Essay & Poetry Competition
Start Date: 01.12.2009
End Date: 01.03.2010
Age Concern Essex began holding an annual Essay Competition in the 1950's as it was thought it might be very interesting to get older people's reminiscences on record since once that particular generation disappeared, there would be no-one to ask "What was it like in your day?" This competition proved so popular that it is still in being today with the added bonus of a Poetry Competition. Each year one copy of every entry is lodged with the Essex Records Office for the benefit of future generation.
Rules and Arrangements
- Entrants should be over the age of 60 and either resident in Essex or a member of a club affiliated to Age Concern Essex.Titles for both Essays and Poems are: Homecoming
Difficult Decisions
Ambitions
- All entries must truly reflect the entrant's own experiences. Essays should be restricted to 1500 words and poetry to one side of A4 paper. Entries should not have been published elsewhere or submitted to Age Concern Essex in previous competitions.
- Entries may be made on-line in Word format accompanied by an entry form and addressed to essaysandpoems@hotmail.com. Entries made by post should be accompanied by 3 stamped, self addressed envelopes (one to acknowledge receipt of you entry, one to announce results and one to post details of the next competition) and should be sent to:
Mrs Rita Hamlyn, 10 Green Close, Springfield, Chelmsford CM1 7SL.
Entries must arrive by 1st March 2010.
- It is helpful if the entries can be typewritten but hand written entries will of course still be welcome. All entries should be clearly marked with the category entered and your name and date of birth. If entering by post please send TWO copies - one for the competition and one for the Essex Records Office. It would also be helpful if you could write on one side of the paper. Please keep a copy of your work as we regret entries cannot be returned.
If you find writing difficult, you may dictate your prose or poetry to someone else. Please acknowledge this by asking the other person to confirm that they have taken down what you said as accurately as possible.
- The first prize for each title will be £40 and there will be other prizes for the runners up. Certificates will be awarded for all entries deemed Highly Commended by the judges. A certificate will be presented to the oldest contributor. There will also be a prize for the overall winner of the competition chosen from the 1st prize winners of the essay and poetry sections.
- Winning entries are published each year in booklet form. Please tell us if you would NOT like any publication or publicity.
- The judges' decision is final. All competitors will be informed of the results by the end of June.
The organisers hope you will enjoy writing your entries as much as they will enjoy reading them.