The annual arts festival, Brighton Festival, will be returning to Brighton this May, commencing from 4 May until the 28 May. The return of the festival also comes with the return of the Peacock Poetry Prize; a chance for young writers to earn recognition for their creative work.
The competition is open to young writers between ages of 8 and 19 across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. If you are a young, aspiring poet then this is a brilliant way to win an acclaim for your work. Entrants are able to enter up to three poems, at a maximum of 20 lines, on the chosen theme of ‘Journeys’, up until the deadline of 19 April.
The prize will be split into three different age groups, 8-11, 12-15 and 15-19 years. Although the prize is aimed at younger writers, it is open to anyone under 19, so if any youthful Sussex students are still eligible to enter the award, make sure you do not miss the deadline.
The Peacock Poetry Prize aims to encourage young, local writers to explore their love of poetry and creativity, finding new ways to approach the written word.
This year’s theme, ‘Journeys’, was chosen by Brighton Festival Guest Director Rokia Traoré, who is excited to share this opportunity with young writers at Brighton Festival.
She says: “I want my journey to be a shared experience and feel responsible to share that journey with young people. Brighton Festival allows its audience to travel and learn about the rest of the world through the stories and journeys of its guests without leaving Brighton, which is extended to young people by the Peacock Poetry Prize.”
Those who are lucky enough to become finalists will be invited to a tea party and prize-giving ceremony with their friends and family at Brighton Dome on the evening of 23 May. Winners of each age category will be announced at this event, which will, no doubt, make three young people incredibly happy.
Brighton Festival itself is an exciting opportunity that you will not want to miss, with numerous artistic events on offer. The festival is the largest and most established annual curated multi-arts festival in England, bringing every form of creativity together in one collaborative celebration of the arts. From a literary perspective, Brighton Festival will be hosts to numerous esteemed writers, including Zawe Ashton, Ben Okri, Candice Carty-Williams and Season Butler.
Covering everything from young literature to poetry, there will be over 30 literature themed events on offer at the festival. If you have a passion for literature, or any other form of art, Brighton Festival is definitely the place for you to be this May.
If you are lucky enough to be below the age of 19, send your poems to peacock@brightonfestival.org before 19 April for the chance to win in your age category.
Featured Image Credit: Summer Dean
