WE ARE ACCEPTING POEMS ON THE THEME:

‘IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS’

We are now accepting poems on the theme of: ‘In the Grand Scheme of Things’.

You can email your poems to thebangorliteraryjournal@hotmail.com  with the heading ‘11th BANGOR POETRY COMPETITION- Your name‘  .

You can enter up to eight poems per person.  The submission fee for poems is as follows: One poem £4/ Three poems £10 / Eight poems £20.  Please pay the submission fee by following the PayPal link and include your PayPal transaction number in the body of the email. All submission fees go directly to The Bangor Poetry Competition and The Bangor Literary Journal.

All poems must be in English and previously unpublished (they should not have been published online, in print, on social media or blogs).  They should be no longer than 40 lines (not including title or stanza breaks) and can be in any style. (Traditional right through to experimental!)

Please attach your poems in a separate Word document with no trace of your name.  All submissions are read anonymously by the editorial team.  Please title your documents as ’11th Bangor Poetry Competition’.  Use Times New Roman font, size 12, single space, unless your poem is a shape/concrete poem which requires a different layout.

In the body of your email, please attach your PayPal transaction number and contact details. Also include a 50 word third person biography and attach a photograph of yourself, which will be used for publication if you are selected.

Interpret this theme as you may-take it literally or turn it on its head. We do advise against titling your poem ‘In the Grand Scheme of Things’ — instead go for something original.

The competition window opens at 6pm Monday 1st July. *The deadline for submissions has been extended to: 12 noon Saturday 14th September 2024. * Within two weeks of the deadline a shortlist of 10 poems shall be announced.  These 10 poems will then be displayed on our website in an online gallery and voted on by the public as part of Aspects Literary Festival.  (Strictly one vote per person, which will be checked carefully.)

The winners will be announced at The Bangor Literary Journal Launch event which is part of the prestigious Aspects Literary Festival: Sunday 6th October 2024, 3-4.30pm at Bangor Castle, County Down, NI. (Free event tickets are available here: https://aspectsfestival.com/whats-on/11th-bangor-poetry-competition-and-launch-issue-20-bangor-literary-journal) All shortlisted poets will be invited to attend and read their poem. All shortlisted poets who attend on the day, will be presented with a framed certificate. The 10 shortlisted poems will be published in Issue 20 of The Bangor Literary Journal. A Longlist will also be announced, but these poems will not be published.

THIS YEAR’S PRIZES ARE:

First Place: £200 cash; your poem published in Issue 20 of The Bangor Literary Journal; a framed certificate; a paid 2025 feature in The Bangor Literary Journal.

Runner Up: £100 cash; your poem published in issue 20 of The Bangor Literary Journal; a framed certificate.

There will also be two poems awarded Highly Commended and Commended.

All details, guidelines and Paypal links are HERE

Watch highlights of the 2021 event at Bangor Castle and listen to 9th Annual Poetry Competition winner, Carolann North’s poem ‘Nesting’: https://fb.watch/t2zKrBlZXp

10th Annual Bangor Poetry Competition winner, Maurice Devitt, pictured with Mayor Karen Douglas in 2022.

Maurice Devitt’s winning poem (10th Annual): ‘Clearing the House’.

Bangor Castle: Photograph taken by Paul Daniel Rafferty