Library Library events If you're a poet, we want to know it! Poetry competition guidelines and conditions of entry

Poetry competition guidelines and conditions of entry

Below are the rules and guidelines of the competition

Poem

  • We have chosen “Tomorrow/ Āpōpō” as a starting point for this year’s poem. The poem can be written in any form and must not exceed 10 lines.
  • Poets are invited to freely interpret this theme.
  • This competition is free and open to anyone in the Kāpiti community.
  • Employees of Kāpiti Coast District Libraries are not eligible to enter.
  • Each poem should be authored by a single person.
  • Each poem must be an original work, unpublished and not already accepted for publication.
  • Copyright of poem submitted will remain with the author, but Kāpiti Coast District Libraries reserve the right to publish any entry in an e-book, print or on the library website and Facebook page.
  • Poems published on the library website and/or Facebook page may be published with the author’s name. The winners of the competition agree to have their name published with their poem on the library website and/or Facebook and in the eBook and print book.
  • Poems will be published on the website and/or Facebook page at the library’s discretion. Not all poems entered may be published on the library website or Facebook page.
  • The library may add pictures and formatting to the poems submitted before publishing on the library’s website or Facebook page.
  • Each person can submit one poem in the competition.
  • The poem should not exceed 10 lines and a title is optional.

Submission

  • The competition opens on Sunday 1 June and closes at midnight Monday 30 June 2025
  • Entries are submitted online through the Kāpiti Coast District Libraries website. Handwritten entries will not be accepted.
  • Check your poem carefully before submitting it. While we may correct minor spelling mistakes, we cannot engage in correspondence over errors in your submitted poem.
  • All submitters will receive confirmation of receipt of their entry by email. The parent/guardian of children who enter will receive an email notification that their child has entered the competition.
  • Once entered, poems cannot be withdrawn from the competition.
  • Alterations cannot be made to poems once entered.
  • The poem must not contain offensive or derogatory language.

Judging

  • A judge or judges will determine the winners based on theme, creativity, clarity, style, form and meaning.
  • All entries will be judged anonymously. The entrant’s name must not appear on the poem itself.
  • The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries in the following categories:
    • Children aged 6-12 
    • Youth aged 13-18
    • Adults aged 19 +

Entries into the competition can be in English or Te Reo Māori.

  • The submission of your poem will be taken as indicating acceptance of the above conditions.
  • We will announce the winners after entries have been judged. The winning poets will be contacted. 

Open mic poetry night

The winners of the competition will be announced at the Open Mic Poetry Night on Friday 22 August 2025 5.30–6.30pm at Paraparaumu Library.

Kei raro iho nei ngā ture me ngā tohutohu o te whakataetae

Ruri

  • Kua kōwhiri mātou i te Āpōpō hei wāhi tīmata mō ngā ruri o tēnei tau. E whakaaetia ana ngā momo ruri katoa, heoi kia kaua e nui atu i ngā rārangi 10
  • Kei te kairuri anō te tikanga mo tōna māramatanga ki te kaupapa nei.
  • E wātea ana, e tuwhera ana te whakataetae nei ki ngā tāngata katoa o Kāpiti
  • Kāore e whakaaetia ana kia uru mai ngā kaimahi o Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Kāpiti
  • Kotahi te kaitito mō ia ruri
  • He titonga hou ngā ruri katoa, kāore anō i tāngia, ā, kāore anō kia whakaaetia kia tā
  • Ko te mana tā o ngā ruri ka tukua mai ka mau tonu i te kaituhi, engari ka whai mana Ngā Whare Pukapuka o Kāpiti ki te tā i te ruri ki tētehi e-puka, tētehi pukapuka, ki te pae tukutuku me te whārangi Pukamata o te whare pukapuka rānei.
  • Ko ngā ruri ka tāngia i te pae tukutuku, i te Pukamata rānei o te whare pukapuka ka mau tonu pea te ingoa o te kaituhi. Ka whakaae ngā toa o te whakataetae nei kia tāngia tōna ingoa me tana ruri ki te pae tukutuku/ Pukamata o te whare pukapuka rānei/hoki, ki te e-puka hoki, ki te pukapuka hoki.
  • Kei te whare pukapuka anō te tikanga ina tāngia te ruri ki te pae tukutuku, ki te Pukamata rānei/hoki o te whare pukapuka. Ehara i te mea ka tāngia ngā ruri katoa ka tukua mai ki te pae tukutuku, Pukamata rānei o te whare pukapuka.
  • E āhei ana te whare pukapuka ki te tāpiri pikitia, ki te raweke i te takoto o ngā ruri i mua mai i te tānga ki te pae tukutuku, Pukamata rānei o te whare pukapuka.
  • E whakaaetia ana te ruri kotahi ki te kaituhi kotahi.
  • Kia kaua te ruri e roa ake i te 10 rārangi, ā, he kōwhiringa te tuhi taitara.

Te tuku mai

  • Hei te 1 o Hune tuwhera ai, ā, hei te 12pm ā te 30 o Hune kati ai te whakataetae nei.
  • Me tuku mai mā te ipurangi, mā te pae tukutuku o Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Kāpiti.
  • Kāore e whakaaetia ngā mea tuhi ā-ringa
  • Kia āta tirohia tō ruri i mua i te tuku mai. ahakoa ka whakatikahia e mātou ngā hapa iti, kāore mātou e whakawhiti kōrero mō ngā hapa i roto i te ruri kua tukua mai.
  • Ka whakahoki kōrero mā te īmēra ki ngā kaituhi i te tukunga mai o te ruri. Ka whakamōhiotia ā-īmera ngā mātua/kaitiaki o ngā tamariki, kua uru mai tana tamaiti ki te whakataetae.
  • Kia tukua mai tō ruri, kāore e taea te tango atu i te whakataetae.
  • Kia tukua mai te ruri, kāore e taea te raweke anō.
  • Kāore e whakaaetia ngā kōrero kangakanga, whakahahani rānei i roto i te ruri.

Te whakawākanga

  • Mā te/ngā kaiwhakawā te toa e tohu, e ai ki te kaupapa, te auaha, te mārama, te taera, te āhua, me te tikanga.
  • He ingoa kore te whakawākanga o ngā ruri. Kia kaua e tuhia te ingoa o te kaituhi ki te ruri tonu.
  • Kei te kaiwhakawā te whakatau, ā, kua kore e whakawhiti kōrero.
  • Ka whakawhiwhia he taonga ki ngā toa e toru o runga o ēnei wāhanga:
    • Tamaiti 6-12 te pakeke
    • Taiohi 13-18 te pakeke
    • Pakeke 19+ te pakeke

He reo Pākeha, reo Māori rānei ngā ruri.

  • Mā te tuku o tō ruri e whakaae mai ai koe ki ngā tikanga o runga ake nei
  • Ka whakapaohotia ngā toa kia oti te whakawā o ngā ruri. Ka whakapāngia atu ngā toa

Te pō hopuoro tuwhera

Ka whakapaohotia ngā toa o te whakataetae i Te Pō Hopuoro Tuwhera i te Paraire 22 o Ākuhata 2025 5.30–6.30pm i Te Whare Pukapuka o Paraparaumu.