‘Have fun with your writing, be open to ideas, open to dreams – and your poem will find you.’
Alex Wharton
Poet Alex Wharton is calling on 7-11 year olds to join in the fun around his forthcoming poetry collection, Daydreams and Jellybeans which will be illustrated by talented children’s illustrator Katy Riddell.
We want Key Stage 2 pupils (Years 3 to 6) to get creative and get writing, with one lucky winner chosen to have their poem printed in the back of the book, which publishes on 28 January 2021.
The competition will be judged by Alex himself and the winner will receive a Firefly bundle prize, including a signed copy of Daydreams and Jellybeans, AND have their poem printed in the back of the collection!
We’d like you to use your own daydreams as inspiration to build your poem, which should be no longer than 12 lines but can be in any form you like; haiku, limerick, free verse, rhyming couplets or ballad. We are only able to accept entries written in English.
To enter, ask your parent, guardian or teacher to send your poem to submissions@fireflypress.co.uk with the subject line Daydreams and Jellybeans Poetry Competition along with your name and date of birth.
The deadline is 5pm on Monday 21 September 2020. Good luck!
Terms and Conditions of the Daydreams and Jellybeans Poetry Competition
- The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 7-11 years except employees of Firefly Press and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
- There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
- By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her/their agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. Entrants must submit their poems via a parent, guardian or teacher, compliant with safeguarding regulations.
- Entries must be emailed by a parent, guardian or teacher to submissions@fireflypress.co.uk with the subject heading Daydreams and Jellybeans Poetry Competition. Submissions via Twitter or any other avenue will not be considered.
- Entries must be written in English and be between 1 – 12 lines.
- Only one entry will be accepted per entrant. Multiple entries from the same entrant will be disqualified. A parent, guardian or teacher may submit more than one entry in a single email, for example if submitting for a class of children or for siblings.
- Poems submitted must be entirely the entrant’s own work. Poems which plagiarise will be automatically disqualified.
- Closing date for entry will be 21/09/20 at 17:00. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
- No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
- Prize refers to first print run, print edition only.
- By entering this competition all entrants plus their parents, guardians or teachers permit without condition Firefly Press to publish all or part of their submitted poems on their website, social media channels, in digital and physical print, visual or audio format. Copyright remains with the entrant who will be credited for their work.
- Firefly Press reserve the right to replace the prizes with alternative prizes if circumstances beyond their control make it necessary.