It’s make your mind up time for those of you still pondering your entry for the Marsden the Poetry Village competition on the theme of ‘Together’ – the deadline for competition entries is coming up fast, on June 1. The competition theme can be interpreted in a number of ways: it could be relationships, friendship, structures, getting your head together, teamwork, sport, government working with the opposition, playing, games, plaits, glue … the possibilities seem endless.

Patience Agbabi will be judging the competition. First prize is £300, second £100 and third-place £50.Winning entries and those of selected runners-up will appear in a competition anthology, to be published in autumn 2019, subject to funding. This will also contain poems selected from local poetry workshops run for children and young people as part of a project funded by local charities.

Marsden is a village in the West Yorkshire Pennines, and Marsden the Poetry Village is a group of enthusiasts creating poetry initiatives within its community and nearby, including poetry pubs and cafes where customers can read poetry books whilst drinking a beer or coffee, as well as poems posted regularly on posters in shop windows in the village.

Community and cultural activities in the village include a community cinema, library-based authors’ readings, regular live music, Mechanics’ Institute cultural centre, a canal-boat-based travelling theatre, and a renowned jazz and other festivals.

The fee to enter is £4. If multiple poems are entered in the same submission, £10 will be charged for three poems and then £3 for each subsequent poem. See Write Out Loud's Competitions page for more details

PHOTOGRAPH: LYNDON DOUGLAS

Background: John Foggin's guide to success in poetry competitions