As part of ‘A Poet in Every Port’ in conjunction with Southbank Centre and Aspects Festival, we are asking you to create a SPINE POEM.

What to do:

1. Use books from your own personal collection or visit your local library to create your SPINE poem. (But please put the books back afterwards!)
2. You are going to create a poem (between 4-10 lines (or spines)) using only the titles visible on the spines of the books you have selected.
3. This is a type of ‘found’ poem. Please take a note of the author’s name for each selected book and attach a list of the author names with the titles in your submission, so we can credit the authors too.
4. When you get a range of suitable books, spend time playing around, rearranging and physically editing the order of the spines- adding or subtracting a book if you see fit.
5. When you are happy with the order of your book/spines/lines- please take a high quality photograph (like the samples seen here). Then, type up your poem- add in punctuation etc where you see fit- but do not change the wording of the spine/titles. Give it a title- this is up to you!
6. Send your submission to thebangorliteraryjournal@hotmail.com
7. Paste your poem into the body of the email and ALSO attach the JPEG image of your physical spine poem- with the books stacked. You can see an example below by poet and writer Fran Romanova.
8. A number of winning entries will be selected to be published in issue 24 of The Bangor Literary Journal and you will have the opportunity to read your piece either at The launch event on Sunday or/and the National Mobile Library Bus in Ward Park on Saturday.
9. The deadline for submissions is 10pm Tuesday 22nd September. Successful entrants will be notified by email with details by Thursday 24th September 10pm.
10. PS: JOINT/ FAMILY/ GROUP SPINE POEMS ARE ALLOWED- EVERYONE COULD PICK ONE BOOK EACH AND THEN YOU COULD REARRANGE THE SPINES TOGETHER- THERE IS ALSO NO AGE LIMIT- ANYONE OF ANY AGE CAN HAVE A GO AND ENTER THE CHALLENGE!
11. BELOW is a CHECKLIST to include in your email:

Your full writer’s name

Your contact email address

50 word third person biography

The typed version of your spine poem- feel free to add your own title, or use the top book as your title!

The clear JPEG image of your spine poem

A list of the authors/writers of the books you have used (to credit).