[Catherine Chandler]

Aaron,

I posted a link to the rules and guidelines when I opened this thread. Had you had read it carefully, you would have seen this:

In contrast to most other poetry competitions, Plough will not contract out judging of this award to a prominent poet. Instead, Plough’s new poetry editor A. M. Juster will select approximately twenty poems for further consideration, and then the editors will reach a consensus on the winner and the two finalists.

And no, I am NOT organizing the competition. I don't even subscribe to the journal.

I just thought Sphereans might be interested.

Sorry Ann and Aaron had to keep asking and asking. I have a very busy life outside of Eratosphere. But Rhina is a special, treasured friend, and I thought it might be nice if talented Sphereans participated.

Good luck.

[Ann Drysdale]

Thanks, Catherine.

Now I know I'm not treading on your toes I'll continue with my investigations of the limits and procedures, and if I find someone congenial in Sussex I'll ask Aaron's question, too.

[Aaron Novick]

Thanks, Ann, but no need. I won't be submitting. I have looked into the Bruderhof movement, and it appears they are as bigoted as Juster's previous employers.

[Ann Drysdale]

OK, Aaron. I probably won't either, now I'm learning more, but my instinct initially was to support Catherine and honour Rhina.

I haven't had a reply to my email and will phone UK office tomorrow.

The "subscribe now" button on the competition page still requires an address in the USA or Canada but there is no mention of the competition being similarly restricted.

I may "download a sample" out of interest, but the likelihood of my being charmed by its ethos is diminishing by hefty degrees. Having got this far, though, I'll persist till I get an answer to my own question, which I will post here. I just hate it when things don't make sense.

Incidentally, I expressed support for Michael Cantor's suggestion of Rhina for Inaugural Poet, even though that, understandably, would not have been right for a Brit to actively endorse. I am now wondering if this competition is in some way connected to that possibility.
.

[Catherine Chandler]

Hi, Ann. Don't worry about supporting me. I have nothing whatsoever to do with this competition. I simply saw it online and, since Rhina is a very dear friend, and one of the original Sphereans, I thought I would bring it to the attention of this forum.


It also has nothing to do with the petition for Rhina as Inauguraal Poet.


I hope you find answers to your questions about participation.


I'm now done with this.

[Ann Drysdale]

OK, Catherine. Thanks for explaining. Stay safe.

Today I telephoned the Plough Publishing office in Sussex and got through to the desk of David Ibbs (?) who was away from his telephone. I left a message asking about the competition and await his reply.

[Ann Drysdale]

Now, just to lay this thing to rest...

I had a reply to my email:

Dear Plough
Is this open to entrants outwith the USA and Canada? I clicked on the submission link on the page and it appears that the above restriction applies to subscriptions. Does it also apply to the competition?

I got this reply

Dear Ann, On the link, it says: “Submissions will open by early 2021, and the deadline for submissions is March 30, 2021. Sign-up below to be notified when submissions open.”
So it seems that submissions are not being accepted quite yet, but there is a way to ensure that you’ll be notified when they do.
Warm greetings, Suzanne for Plough

I replied: Thanks, Suzanne. I am already signed up for the notification. My query was, since the submission button on the competition pages asks specifically for an address in the USA or Canada and admits of no other possibility, is the competition similarly restricted?

Suzanne replied: Dear Ann,
I’m told that when the competition opens, it will be open to anyone in the world.
Warm greetings, Suzanne

So there we go.

David Ibbs phoned back and was similarly confused about what I was asking. He assumed that I was having trouble subscribing to the journal and was bending over backwards to ensure that I did so. It seems that the sample is offered only as part of a longer subscription which may be cancelled before payment is due (if one remembers...). It's a common enough practice but I was not minded to pursue the matter.

I did ask him in a general sort of way whether the entries would be judged anonymously and again he didn't get my drift. I explained that in most competitions the entries are collated by someone who separates them from their identifying covers before passing them to whomsoever is judging but I was referred again to the rubric, which suggests otherwise. I left it there.

So now all I need is a swift kiss from Captain Hardy and I can relax in the knowledge that I have done my duty.