Strokestown Poetry Competitions 2018

Strokestown International Poetry Festival (May 3^rd – 7^th 2018) has three major poetry competitions now open for on-line or postal entries until December 1^st 2017. Strokestown is Ireland’s longest-running poetry festival, and has a reputation for friendly informality, twinned with deep respect for poetry, poets and poetry lovers.

Moya Cannon and Harry Clifton will judge the Strokestown International Poetry Prize for a poem in English, which carries a prize of €2000, plus a week-long retreat at Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat. Second prize is €700 and third prize is €500. Five shortlisted poets will each receive a €300 reading fee and be published in an anthology. Entry is €6 per poem, with a free entry for every five paid for, maximum of 70 lines each, on any subject.

Duais de hÍde, which carries a prize of €600 for a poem in Irish, will be judged by Pádraig MacFhearghusa. There is also a 2^nd Prize of € 400 and a 3^rd Prize of € 300, with Reading fees of € 200 for 3 shortlisted poets.

The Percy French Prize for humorous poetry will be judged by Margaret Hickey with a first prize of €300. A Reading fee of € 100 will be given to 7 shortlisted poets.

A festival anthology will be published, in which poems from shortlisted entrants for the International Prize and the Duais de hÍde will feature alongside the work of the judges and other poets who will read at the 2018 festival.

An additional competition for poets with local connections, The Roscommon Poets’ Competition, will be launched on January 8th 2018.

More details on https://www.strokestownpoetry.org/competitions-2018/