12th International & Religious Poetry Competition 2010

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 January 2010 16:36

Last year's competition was a great success with over 370 people sending in over 900 poems, many of which were from abroad, confirming the competition's Interfaith status.

Because the subjective element in judging all works of art is high, in the interests of variety and fairness we have a different judge each year.  In 2010 we are fortunate in having as our judge, Vona Groarke, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and a lecturer at the University of Manchester Centre.  She co-held the Heimbold Chair in Irish Studies at Villanova University in Pennsylvania in 2004 and at Wake Forest University up to 2007.  Her poetry collections include Shale (1994), Other People's Houses (1999) and Flight (2002).  She was shortlisted for the Forward Prize (UK) in 2002.  Her translation of Eibhlin Dhubh Ni Chonaill was published as Lament for Art O'Leary.  She has also edited and introduced the Gallery Press edition of Oliver Goldsmith's The Deserted Village.

Please download a copy of the entry form.

Copies of the booklet of last year's winning entries and runners-up are available.  If you would like a copy, please send a cheque for £2.50 for each booklet made out to ‘Manchester Cathedral.'  The address is: The Cathedral Office, Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester, M3 1SX.