Competition deadline nears for poetry aimed at young people

If you have written a poem you think would appeal to seven to 11 year olds, then why not enter the prestigious Caterpillar Poetry Prize? 

The prize is open to anyone over 16, and the poem can be of any length and on any subject or theme, as long as it hasn’t already been published.

A prize of €1,000 is given to the best poem, chosen by the judge Brian Moses. Brian’s poetry books and anthologies have sold over 1 million copies. He was commissioned by CBBC to write a poem for the Queen’s 80th birthday, and he is Reading Champion for the National Literacy Trust & Co-director of the Able Writers’ Scheme, which he founded in 2002. 
The winning poem will feature in the summer 2019 issue of The Caterpillar. Commended poems may also be published in the same or subsequent issues.

‘I’ve always looked for poems that look at something in a different way,’ says the judge Brian Moses. ‘There are few new subjects to write about but a new angle, a fresh look at an old subject, can work well. With poetry for children too, we shouldn’t underestimate our readers, and certainly shouldn’t write down to them.’

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize closes on Sunday, March 31. See www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com for more details.