How are your muses feeling this fine Memorial day weekend? Maybe you can imaging spending some of it by a windowsill somewhere with pen in hand and writing about beavers? I sure can. The inimitable Beaver Trust is giving prizes for the best ecological beaver poem. I know you want to enter.
Nature and the Ecological Emergency International Poetry Competition 2021
Beaver Trust is delighted to announce its inaugural International Poetry Competition on the theme of “Nature and the Ecological Emergency”. We are continually inspired and moved by people’s creativity and love of nature. This competition is about exploring new ways to think about nature and our connection with it, whether through the engaging, humble beaver, the wide range of emotions brought about by the ecological emergency, our recovery and resilience building, or any other aspect of nature and ecology.
Beaver Trust is working in association with Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, who will print the winning entry and feature the other prize winning poems online.
Poems are invited that deal with any aspect of nature and the ecological emergency. These terms will be given a wide interpretation by our guest judge Terry Gifford.
Tempted yet? Winning entires are paid cash award. Here are the rules.
Rules of Entry:
- The competition is open to all. International entries are welcome.
- Poems should be on the theme of Nature and the Ecological Emergency. You may interpret this in any way you wish.
- There will also be a special prize for the best poem that has the theme of beavers at its core.
- Poems must be in English and not exceed 40 lines of text. There is no minimum length. Titles, epigraphs, dedications and blank lines are not included in the line count.
- Poems must fit on a single side of A4 and must have a title
- Poems are judged anonymously. Each poem must be on a separate page, which must not bear the author’s name or any other mark by which the author could be identified.
- Online entries are preferred – please send a .doc or pdf document to poetry@beavertrust.org with competition entry as the subject header.
- Please first pay your entry fee online at https://beavertrust.org/poetry.
- Please accompany your entry with the following information: name of poet, title of poem, contact details including phone number and the Paypal reference number you received when you paid your entry.
- If you are unable to enter online, you may send a Postal Entry. Two copies of each poem are required, accompanied by a covering letter with your name, address and phone number, a list of the poems submitted and where you heard about the competition.
- Entries should be sent by normal post (NOT registered post) to: Poetry Competition, The Cornwall Beaver Project, Woodland Valley Farm, Ladock, Cornwall, TR2 4PT. Please quote your Paypal reference number if you have paid online, which is our preferred option. If you need to send a cheque these should be made payable to The Beaver Trust. If you require confirmation that your postal entry has arrived please enclose a stamped self-addressed postcard marked ‘Acknowledgement’.
- There is no restriction on the number of poems that may be submitted, provided the appropriate entry fee is included.
- Poems must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition.
- Winners will be notified by email or post. No person will be awarded more than one prize.
- Poems entered will not be returned. Make sure you keep a copy for yourself.
- Copyright will remain with the author, but the organisers reserve the right to publish any of the prizewinning poems as they deem appropriate.
- Once entered, poems may not be amended.
- Shortlisted poets will be informed on Tuesday 2nd August 2021.
- Shortlisted poets will be invited to read their poems at a ceremony at the Quaker Meeting House in Bradford on Avon on Tuesday 28th September, at which there will be the opportunity to meet experts from the Beaver Trust. Results will be announced at the ceremony.
- The full list of winners will be announced on our website, https://beavertrust.org shortly after the presentation.
- The judge will read ALL the entries
- The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Beaver Trust reserves the right to change the judge if the need arises.
- In exceptional circumstances the organisers reserve the right to return poems and entry fees.
- The Competition is open to all, other than team members, trustees and staff of the Beaver Trust. There is no age limit to entries
- ALL EMAIL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT 31st MAY 2021. We will accept postal entries received by Saturday 5th June, provided they are post-marked no later than 31 May.
They are so good at this. English beavers are so lucky to have them. Here’s what you win. I am most jealous about the clay beaver made by the creators of Wallace and Grommet. But maybe I’m quirky that way.
1st prize – £150 and publication in Resurgence & Ecologist magazine
2nd prize – £50
3rd prize – £25
Additional prizes
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- A further prize will be awarded for the best poem with a theme of beavers at its core – £100 – plus a plasticine beaver made by renowned model-maker Jim Parkyn, of Aardman and Shaun the Sheep fame.
Well sure, I already had my entry written, it doesn’t quite fit the theme of impending ecological doom, but sure describes the doom that already took place.
