reflect a
sense of ‘place’: place as in location, personal development, status, position
etc. competition will be judged by Lord Gawain Douglas, poet musician and Great
Nephew of Lord Alfred Douglas. Gawain Douglas said “I believe poetry is a
valuable means of telling the truth about people, feelings, events and life in
general. It can cut away all that is superfluous and get to the very heart of
things”.
It is intended that the winning poems will be performed during the Folkestone
Literary Festival, which will this year run from November 2 -10. The winners
will be announced and the prizes presented on the same evening.
The theme for this year’s short story is a journey. Though it could obviously
concern a physical journey, it might alternatively involve a journey of the
mind, the struggle of coming to terms with triumph or disaster or of moving on
from one way of life to another; it might of course involve both. The story
should not exceed 1500 words. As in previous years the stories will judged by
BBC Radio Kent and the Folkestone Herald, who will be joined this year by
Waterstone’s.
The winning entries (stories and poems) will also be posted on the festival
website where they will remain permanently - this, in effect, amounting to
publication. For the rules of both competitions and the winning stories of 2005
& 2006 visit the festival website:
www.folkestonelitfest.co.uk or pick up entry forms from Waterstone’s or the
Folkestone Herald office.
Nick Spurrier
Article from Go Folkestone Newsletter September 2007
More Articles
