Thomas Gray Anniversary – Poetry Competition
Theme: “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen"
For the tercentenary of Gray’s birth in 2016, The Stoke Poges Society is organising the third of three annual poetry competitions. There is an Open Class, and a School Class open to anyone in full-time school education on the date of submission. The closing date is 24th June 2016.
Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”, reputed to have been written in St Giles’ Churchyard, Stoke Poges, was first published in 1751 and immediately recognised as a classic of English literature. Verses from the Elegy are inscribed on the sides of Gray’s Monument which was erected by John Penn in 1799 and now belongs to the National Trust.
Judges
For the 2015 competition, the entries to the Open Class will be judged by the poet Daljit Nagra who is Poet in Residence for BBC Radio 4.
The School Class, open to students in full-time education, will be judged by Michael Meredith of Eton College.
Prizes totalling £750 will be divided among the winning entrants.
Entries can be made online via our website and full details are available there along with last year’s winning entries:
http://thomasgray2016.org/poetry-competition/