Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2018

Competition Guidelines

Ballarat Writers is now accepting entries into the Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize, to be judged this year by Nathan Curnow.

Opening date: 20 July 2018

Closing date: 13 October 2018

Format: Poetry to 40 lines per entry; open theme

Entry Fee: AU$25 per poem (AU$20 for members of Ballarat Writers,

AU$15 for each additional poem)

First prize: AU$1,000

Results: Finalists and Winner to be announced in November 2018

COMPETITION GUIDELINES

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 years, including overseas applicants.

Entries must be the original work of the applicant.

Entries must not have been previously published, broadcast, or a prizewinner in any competition.

Entry fee is General $AU25; BWI $AU20; and $AU15 for each additional entry from anyone.

There is no limit to the number of entries each applicant may submit, providing the entry fee is paid for each poem submitted.

All entries must be submitted in English, double-spaced and using a standard 12 pt font such as Times New Roman or Arial.

As all entries are subject to a blind judging process, the applicant’s name must not appear anywhere on the poem.

Fees will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Submissions will not be returned.

Each entry must be accompanied by a completed Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize entry form.

No corrections or changes will be accepted once entries are submitted, nor any correspondence entered into other than a confirmation of entry.

Copyright remains with the author.

The judge’s decision is final.

The finalists and winner will be announced in November 2018.

The winner will be published, along with the judge’s report, on the Ballarat Writers website in December 2018.

Entries may be submitted via email OR in hard copy through the post.

2018 JUDGE

Nathan Curnow is an award-winning poet, spoken word performer and past editor of Going Down Swinging. His previous books include The Ghost Poetry Project, RADAR, The Right Wrong Notes and The Apocalypse Awards (2016). A recipient of the Josephine Ulrick Poetry Prize, his work is published widely in Australia and overseas, featuring in numerous issues of Best Australian Poems (Black Inc). His poetry has been projected onto Ballarat’s Mining Exchange building for White Night and has been selected to feature on the benches of the newly constructed Little Bridge St Pocket Park.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The 2018 submission process has two parts:

1. PAYMENT: The entry fee can be paid online by credit card through Trybooking (see URL below). A booking fee of 30 cents applies to each entry. Alternatively, if you are submitting in hard copy, payment may be made by cheque and included with your entry.

2. SUBMISSION:

Note: Please ensure that your poem itself does NOT have your name anywhere on the document as all entries are subject to a blind judging process. Download and complete the official MRMPP 2018 Entry Form from the BW website (see URL below):

a. EMAIL: Save your poem as a PDF file, and then attach it to your email. Save

your completed MRMPP Entry form as a separate PDF, and also attach this to your email. In the subject title, put ‘MRMPP 2016’. In the body of the email, include your full name and the title of the poem. The email address by which you submit your entry will be the email address we use to contact you if necessary.

b. POST: Print your poem and completed MRMPP Entry Form and send to the

address below with your cheque (made out to “Ballarat Writers”) if applicable. Both parts of the process above must be completed before midnight on the closing date Saturday 13 October 2018. PAY fee online at: www.trybooking.com/WZCE

Entry FORM at: www.ballaratwriters.com/competitions

EMAIL entries to: competitions@ballaratwriters.com

OR Post to: Ballarat Writers MRMPP 2018 PO Box 2738 Bakery Hill VIC 3350 Queries: competitions@ballaratwriters.com Competition website: www.ballaratwriters.com Ballarat Writers Inc is a non-profit organisation, Incorporation No. (A001874SK)