Young Romantics: A New Prize for Young Writers
Romantic Inspirations
Young Romantics
A New Prize for Young Writers
Poems and Short Stories
1st January - 13th March 2015
The Keats-Shelley Memorial Association is delighted to announce the launch of Young Romantics with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy CBE as the Chairman of the judges. Carol Ann Duffy became the first woman poet laureate in 2009 and her poetry has been on the National Curriculum since 1994. She published her first anthology at the age of nineteen. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry and Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. Carol Ann Duffy comments, “Poetry is the great adventure of the young, as the Romantics demonstrated.” “Since 1998 the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association has been successfully running the Keats-Shelley Prize, encouraging poets and students of the Romantics of all ages and from around the world to write their own essays and poems on Romantic themes” says Harriet Cullen, Chairman of the Keats Shelley Memorial Association. “Now, responding to demand, we have decided to create a Prize catering especially for younger writers, to discover and promote young talent and to foster an early love and appreciation of the Romantics.” This unique literary prize asks writers to take their inspiration from the words, lives and ideas of the Romantics. Young writers aged between 16 and 18 are invited to enter poems and short stories specifically inspired by the Romantics. It is FREE to enter and students can submit up to two stories and two poems. KSMA is working with Arvon in this exciting new venture, and the authors of the winning poem and short story will be awarded a week-long Creative Writing course led by practising writers at one of their famous residential centres. Ruth Borthwick Chief Executive of Arvon says, “Arvon is delighted to support the Young Romantics Prize. Arvon’s roots are in developing young poets. We have nearly fifty years’ experience of supporting talented writers to grow their craft and become even better. We look forward very much to welcoming the winner of the first Young Romantics Prize to one of our three unique writing houses in England next year.” For full details of Young Romantics and the new essay prize, please visit the KSMA website. Further details from: Susanna Kay, susanna.seekings@talktalk.net
Notes to Editors
Young Romantics and The Keats-Shelley Prize are run by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association. The new Prize, Young Romantics, will be launched on January 1st 2015 and the closing date for entries is March 13th. The theme for both poems and short stories this year is Lost Angels. The judging panel will be Carol-Ann Duffy, Matthew Sweeney and Kate Clanchy. Winners will be notified in April and the Awards ceremony will take place in London on 21st April. In addition to the Arvon Creative Writing course, the winners and runners up will be awarded £100 book tokens. Arvon will help the winners choose the course they will most enjoy and prizes can be deferred for up to three years. The winning poems and short stories will be published on the KSMA website and in a commemorative annual issue of the Keats-Shelley Newsletter.
The shortlist will be announced on the Keats Shelley Memorial Association website at the beginning of April and the winners will be announced at an Awards ceremony in London on 21st April.