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Lest we forget: Armistice 100 schools poetry competition launched with Carol Ann Duffy and Imtiaz Dharker
An international poetry competition commemorating next year’s centenary of Armistice Day has been launched by the University of Lincoln, UK, with support of the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and winner of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, Imtiaz Dharker.
The Armistice 100 Prize for Schools Poetry Competition was officially announced this week (Thursday 16th November 2017) as Carol Ann addressed teachers and school pupils from across the UK during her latest visit to Lincoln, where she is a Visiting Artist.
The poetry competition is open to young people aged nine to 18 years with prizes in three age categories (first place, £300; second place, £200; and third place, £100) for the best original poems on the theme of armistice. This could be about the First World War, the cessation of hostilities more generally, or a more personal interpretation.
Some 10 million soldiers were killed in ‘The Great War’ before the guns finally fell silent on Armistice Day, 11th November 1918. As the birthplace of the tank, the City of Lincoln played a unique role in bringing the First World War to an end with the invention helping to end the bloody stalemate of trench warfare.
The University of Lincoln's School of English & Journalism offers a vibrant creative environment where students can work alongside award-winning journalists and authors and benefit from a rich and varied programme of guest lectures. Visiting professors include Chris Packham, Angela Rippon and Bridget Kendall.
Carol Ann Duffy has been a Visiting Artist with Lincoln’s School of English & Journalism since 2015, engaging in public poetry readings and workshops and providing unique insights for students into how poetry is made and affects our understanding of the world.
The School is led by Professor Jason Whittaker, an acclaimed scholar on the poetry of William Blake. He will be part of the competition judging panel with Imtiaz and Carol Ann, who will chair the judging and write a foreword to a collection of the best poems submitted. Shortlisted poets will also be invited to read their poems to the judges at an event in Lincoln next year.
Professor Jason Whittaker said: “As we approach the centenary of Armistice Day in 2018 we hope that through this competition the next generation of poets will take time to reflect on the terrible tragedy of the Great War. We are grateful for the support of Carol Ann Duffy and Imtiaz Dharker, two of our most celebrated contemporary poets, in creating this outstanding opportunity for students in schools and colleges across the UK to develop and showcase their writing. It is an immense pleasure to engage with writers of such calibre to inspire and encourage aspiring young poets.”
The Armistice 100 Prize for Schools Poetry Competition opens for entries on Friday 17th November 2017. The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 8th June 2018. Submitted poems can take any format with a maximum word count of 500 words (excluding title).
More details, including full Terms and Conditions, are available at www.lincoln.ac.uk/armistice100