36th ANNUAL NEWCASTLE POETRY PRIZE NOW OPEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 4 April 2017

The 36th Newcastle Poetry Prize has opened for entries. Hunter Writers Centre invites any Australian poet (living here or overseas) to submit a poem up to 200 lines. The competition will close on 30 June 2017.

The Newcastle Poetry Prize is one of the most prestigious in the country with a total prize pool over $22,000. First prize is $15,000 – for one poem. Second prize is $5000, third prize is $1000. There are also awards given to a poet who resides in the Hunter Region (the Local Award), and The Harri Jones Memorial Prize award ($250) for the best poem by a poet under the age of 35. History here: http://www.hunterwriterscentre.org/history-of-the-prize.html 

The Newcastle Poetry Prize is unique among Australian poetry prizes for producing an accompanying anthology that provides a rare opportunity for poets to be published outside of the literary journals and internet magazines. 

The Newcastle Poetry Prize has been coordinated by the Hunter Writers Centre since 2002 and is proudly sponsored by the University of Newcastle, which provides the prize money.

Past winners have included John Watson, Brook Emery, Dorothy Hewett, Anthony Lawrence, David Musgrave, Patricia Sykes and Mark Tredinnick.

The 2017 competition will be judged by Professor Kevin Brophy and Eileen Chong. Kevin Brophy is the author of fifteen books of poetry, fiction, and essays. His latest books are Misericordia (2016) and This is What Gives Us Time (2016).

Eileen Chong’s books are Burning Rice (2012), Peony (2014) and Painting Red Orchids (2016). Her work has been shortlisted for the Anne Elder Award, the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the Peter Porter Poetry Prize, the Newcastle Poetry Prize, and most recently, for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.

Hunter Writers Centre is a leading writers centre in Australia now offering three major contests with more than $35,000 in prize monies. Full entry details can be found on our website: http://www.hunterwriterscentre.org/newcastle-poetry-prize.html