[Jerome Betts]

A new quarterly poetry competition, Light Verse unlimited, is now open for entries. Launched in conjunction with the Writers’ Competition Resources website, it aims to fill the gap left by the Flash 500 Humour Verse competition, which closed earlier this year following the sad loss of its founder and administrator, Derek Mace.

The current quarter’s competition closes on September 30th, and entries can be made via the website at www.writerscomp-resources.com. Martin Parker has agreed to judge the inaugural competition. There's no theme, no set form, and − unusually among poetry competitions − no length restriction, though the rules remind entrants that ‘brevity is the soul of wit’. First prize is £150, and winning poems will be published on the website.

[Ann Drysdale]

Do you have to subscribe to the email list to get the information?

[Matt Q]

All the information (rules etc) seems to here, Ann, if that's what you were asking about.

[Ann Drysdale]

Thank, Matt. I didn't find that. It just seemed to be details about the website until you got right to the bottom and found the subscriberly stuff. Now I'll see if I can feel funny before the end of September.

[Jerome Betts]

Thanks, Matt. I was going to say if you click on the link you can then click on the panel with an orange background on the right, Light Verse unlimited.

Incidentally, the rules stipulate "No entrant may win more than one prize" , so unlike the old HV competition a clean sweep is not possible.

[Ed Shacklee]

This is wonderful -- sure to bring an avaricious gleam to many a humorist's eye. I'm looking forward to a good laugh in September!

Best,

Ed

[Martin Parker]

And so is the Judge!

[John Whitworth]

Martin, I hope you remember that I, along with Jayne, gave you a prize some moons ago.

Scratching of backs?

[Janice D. Soderling]

Darn, I was hoping that John wouldn't see this announcement.

[Max Goodman]

The submission fees apparently support a website dedicated to helping people run their own fee-based competitions. Is that a good thing?

I don't say it isn't, and I haven't looked at the website closely enough to have more than a broad understanding of its purpose. I'm interested in poets' thoughts about the site and about fee-based competitions in general.