Recent Successes

Victoria Bartlett’s poem was highly commended in this year’s Open Poetry Competition. “Gumbo” is featured in the 2012 Anthology which can be bought for £6 plus £1 P&P.

Please send your cheque made out to “Norwich Writers’ Circle”. to

The OPC Secretary, 1 Stannard Road Norwich NR4 7JD

Maureen Nesbit’s article “Black to Nature” entered in Walkopedia 2011 Travel Writing Competition is to be published on their website. Although not a prize winning entry it was judged as an excellent piece and will have a permanent place on their site.

Lyn Fountain’s short story: “The Bantam Menace” published in 19th May 2012 edition of Peoples Friend.

Open Poetry Competition Results

17th April 2012

The winners of the 41st Open Poetry Competition,

adjudicated by Helen Ivory:

1st Mother by Dorothy Fryd

2nd Hotel Small Hours by Gina Shaw

3rd Love, the Verb by Dana Smith

Family: My Parents Staying by Nicolette Golding

Humorous: Epitaph for our Time by Gerard McKee

Minimalist: Little Stars by Chris Hardy

A further sixty-two poems were selected from the 622 entries and featured in this year’s anthology with ten “Highly Commended” and twelve “Commended”.
The evening was made very interesting as many of the poets had travelled to Norwich to hear the results and read their poems. Altogether it was a very successful year and the evening was most enjoyable.

 Chairman Adrain Dearnley

 Judge Helen Ivory

 Vice President Elizabeth Bencze presents 1st Prize

Dorothy Fryd reads winning poem "Mother"

Complete Works

All the poems featured in our online Poetry Season are now available to listen to one handy playlist.

To listen to all of this year's poems, please go here.

Time Lines

Our online Poetry Season concludes today with Time Lines by David Underdown.

David previously won our Open Poetry Competition, and this is the title poem from his recently published first collection. To order the book please go here.

For more information on our current Poetry Competition please visit norwichwriters.org.uk/poetry.

To hear our latest poetry upload click here.

2012 Poetry Trailer

Our YouTube channel is now showing a promotional trailer for Norwich Writers' Circle's Open Poetry Competition 2012.

Please go here to watch the short film, or why not check out norwichwriters.org.uk/poetry for more Competition information.

Twenty Miles

Our online Poetry Season continues today as we give you the opportunity to listen to Twenty Miles by Oliver Bernard.

To hear the poem please go here.

Everyday Eclipses

Everyday Eclipses by Roger McGough is the next poem to be featured in our online Poetry Season.

Please go here to listen to the poem.

Poetry Postal

The postal address for our 2012 Open Poetry Competition has been announced.

Please send your entries to:

Norwich Writers' Circle
Open Poetry Competition Secretary
1 Stannard Road
Norwich NR4 7JD
ENGLAND

More information on our ever-popular competition can be found at norwichwriters.org.uk/poetry.

Good luck!

Busy With Many Jobs

Our online Poetry Season continues today with Busy With Many Jobs by Tadeusz Różewicz.

To watch the video poem please go here.

Men Talk

Men Talk by Liz Lochhead is the next poem to feature in our online Poetry Season.

Watch the video on YouTube by going here.

The Shout

As part of our ongoing online Poetry Season we are proud to feature Simon Armitage's The Shout.

To listen to the poem please go here.

Refrigerator 1957

Our Summer Poetry Season belatedly begins today with Refrigerator 1957 by Thomas Lux.

Please go here to watch the video poem.

Summer Poetry

In conjunction with our recently launched Open Poetry Competition, this Summer sees our own online poem celebration.

Every weekend, for the next 7 weeks, we will be uploading some of the best comtemporary poetry to our popular YouTube channel for you to experience and enjoy.

For more information on how to enter our OPC please go here.

Open Poetry 2012

Our 2012 Open Poetry Competition has been launched.

The competition - Norwich Writers' Circle's 41st - has the following prizes in the Open Category:

1st

£300.00

2nd

£150.00

3rd 

£75.00

In addition to the main prizes, we also have sponsored ones for Minimalist and Humorous poetry, plus another on The Family.

The competition closes on the 21st February 2012, and this year, as previously announced, will be judged by Helen Ivory.

A prizegiving evening, featuring adjudications and readings, will then take place on the 17th April 2012 at The Assembly House. This evening also sees the launch of the Competition's Anthology, which will be able to be purchased from the night onwards.

To read the Competition rules and much more, please visit the dedicated section of our main website by going here.

Forthcoming Attractions

Norwich Writers' Circle is currently on its annual Summer break. Our writing group will meet again in September, when our 2011/12 programme starts.

In the meantime, this Blog will be updated and include information on forthcoming meetings, along with all our regular member news, and the launch of our annual Open Poetry Competition. The OPC launch will also be complimented by Norwich Writers' first online poetry season.

Watch this space for all the latest NWC news.

David Underdown

Congratulations to one of our previous Open Poetry Competition winners, David Underdown, who has recently had his first full collection published.

Copies of the Time Lines are now available from the publishers, Cinnamon Press, or via Inpress Books.

To discover more about David please visit his official website.

Our latest poetry competition will be launched this Summer. Watch our websites for more information in the coming months.

Helen Ivory

The adjudicator for our 2012 Open Poetry Competition has been announced as Helen Ivory.

In 1999 Helen won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors. She has had 3 collections of poetry with Bloodaxe Books: The Double Life of Clocks (2002), The Dog in the Sky (2006) and The Breakfast Machine (2010).

Helen Ivory edits the webzine Ink Sweat and Tears. She is an Editor for The Poetry Archive and programmes the Creative Writing courses for Continuing Education at UEA. She teaches for the Poetry School, the Arvon Foundation and for various organizations in Norwich. She is also an artist and regularly posts new work on her website - helenivory.co.uk - which is about to be archived by the British Library.

Our websites will be updated all our latest Open Poetry Competition news, including information on its official launch. Watch this space for more details this Summer.

Poetry People

Our popular YouTube channel has been updated to include a film featuring a series of images from our recent Open Poetry Competition Prize-Giving Evening.

Please go here to view the short film.

Sell Out Success

Following its launch less than a fortnight ago, our latest Open Poetry Anthology's 1st edition has already sold out.

The book's 2nd edition is now available to buy via our main website. To purchase your copy of the anthology, please go here.

Anniversary Anthology

Our popular Open Poetry Competition Anthology is now available to buy, following its recent launch at the Prize-Giving Evening.

To purchase the book, please go here.