Welcome to Young Writers - A Poetry Odyssey (Competition Closed)
  • Movtivate your pupils and promote their creativity
  • Boost awareness of your school's creative ability
  • Win prizes for your school and pupils
  • Free gift for every entrant

The Competition
Young Writers are delighted to announce the opening of their new competition for secondary schools - 2007: A Poetry Odyssey. 

Teachers are invited to send poems written by pupils aged 11-18 for consideration for this year’s regional anthologies. Poems can be written on any subject from pets to politics and may be up to 30 lines in length.

Every young writer who enters the competition will receive a special Young Writers jotter, and the best poems will be published in a Young Writers regional anthology.

The editorial team will select poems on the basis of imagination, perception, spirit and expression. The ages of the writers are also taken into account.

Summary
‘2007: A Poetry Odyssey’ is open to all 11-18 year-olds and aims to enhance their literacy and creative skills by introducing them to different writing styles and building on their existing abilities. By exploring different writing techniques in literacy lessons it allows pupils to imagine, entertain, describe, inform and persuade through their work, as well as demonstrating their individual English Language abilities.

Young Writers was established in 1991 to encourage the reading and writing of poetry by young people. Our books nurture interest and confidence by giving young people the opportunity to see their work in print in a series of regional anthologies.

The books represent a generation of voices having their say on a wide range of themes from home and school to the environment and world politics.

In 1991 we were receiving 3,000-4,000 poems per competition. Our last competition (for primary schools) generated over 70,000 poems - a resounding success! This means that we can continue to publish books which really are a showcase for the writing talent in schools today.
How to Enter
Teachers are invited to submit as many entries as they wish, but only one per pupil,
and each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form.
Attach one completed Pupil Entry Form to each piece of work.

Print Pupil Entry Forms >>>

Check the school entry form to ensure all contact details are correct.

Print School Entry Forms >>>

Make sure the school entry form has the correct amount of
poems enclosed entered in the space provided.
Send one completed school entry form in with each envelope of entries submitted.

Send Your Entries to
2007: A Poetry Odyssey, Young Writers, Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough, PE2 9JX
Competition Closed - Closing Date: 31st October 2006
(If for any reason you miss the deadline please give us a call and we’ll make every effort to accommodate late entries.)

Prizes
For Schools
* £1000 1st prize to the school sending in the best overall group of entries.
* 5 x £250 2nd prizes for schools.
* 10 x £100 Runners-up prizes for schools.
* Free Book 
For every school submitting entries - a free copy of the anthology for their region.

For Pupils
* £20 1st prize for the writer of the best poem in each book.
* 4 x £5 Book Tokens for runners-up in each book.
* Certificates 
For all young writers whose poems are accepted for publication.
* Free jotter for every entrant

Who are Forward Press?
Forward Press Ltd is the parent company of Young Writers and the largest publisher of new poetry in the UK. Since 1989 the company has published more than 900,000 original poems and, along the way, been instrumental in changing the poetry world forever. Founded by aspiring poet Ian Walton, the company’s ethos has always been to act as a bridge to publication, giving everyone the opportunity to see their poems in print.
Ian remains the driving force behind the company and, with his committed team, continues to develop it as The People’s Publisher. Forward Press writing initiatives include:
Young Writers / Anchor Books / Spotlight Poets / Need2Know / Triumph House /
New Fiction / WomensWords / StrongWords / Poetry Now / Pond View.

Find out more at www.forwardpress.co.uk

www.youngwriters.co.uk GET IN TOUCH! www.youngwriters.co.uk

If you have any questions or require further entry forms or posters please get in touch.
Managing Editor: Allison Jones Assistant Managing Editor Michelle Afford
Editorial Team: Donna Samworth, Claire Tupholme, Annabel Cook,
Angela Fairbrace, Aimée Vanstone, Mark Richardson
Young Writers, Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Woodston, Peterborough, PE2 9JX
Tel: 01733 890066 Fax: 01733 313524 Email: youngwriters@forwardpress.co.uk
Young Writers is an imprint of 'Forward Press Ltd' VAT No. 576424421 Reg No. 2923304

Note to Teachers
Although we refer to '2007: A Poetry Odyssey ’ as a competition we consider this a creative writing experience
and will, where possible, endeavour to include as many pieces as we can.