A new competition opens for local poets this month

The Newham Poetry Prize is a newly established competition for those who live, study or work in Newham. Encouraging aspiring and seasoned writers alike to submit a single authored poem that references the Borough.

Judges include award winning writers Courttia Newland and Newham Poetry Prize founder Be Manzini who are passionate about encouraging more writing activity in their local borough and beyond.

Be Manzini said: “Having travelled across London, the country and the world with my art and facilitation skills this project feels like a homecoming. Newham is the place I grew up in and have chosen to return to. This Borough has such vibrancy and uniqueness; we are hoping that this will be reflected in the poems that are entered into the competition.”

The competition will support entrants with a local in person workshop at Red Door studios in East Ham as well as an online workshop in late April. The workshops will give inspiration and time for participants to generate poems and information about how to submit.

Participation is free for all workshops and the competition, which opens in April for entries. There will be a celebratory event to announce the winners in May.

Judge Courttia added: “Newham is renowned for poetry that has inspired the country, and lit up the world. I’m extremely proud to have the honour of seeing a new generation arrive, and working with the best of the Borough’s writers again.”

The Newham Poetry Prize is commissioned by Culture Within Newham with funding from Arts Council England. Culture Within Newham is a community-led programme which empowers people across Newham to access, participate, create and curate arts in local spaces.

Loose Baker, Culture Within Newham’s programme co-director said: “We are delighted to support The Newham Poetry Prize as one of our latest micro-commissions for Newham. The goal of our micro-commissioning programme is to support creatives or organisations with big ideas.”

For further information contact newhampoetryprize@gmail.com or go to @newhampoetryprize on Instagram.

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