Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2019: enter by 31 July
Free to enter for all young writers aged 11-17!
Featured Poem
'Do not indulge indigo' was the second prize winner of the 2018 National Poetry Competition.
From the judges: "'Do not indulge indigo' haunted me from my first reading of it. It is a poem that refuses to be silent – the text and the white space which are its ordering principle pushing against each other constantly. It is a poem of contradictions – and this is hinted at even in the title, with its use of an imperative contrasted with the word ‘indulge’, forewarning the reader that both darkness and playfulness are ahead. Any repetition in poetry draws attention to language itself, and the repeated use of the word ‘indigo’ excavates the possibilities of the word as both simple sound, and holder of transforming meaning. Reading this poem aloud in the jduges meeting, we all felt silence settle over us and knew we’d found something special." - Kim Moore
Do not indulge indigo
by Katie Griffiths
The Poetry Society was founded in 1909 to promote “a more general recognition and appreciation of poetry”. Since then, it has grown into one of Britain’s most dynamic arts organisations, representing British poetry both nationally and internationally. Today it has more than 4000 members worldwide and publishes The Poetry Review.
With innovative education and commissioning programmes and a packed calendar of performances, readings and competitions, The Poetry Society champions poetry for all ages.
Tweets @PoetrySociety
At the wonderful launch of @jessmkrjy @Julwe1 and @SastryTom powerful collections of poetry published by @NineArchesPress @PoetrySociety Poetry Cafe #poetry Retweeted by The Poetry Society
#poetry launch from @NineArchesPress @PoetrySociety cafe tonight. Here’s Jane Commane introducing @jessmkrjy,Julia Webb and guest reader Tom Sastry Retweeted by The Poetry Society
Thank you to everyone who featured, slammed at & supported last week's show at the @PoetrySociety Cafe & congratulations to @OrenLocke the new Farrago School's Out SLAM! Champion! It was also really great to see @JonGoode who turned up unannounced & performed a brilliant set! Retweeted by The Poetry Society
650 million people watched Neil Armstrong walk out onto the moon this week 50 years ago... On Sunday we'll be remembering that big step for mankind at @Moon50Festival with some of the best and newest moon-themed poems 🌒. Book your tickets now! poetrysociety.org.uk/event/the-moon…
Why should you enter the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award? Hear from former winner Theo Kwek... and enter! foyleyoungpoets.org Retweeted by The Poetry Society
And moving on: Paul Farley’s introduction to Geoffrey Dearmer prize-winner @maryjean_chan was buoyant (& nice to see those poems again, too!). I only have time to mention this handful of things, but it’s a good issue all the way through, I recommend! Retweeted by The Poetry Society
Brand new poems by Mary Ruefle are always a cause for celebration and there are FOUR. (If you like her work, @mal_journal published 4 poems from the same forthcoming @WavePoetry collection here maljournal.com/2/made-in-heav…) Retweeted by The Poetry Society
There’s already been positive chatter about this good essay by @hollypesty called ‘The Politics of Delivery (Against Poet-Voice)’ poetrysociety.org.uk/the-politics-o… Retweeted by The Poetry Society
Suji Kwock Kim (a poet of my generation whose name was around a lot when I left the US in the 1990s, though I never met her) has a striking sequence about North Korea that begins with ‘Notes from Utopia, Inc’ poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/from-not… Retweeted by The Poetry Society
I was really struck by images of @ceastgate’s portraits of poets including @h_phillipson, Carol Ann Duffy and @victoriaadukwei . . . Retweeted by The Poetry Society