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• National Poetry Day

Poetry competition 2008

To celebrate National Poetry Day on 9 October, we are launching our fifth annual poetry competition for residents of East Sussex. This year’s theme is Work and Play.

Whether you’re a budding poet or you’ve never written a poem before, write and tell us what work and play mean to you.

You could tell us about the work and play you do or wish you did, the moments of play you find when you are hard at work or perhaps the hard work involved in your play.

There are three categories:

• Under 11years
• 11 to 15 years and
• 16 years and over.

How to enter

Please type, or write your poem legibly on one side of a piece of paper, on the other side write the title of your poem, your name, your age, your address and your contact telephone number or email address. Send written poems with your details by 18th February 2009, 12 noon to:

Poetry competition
Web Content Editor
East Sussex County Council
County Hall
St Anne's Crescent
Lewes BN7 1SU

Or email to webstaff@eastsussex.gov.uk with Poetry Competition 2008 as the subject.

Prizes and deadline

Prizes will be presented at a ceremony next year and the best poems will be posted on our website.

Deadline: 18 February 2009.

16 years and over

• Winner – Masterclass with local poet and £75 Book vouchers
• 2nd place - £40 Book vouchers and a poetry notebook

11 to 15 years

• Winner – Masterclass with local poet, £20 Book voucher and a poetry notebook.
• 2nd place – Children’s poetry anthology and £10 Book voucher

Under 11 years

• Winner – Children’s poetry anthology, £20 Book voucher and a poetry notebook
• 2nd place – Children’s poetry book and £10 Book voucher

Plus runners up prizes of poetry books and notebooks.

Sponsors

Prizes were kindly donated by:

• Libra Books in Mayfield
• Pen to Paper in Lewes
• Sky-Lark in Lewes
• Waterstone's Eastbourne
• Waterstone's Hastings.

Terms and conditions

1. Poems should not exceed 40 lines.
2. Poems should have a title.
3. All poems must be original, must be the entrant's own work and must not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third parties.
4. All entries must be in the English language.
5. Authors retain copyright to their work and will be credited on the website.
6. East Sussex County Council (ESCC) reserves the right to publish the poems on our website and in public libraries. The individual author will retain the copyright in his or her poem or poems.
7. We reserve the right to change our panel of judges without notice.
8. ESCC accepts no responsibility for lost, delayed or incomplete entries.
9. There are 3 age categories: Under 11 years – there is one prize for the best poem, one prize for second place plus two runners up prizes. In addition, 1 highly commended entry may be announced. 11 – 15 years – there is one prize for the best poem, one prize for second place plus two runners up prizes. In addition, 1 highly commended entry may be announced. 16 years and over – there is one prize for the best poem, and one prize for second place.
10. We cannot return poems after the competition.
11. Entries must be received by post or by email.
12. Entries must include your the title of your poem, your name, your age, your address and contact telephone number or email address
13. All poems must be received by 18th February 2009 at 12 noon.
14. The winners will be notified by phone or email by date to be announced.
15. This competition is not open to members of the East Sussex County Council Communications team or members of their family. Entrants must be resident in East Sussex.