iYeats International Poetry Competition

The iYeats International Poetry Competition 2019 is now open for entries! Hosted by Hawk’s Well Theatre since 2009, the annual event has won a prestigious reputation for the calibre of both entrants, and judges. 

The competition is open to all those who are sixteen years of age and upwards, with an prize of €500 for the winner of the General Category, and €300 is awarded to the winner of the Emerging Category for those aged between 16-25 years of age. 

Launched a decade ago, the poetry competition was initiated by the Hawk's Well Theatre to mark the 50th Yeats International Summer School, and the 70th anniversary of the death of W. B Yeats.

Following in the tradition of the previous years’ lauded panels, the judges for this year’s iYeats Poetry Competition are highly respected poet John F. Deane, and spoken word artist Rafeef Ziadah.

Reflecting the truly global impact of the competition, 2018’s winning entry ‘New York, It Had a Ring To It’ was written by Sighle Meehan from Galway, while the emerging category saw ‘Helen’ by Sarah Ang of Singapore, take the top prize. All the previous award-winning poems are available to read on the Hawk’s Well Theatre’s website.

The closing date for entries into the 2019 iYeats International Poetry Competition is Wednesday 3rd July, at 11am (GMT). As this is an online poetry competition, entrants can visit the Hawk’s Well website for further information on the competition terms and conditions and to upload and submit their entries.

Visit www.hawkswell.com/iyeats/poetry for further details.

The North – Irish Issue

Deadline: 30 Jul 2018

Issue 61 of The North, to be published in December 2018, will be a special Irish issue, edited by poets Jane Clarke and Nessa O’Mahony. It will focus on work by poets living on the island of Ireland, or who are from Ireland but living elsewhere. 

There is no set theme for submissions, but the editors are interested in contemporary poems reflecting the cultural diversity of life in Ireland in the 21st century, and particularly welcome submissions from poets from minority communities.

Send up to four unpublished poems to thenorthirishissue@gmail.com as a word attachment and cut and past it into the body of the email. Please make sure to put your name, postal address and email address on every sheet.

The editors also intend to include reviews of collections by Irish poets published between January 2017 and end April 2018. We welcome review copies – please email thenorthirishissue@gmail.com for address.

Sand Submissions

SAND is an English-language literary journal published twice annually in Berlin. It features prose and poetry, translations, art and photography. Our contributors come from all over the world and include established and emerging writers, poets, artists, and translators.

We look for work that is fresh, well-written, accessible, and diverse, as we take pride in producing a beautiful journal that can be enjoyed by a wide audience.  We’re particularly interested in writing from perspectives that are generally underserved in literature, including work by women, people of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community, and people from the wider international writing community.

There is a good Q&A on Six Questions - a great idea for a blog!

Deadline: 6th July 2018

Link http://sandjournal.com/submit-your-work/

iota submission call

In the next issue, IOTA will explore work and play. 

Send your take on this theme. Be as oblique as you like (and they like oblique...) 

They are looking for short stories, poems, life writing, memoir, travel writing, food writing and more. These forms can be combined, played with, deconstructed and all can be completely fictive - they only ask that your writing is bold and original. To quote Emily Dickinson, "tell us all the truth, but tell it slant."

Features and essays - Email us your work

Stories - Email your short stories to us we’ll read and respond to submissions as they come in 

Poems - Email up to four poems

We will read all submissions and get back with our decisions within four weeks. Please send your work to: info@iotamagazine.co.uk

• Fiction/non-fiction submissions may range between 500 and 2000 words 

• Poems - we will consider submissions of up to four poems 

• We can’t accept work that has previously been published in print or online

• Please include your full contact details on a separate cover sheet with each submission

• The closing date for submissions is July 1st 2018

Iron Mountain Literature Festival - John McGahern Award

As part of the Iron Mountain Literature Festival, Leitrim County Council and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre have developed the John McGahern Award to encourage the development of emerging Irish writers and to pay tribute to the exceptional contribution of John McGahern to literature, and to Leitrim.

The recipient of the Award will receive a two-week fully resourced residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and a stipend of €500. 

This is an open call to emerging writers of fiction resident in the Republic of Ireland. Applicants must have had some fiction or short stories published in a recognised journal or anthology selected by an established publisher or editor.

Deadline: 5pm, 31 July, 2017.

The recipient of the award will be publicly announced on Saturday 7th October 2017 during the Iron Mountain Literature Festival at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon.

Link here

Third Annual Metro Éireann Intercultural Writing Competition

Metro Éireann, in collaboration with Duke University’s Kenan Institute of Ethics, invites young writers living in Ireland to submit original works of writing to its third annual intercultural writing competition.

Writers between the ages of 14 and 21 – immigrants and non-immigrants – are encouraged to enter submissions that explore the ethical challenges associated with intercultural diversity in Ireland. There is no submission fee.

Prizes. €3200 will be awarded in three categories during a ceremony on August 4, 2017. There will be: 
- An ages 14-17 winner (€800) and runner-up (€400)
- An ages 18-21 winner (€800) and runner-up (€400)
- An ages 14-21 Spirit of Intercultural Ethics winner (€800)

Winning entries may also be published in Metro Éireann.

Deadline: July 30, 2017, 

All submissions must be previously unpublished. Submissions may take one of three forms: 
- A short story (2,000 words maximum)
- A novel extract (2,000 words maximum)
- A selection of poetry (5 poems maximum)

Submissions must be typed using 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and sent to info@metroeireann.com with the entrant’s full name and the word ‘Submissions’ in the subject line. Submissions should also include a cover page that provides the entrant’s personal information (name, age, address, telephone number) and details about their work (age category, title).

Judges will determine winners according to the following list of criteria:
- Engagement with themes of ethics and intercultural diversity
- Creativity and originality
- Organization and structure
- Impact on the reader
- Initiative of beginning writers

11 literature mentoring relationships

Words Ireland is offering 11 literature mentoring relationships in 2017, six of which are offered in partnership with the Arts Offices of Leitrim, Limerick, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, and the Arts Office and Libraries of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Words Ireland are seeking expressions of interest from experienced and established writer-mentors working in the areas of adult fiction, children’s/YA fiction and/or poetry to undertake the mentoring of writers of promise who are working in the same forms.

We are also are also seeking writers of adult fiction, YA fiction, children’s fiction and poetry to apply for mentoring support under our National Mentoring Programme.

There are a total of 11 mentee opportunities open to writers resident in any county in Ireland, north or south of the border.

Deadline 10 July 2017.

More information here

Dermot Healy International Poetry Award

Once again the 2017 Dermot Healy International Poetry Award will be held in Manorhamilton during the Inaugural 'The Fierce Moon' in the Glens Centre which will celebrates the writings of Dermot Healy.

This years judge is Vona Groarke who will judge and present the €1000 first prize and trophy on the 15th September in Manorhamilton.

Deadline for submissions is 30th July.

Winchester Poetry Prize

The Winchester Poetry Prize is an annual competition organised by Winchester Poetry Festival in partnership with Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Entries must be poems on any subject and in any form or style.

Poems should be in English, must be the entrant's own work and should not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere (including online), should not have won another poetry competition or be the translated work of another poet. They must be typed and not longer than 40 lines (excluding title).

Deadline 31st July

Prizes 
First Prize £1000 Second £500, Third £250

Entry fee £5 for first poem and £4 for each subsequent poem

Sole Judge: Sarah Howe.

Prize-giving will be on Saturday 14th October 2017 at a special event as part of the Winchester Poetry Day. Winners & runners-up will be invited to read their winning poems at the event. Winning poems will be published in a Prize anthology

For further details, rules & to enter visit http://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org/prize

The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award

Closing date for entries Friday 28th July 2017

The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection of poems in English is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. 

The award is now in its 46th year. 

The winner of this year’s award will receive €1,000.

The Award will be presented on the evening of the Friday 29th September 2017 at the opening of the Annual Patrick Kavanagh Weekend in Inniskeen.

• The award is for an unpublished collection of poems in English and is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. Manuscripts accepted for publication shall be eligible ONLY if the resulting collection of poems is NOT published before the judges’ decision is announced.

• The collection of poems in English must be original and consist of 20 poems. Individual poems should not be more than 40 lines.

• The only works eligible are unpublished or magazine published work. 

• The adjudicator is Brian Lynch (Again! Why the lack of imagination?)

• The entry fee is €25/£25 

Rules and entry form are available on our website www.patrickkavanaghcountry.com or from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan. 

Metro Éireann-Kenan Institute for Ethics Intercultural Writing Competition

The 2nd Annual Metro Éireann-Kenan Institute for Ethics Intercultural Writing Competition seeks to simultaneously enrich Irish intercultural life and foster the development of the next generation of Irish writers. All Irish residents, immigrants and non-immigrants, are encouraged to enter, and no submission fee is required. 

Submissions of original fiction that illuminate the ethical challenges of intercultural diversity in Ireland are invited in the following genres:
• a short story (2,000 words maximum)
• a novel extract (2,000 words maximum)
• a selection of poetry (5 poems maximum) 

All submissions must be previously unpublished. Our panel of judges will pay attention to the following criteria:
• Engagement with Themes of Ethics and Interculturalism
• Creativity/Originality
• Organization/Structure
• Impact on Reader
• Initiative of Beginning Writers

€3200 will be awarded in total to the winners!
Age 14-17 winner (€800) and runner-up (€400)
Age 18-21 winner (€800) and runner-up (€400)
Age 14-21 Spirit of Intercultural Ethics winner (€800)

All submissions must be typed using 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and sent to info@metroeireann.com with the entrant’s full name and the word ‘Submissions’ in the subject line. Submissions should also include a cover page that provides the entrant’s personal information (name, age, address, telephone number) and details about their work (age category, title).

Submissions are due by Midnight on July 31; winners will be announced on August 5.

Winchester Poetry Prize 2016

Like the festival from which it springs Winchester Poetry Prize aims to surprise and delight.

Judge: Mimi Khalvati

Entry fee: £5 for first poem, £4 for subsequent poems
Closing Date: 31 July 2016

• First Prize: £1,000
• 2nd Prize: £500
• 3rd Prize: £250

In addition to receiving cash prizes, winners will be invited to read at a special prize-giving event at Winchester Poetry Festival on Sunday 9 October 2016. Winning and commended poems will also be published in a competition anthology to be launched at Winchester Poetry Festival.

Poems not longer than 40 lines (excluding title)

Entrants do not need to be resident in the UK to enter, but please note, travel expenses to read at the prize-giving in Winchester are not covered.

To find out more visit this page 

Boyne Berries Call for Submissions

Deadline: Sunday July 24th 2016 midnight

The submission period for Boyne Berries 20 is now open. Boyne Berries 20 will feature poetry and fiction or prose on an open theme.

Send up to 3 poems per poetry submission. Poems should be no more than 40 lines long.

Fiction and prose submissions should be no more than 1500 words.

Please use Times New Roman 12 and single spacing.
Please include a short biographical note.
Submissions should be placed in the body of the email and attached as a word document attachment. Submit to orla.a.fay@gmail.com only.

Submissions which fail to adhere to the above criteria will be ignored.

The magazine will be published in late September 2016.

Boyne Berries magazine was established by the Boyne Writers Group and is published twice a year accepting submissions of prose and poetry from all over the world.

Dedalus Press invites online poetry submissions

Irish stalwart publisher, Dedalus Press are open now to submission of full length poetry collections.

Irish poets, as well as those born elsewhere but currently resident in Ireland, may submit a book-length work (or a significant part of same) 

For submissions guidelines, please visit http://dedaluspress.com/submissions/. Manuscripts may be submitted at https://dedaluspress.submittable.com/submit.

Deadline 31st July

They have some comments worth reading before submitting your collection. They also say

Though it is not mandatory to do so, in recognition of the saving of time and expense (printing, binding and postage), we invite poets who can afford to do so to make a small donation to the press (in the region of €10). Any monies received will be used to support this and other initiatives covered by our motto, Poetry Matters: Spread the Word.

Iron Mountain Literature Festival - John McGahern Award

As part of the Iron Mountain Literature Festival, Leitrim County Council and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre have developed the John McGahern Award to encourage the development of emerging Irish writers and to pay tribute to the exceptional contribution of John McGahern to literature, and to Leitrim.

The recipient of the Award will receive a two-week fully resourced residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and a stipend of €500. 

This is an open call to emerging writers of fiction resident in the Republic of Ireland. Applicants must have had some fiction or short stories published in a recognised journal or anthology selected by an established publisher or editor.

Deadline: 5pm, 31 July, 2016.

The recipient of the award will be publicly announced on Saturday 8th October 2016 during the Iron Mountain Literature Festival at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon.

Link here

Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award 2016

Deadline: 29 July 2016

Prize: €10,000


Details: The award is for an unpublished collection of poems in English and is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. 

The collection of poems in English must be original and consist of 20 poems. Individual poems should not be more than 40 lines

The only works eligible are unpublished or magazine published work. Entrants should not list the magazines where poems have been published or the prizes they have won as this might allow an entrant to be identified.

(interesting! Hard to stay anonymous)

The adjudicator is Brian Lynch again. Time for fresh blood? 

The entry fee is €25/£25

Link here

iYeats Poetry Competition 2016

The competition is an annual online international poetry competition which has won a prestigious reputation for the calibre of both entrants and judges. 

Open to all those 16 years of age and upwards. 

Files with entries must be in Word format and attached to the online entry form. Word Limit of 40 lines.

Prizes: 

• General category: First Prize €500
  Emerging category: €300 (aged 16 – 25 years)
  Deadline: Friday 1 July
  • Winners will be notified by Monday 18 July
  • Results Publicly Announced: Wednesday 27th July

Judges for 2016 are Colin Dardis and Moya Cannon.

Link here

Write Your Mind - Youth mental Health Theatre Project

Jigsaw Offaly in collaboration with Offaly Youth Theatre are launching a Youth Theatre Project to highlight Youth Mental Health through the Arts.

They invite writers to submit stories or theatrical monologues on the topic of living with mental health issues.

It could be a character’s account of their experience of mental health issues, for example; coping with
anxiety, depression, bullying, self-harm, loneliness, relationship difficulties or eating disorders to
mention but a few of the challenges that some young people may face on a daily basis. The
stories/ monologues should feature issues that may affect a young person in the 12 - 25 age category and will be performed by young actors in this age range.

Selected accounts will then form the basis of a theatre project.

Playwright Eugene O’ Brien (Eden/Pure Mule/Red Rock) will lead a collaborative process with young actors from Offaly Youth Theatre (OYT) and young people from Jigsaw’s Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) in the adaption/editing of a selection of these accounts into dramatic monologues. The end product will be staged in Birr and Tullamore, filmed for YouTube and recorded for radio, over a 12 month process.

This will act as an awareness exercise on the topics presented, giving an insight into the reality of Youth Mental Health in contemporary Ireland.

Written accounts can be emailed to offaly@jigsaw.ie or posted to Jigsaw Offaly, 1 Cormac Street,
Tullamore, Co. Offaly marked Theatre Project. Typed accounts are preferred and can be from 1-5 A4
pages in length. Jigsaw wish to put the emphasis on stories which will inspire young people to
overcome difficult times.

Deadline: 1 p.m. on Friday July 30th 2015

See www.jigsaw.ie/offaly or www.facebook.com/jigsawoffaly for project updates

Submissions open for "After Heaney" Irish Pages

Seamus Heaney said Hi to me once. I've been dining out on it ever since. I watched him getting virtually chased down the road once by people wanting a bit of him.

This has the potential to be very interesting and diverse...or just the same old sucking up/academic-to-the-point-of-pointlessness/band wagon/neo-deification of a fascinating, brave and wonderful poet. Let's shake it up a bit.

The Editors of Irish Pages, Chris Agee and Cathal Ó Searcaigh, are currently assembling a second issue devoted to Seamus Heaney, entitled “After Heaney”, in English and Irish, focussing on the Maestro’s creative, cultural and critical legacy. In addition to further submissions of poetry, fiction, creative-non-fiction, memoir and reminiscence, we welcome non-specialist scholarly essays of literary distinction.  

Submissions should be sent to editor@irishpages.org, or by post to The Editors, Irish Pages/Duillí Éireann, 129 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 1SH. 

Full details of the journal and its submission procedure can be found at www.irishpages.org.

In the first issue, “Heaney” (Vol 8, No 2), there was a particular focus on poetry, memoir, reminiscence and literary essays of a non-specialist nature directly relating to the man and his work; but the issue also included outstanding writing of all creative genres, especially poems, from Ireland and overseas, in a posthumous celebration of the enduring literary imagination in general. 

Deadline: 31st July

Robert Pinsky at Kilkenny Arts Festival

Another from the Women Rule Writer Blog. Well worth applying if you can get there

When: Tuesday 11 August, 10.00am

Where: Heritage Council Garden, Kilkenny

Tickets: Free, by application

Polish your pantoums and hone your haiku in this workshop with the former US Poet Laureate.

In this workshop for poets, Robert Pinsky hopes to find examples of the relation between sound and imagination, discovery and purpose — some of the quick, intuitive processes of poetry.

Participation is by application. Anyone wishing to take part in the workshop should submit up to 4 poems for consideration together with a brief note outlining previous publication details (if any) to management@poetryireland.ie. 

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 8 July, 5pm. Successful applicants will be contacted by 13 July. Places are strictly limited.