Poetry competition guidelines and conditions of entry

Below are the rules and guidelines of the competition

Poem

We have chosen the phrase “TEN” as a starting point for this year’s poem. The poem can be written in any form, but must not exceed 10 lines.
Poets are invited to freely interpret this theme.
This competition is free and open to all users of the Kāpiti Coast District Libraries.
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Each poem must be an original work, unpublished and not already accepted for publication.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 16 May 2022 and closes at 5pm on 19 June 2022.
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Once entered, poems cannot be withdrawn from the competition.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 13-17

Adults aged 18 +

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 Night

You are invited to read your poem before an appreciative audience at the planned Open Mic Night on 26 August 5.30 – 6.30pm at Paraparaumu Library! (please note we cannot confirm this event will go ahead due the situation with the Covid19 pandemic).