New Brighton Bards are staging a competition night on Monday 14 May when poets will be invited to perform for cash prizes and magazine subscriptions. The contest takes place at the Magazine hotel, 7 Magazine Brow, New Brighton, on the banks of the Mersey.  MC’s Steve Regan and Dave Costello are inviting all poets to enter the competition; all forms of poetry are welcome, with no admission or entry fees of any kind. Prizes on offer are: a year’s subscription to HappenStance; year’s subscripton to Envoi; year’s subscription to Magma; £30 cash;  £60 cash.

Each poet will have four minutes to strut their stuff for two judges, Bards founder and co-host Steve Regan, and former co-host Ieuan Cilgwri. Those interested in taking part should email Dave Costello at mailfordjc@gmail.com with “Bards Competition Night” in the subject line. Dave said: “We hope to fit everyone in, but will allocate places on a first come/first served basis if this isn’t possible. The order of reading will be announced as soon as all the places are filled, and certainly before the event. The places will be allocated on a ‘lottery’ basis, all names being pulled, blind, from a hat! (That’s how hi-tech we get at The Bards!).”

Dave added: “If you want to see what the venue’s like, why not come to our Easter Monday event, at 8pm on 9 April?” Map