[John Whitworth]

The judges are Fleur Adcock and Michael Schmidt. The competition is this one, closing date 1st April so you have to get down to it.

For a full list of rules and all other information please contact claire@buxtonfestival.co.uk for an entry form or download a copy at www.derby.ac.uk/buxtonpoetrycompetition.

Downloading does the trick. I suppose you'll have to use IRCs for this. Spurred on by my efforts to write a monorhyme on 'bears' I've done one on 'stone', which leaves the rest of you plenty of scope do do something else. I think that a competition depends greatly on its judge/judges, and this is a dependable pair, particularly Fleur, one of the best poets living in my opinion. Only three prizes but that leaves two for the rest of you.

[Julie Steiner]

If I manage to track down A4 paper in the hinterlands of San Diego, I deserve to win something...

[John Whitworth]

Oh I think if you use the American paper that is nearest in size that will be OK. A4 is 11 3/4 by 8 1/4 or 296mm x 209mm to use beastly foreign measurements. Certainly Americans accept A4. The American paper I've got is a bit fatter and not quite so long.

[Julie Steiner]

Drat you, John! There goes my excuse!

[Martin Elster]

John,

Do the entries have to be there by April 1st, or is that the postmark date?

[John Whitworth]

Martin, I dunno, but, from my experience of competitions from the other end, as it were, if your entry arrives WITH MONEY a couple of days adrift, they'll stretch a point. Julie, with your name being what it is, you really don't have any excuse.