|
The Poetry Year
2004
Below are some dates
which writers might find useful,
featuring festivals and competitions you
might enjoy, special dates which
could inspire you to write a poem and
the themes we will be inviting poetry
for.
To skip to the
month you require click on a link
below:
 January
Festivals:
Celtic Connections Festival
Website: www.celticconnections.co.uk
Tel: 0141 353 8080
Wordsworth Trust Weekend Book Festival
Website: www.wordsworth.org.uk
Tel: 01539 435 544
Literary Information:
The TS Eliot Prize
Annual £10k literary award for the best poetry book published the previous year, awarded by the Poetry Book Society and named after its founder
Website: www.poetrybooks.co.uk
Whitbread Book Awards 2004
Annual, prestigious, awards ceremony featuring five categories: Whitbread First Novel, Poetry, Biography, Novel and Children's book awards
Website: www.whitbread-bookawards.co.uk
 
Submissions Invited:
The New Year's Day Parade – 1st January
Website: www.londonparade.co.uk
Tel: 020 8566 8586
Submissions Invited: New Beginnings
Submissions Deadline: 31/01/04
Submission
Guidelines 
World Day of Peace – 1st January
The Pope issues a special message to mark the annual observance established by Pope Paul VI in 1967
Submissions Invited: War & Peace
Submissions Deadline: 31/01/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 February
Festivals:
Bath Literature Festival
Website: www.bathlitfest.org.uk
Tel: 01225 448 044
Winter's Edge Festival
Website: www.festivalattheedge.org
Tel: 01939 236626
Literary Information:
British Book Awards
15th annual high-profile literary awards, known as the Nibbies, recognises bestsellers rather than critics' favourites
Website: www.publishingnews.co.uk
Submissions Invited:
80 years ago: Gas chamber first used in America – 8th February
John Gee, a Chinese gang member, became the first man to be executed in a gas chamber, when he was gassed at Nevada State Prison, Carson City
Submissions Invited: Capital Punishment
Submissions Deadline: 29/02/04
Submission
Guidelines
St Valentine’s Day – 14th February
Annual day for romance
Submissions Invited: Valentine Verse
Submissions Deadline: 29/02/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 March
Festivals:
Bath Shakespeare Festival
Website: www.bathshakespeare.org.uk
Tel: 020 7637 2994
Oxford Literary Festival
Website: www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01865 883 139
Spit-Lit 2004 Festival
Website: www.alternativearts.co.uk
Tel: 020 7375 0441
Literary Information:
World Book Day – 4th March
6th annual day, more than 14 million children receive a £1 book token
Website: www.worldbookday.com
Bedtime Reading Week – 14th
- 21st March
4th annual campaign
Website: www.bedtimereadingweek.co.uk
Submissions Invited:
No Smoking Day – 10th March
UK Annual awareness campaign aiming to help people who want to stop smoking
Submissions Invited: Smoking Debate
Submissions Deadline: 31/03/04
Submission
Guidelines
Mothering Sunday – 21st March
Annual day to celebrate mothers
Submissions Invited: Poems for Mum
Submissions Deadline: 31/03/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 April
Festivals:
Bay Lit Festival
Web site http://www.academi.org
Tel: 029 2047 2266
Cheltenham Festival Of Literature
Website: www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk
Tel: 01242 775 856
Literary Information:
Her Majesty's Gold Medal For Poetry
Instituted by King George V in 1933, the medal is awarded to a book of verse by a writer from the UK or Commonwealth. The 2003 award went to U A Fanthorpe
Website: www.royal.gov.uk
Parker Romantic Novel of the Year Award
44th annual £10k literary award
Website: www.rna-uk.org/parkerindex.html
Submissions Invited:
30 years ago: free contraceptives introduced – 1st April
Free family planning became available on the NHS
Submissions Invited: Contraceptive Debate
Submissions Deadline: 30/04/04
Submission
Guidelines
Easter – 9th - 12th April
Submissions Invited: Easter Poems
Submissions Deadline: 30/04/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 May
Festivals:
Brighton Festival
Website: www.brighton-festival.org.uk
Tel: 01273 700 747
Bury St Edmunds Festival
Website: www.buryfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01284 757 630
Charleston Festival
Website: www.charleston.org.uk
Tel:01323 811 626
The Daphne du Maurier Festival of Arts & Literature
Website: www.restormel.gov.uk/daphne/
Tel: 01726 223 439
Salisbury Festival
Website: www.salisburyfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01722 332 977
Swaledale Festival
Website: www.swaledale-festival.org.uk
Tel: 01748 880 018
Swindon Festival of Literature
Website: www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk
Tel: 01793 771 080
Literary Information:
John Betjeman died 20 years ago – 19th May
Popular English poet and Poet Laureate (born April 6, 1906)
The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
Award for work by an author under the age of 40. Presented in alternate years to either a work of prose or poetry. This year's award is for poetry
Website: www.faber.co.uk
Submissions Invited:
25 years ago: Thatcher became Prime Minister – 4th May
Margaret Thatcher was elected as the UK's first woman Prime Minister with a Tory majority of 43 seats
Submissions Invited: Politics
Submissions Deadline: 31/05/04
Submission
Guidelines
Spring Bank Holiday – 31st May
Submissions Invited: Spring
Submissions Deadline: 31/05/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 June
Festivals:
City Of London Festival
Website: www.colf.org
Tel: 020 7377 0540
Derbyshire Literature Festival
Website: www.derbyshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01773 832 497
Dublin Writers Festival
Website: www.dublinwritersfestival.com
Tel: 00 353 1 671 3672
Hebden Bridge Arts Festival
Website: www.hebdenbridge.co.uk
Tel: 01422 842 684
Ludlow Festival
Website: www.ludlowfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01584 875 070
Midsummer Poetry Festival
Website: www.alternativearts.co.uk
Tel: 020 7375 0441
Literary Information:
Orange Prize for Fiction
Prestigious award celebrating writing by women, published in the UK
Submissions Invited:
60 years ago: Doodlebugs hit London – 13th June
The first flying V-1 bombs fell on London. The more advanced V-2s followed in December
Submissions Invited: War on the Homefront
Submissions Deadline: 30/06/04
Submission
Guidelines
Father’s Day – 20th June
Annual day to celebrate Fathers
Submissions Invited: Poems for Dad
Submissions Deadline: 30/06/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 July
Festivals:
Harrogate International Festival
Website: www.harrogate-festival.org.uk
Tel: 01423 562 303
King's Lynn Festival
Website: www.kl-festival.freeserve.co.uk
Tel: 01553 767 557
Lichfield Festival
Website: www.lichfieldfestival.org
Tel: 01543 306 270
Ways With Words - Dartington Festival
Website: www.wayswithwords.co.uk
Tel: 01803 867 373
Winchester Festival
Website: www.winchesterfestival.co.uk
Tel: 01962 848 311
Literary Information:
Summer Reading Challenge
6th annual challenge aiming to keep children reading and interested in books throughout the summer holidays. Over 650,000 children throughout the UK took part in last year's event
Submissions Invited:
St Swithins Day – 15th July
’St Swithins Day, if thou does rain, for forty days it will remain, St Swithins Day if thou be fair for forty days twill rain no more’
Submissions Invited: Summer
Submissions Deadline: 31/07/04
Submission
Guidelines
National Orgasm Day – 31st July
Fourth annual campaign
Submissions Invited: Erotic Verse
Submissions Deadline: 31/07/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 August
Festivals:
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Tel: 0131 228 5444
Ross International Festival
Tel: 01989 565 760
Literary Information:
Ian Fleming died 40 years ago – 12th August
Death of the author who created the spy James Bond, he was an assistant to the head of naval intelligence (born May 28, 1908)
The Thumping Good Read Awards
13th annual WH Smith awards for the most exciting paperback read of the year
Submissions Invited:
International Friendship Day – 1st August
International day providing an opportunity to cherish friends and let them know they are appreciated
Website: www.friendship.com.au
Submissions Invited: Celebrating Friends
Submissions Deadline: 31/08/04
Submission
Guidelines
Annual UK Threat Assessment
UK National Criminal Intelligence Service report setting out the priorities for law enforcement over the coming year with regards to tackling organised crime
Submissions Invited: Crime on our Streets
Submissions Deadline: 31/08/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 September
Festivals:
St Ives September Festival
Tel: 01736 794 622
The Folkestone Literary Festival
Website: www.folkestonelitfest.com
Tel: 01303 244 706
The Word @ Polka Theatre
Annual festival of children's literature
Website: www.polkatheatre.com
Tel: 020 8543 4888
Literary Information:
International Literacy Day – 8th September
Worldwide UN dedicated observance raising awareness of illiteracy and its consequences
Submissions Invited:
September 11 commemorations - Tribute In Light
Ground Zero, New York, USA - round the time the sun sets a bright light shines where the World Trade Center twin-towers once stood, in memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks three years ago
Submissions Invited: September 11 – 3 years on
Submissions Deadline: 30/09/04
Submission
Guidelines
International Day For The Preservation Of The Ozone Layer - 16th September
United Nations Environment Programme campaign
Submissions Invited: Natural World
Submissions Deadline: 30/09/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 October
Festivals:
Poetry International Festival
Website: www.rfh.org.uk/poetryint
Tel: 020 7921 0632
Ballymena Arts Festival
Tel: 028 25 639853
Literary Information:
50 years ago: Lord Of The Flies published – 15th October
William Golding's classic novel was published
Oscar Wilde was born 150 years ago – 16th October
Birth of the brilliant and notorious British playwright and author, he died on 30th November 1900
The Poetry Challenge 2004
Poetry-lovers of all ages get sponsored to recite their favourite poems for charity
Website: www.poetrychallenge.org.uk
Submissions Invited:
British Summertime ends – 31st October
The clocks go back
Submissions Invited: Autumn
Submissions Deadline: 31/10/04
Submission
Guidelines
Hallowe’en – 31st October
A spooky tradition of Trick or Treat
Submissions Invited: Hallowe’en
Submissions Deadline: 31/10/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 November
Festivals:
Aldeburgh Poetry Festival
Website: www.aldeburghpoetryfestival.org
Tel: 01986 835 940
Lewes Live Literature Festival
Website: www.leweslivelit.co.uk
Tel: 01273 400560
Literary Information:
Aldeburgh Poetry Festival Prize
Annual £500 prize for best first collection of poetry published during the preceding 12 months
Website: www.aldeburghpoetryfestival.org
Submissions Invited:
Bonfire Night – 5th November
Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason, Should ever be forgot.
Submissions Invited: Bonfire Night
Submissions Deadline: 30/11/04
Submission
Guidelines
Remembrance Sunday – 14th November
The date 11th November 1918 will mean something to everyone.
Submissions Invited: Remembrance Day Poems
Submissions Deadline: 30/11/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
 December
Festivals:
No festivals planned at time
this time.
Literary Information:
Dame Edith Sitwell died 40 years ago – 9th December
Death of the poet and writer famous for Clowns' Houses and The English Eccentrics (born September 7, 1887).
Submissions Invited:
Christmas Day – 25th December
Submissions Invited: Christmas & Winter
Submissions Deadline: 31/12/04
Submission
Guidelines
90 years ago: football game played in No Man's Land – 25th December
A 24-hour truce was declared at the height of the battle of the Somme allowing British and German rank-and-file soldiers to play a game of football in No-Man's Land. When hostilities resumed, officers had to force the participants to recommence firing
Submissions Invited: The Front Line
Submissions Deadline: 31/12/04
Submission
Guidelines
Top
Submission
Guidelines: A maximum of 2 poems per
theme and of no more than 30 lines in
length each, will be considered. The
address to send your poem(s) to is:
(Theme Name), Forward Press Ltd, Remus
House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough PE2
9JX
Please
write your name and address on each
piece of work you send.
Alternatively,
you can email us your poems: inbox@forwardpress.co.uk
(Please include your name and postal
address.)
Top
|
