Posted on by mark

Cult of the Spiny Hog: January Challenge – “When The Blue Bell Tolls”

AND THE WINNER IS….

I am heartily pleased and proud to say that our winner is

CAROLINE JOHNSTONE

for

“Spring Quartet No. 1”

Caroline will receive a lovely bit of Bristol Blue and many admiring glances, as well as see her poem entered for the Forard prize and headline a wee anthology to be released sooon.

The Shortlisted poets joining Caroline in the Spring Stickleback are,

        • Caroline Johnstone
        • Margaret Royall
        • Elizabeth Barton
        • Annie Maclean
        • Caroline Gill
        • Julie Anne Gilligan
        • Maureen Cullen
        • Ian Huckson
        • Kate Young
        • Phil Santus
        • Gavin Bourke
        • Mick Yates
        • Julie Stevens
        • Kimberley Pulling

Well, I’m pleased to introduce to you, the first Cult of the Spiny Hog Members-only Challenge of 2022, which has the rather spiffy name of ‘When The Blue Bell Tolls.’

I mentioned a while ago, that I wanted to change the challenges a wee bit, and the plan is that this year we will have Four, Seasonal Competitions that will see each of the four winners across the year:

  1. Receive a Beautiful Piece of Bristol Blue Glassware. This is handmade in Bristol and is genuinely stunning.
  2. See their winning entry nominated as one of our entries for the Forward Prize (the first in 2022, the other three in 2023)
  3. Have their poem included in a special Stickleback edition to be published this Spring, along with All of the Shortlisted Poems

The Challenge:

Write a Poem for Spring.

There are no limits to style, length, form or anything else.

The Prize:

    1. The Winner will receive a beautiful Bristol Blue Bell *, have their poem entered on our behalf for the Forward prize
    2. The Winning and Shortlisted poets will be included in a Stickleback Anthology to be published during Spring 2022

* As this is written these are made to order, if that isn’t the case an alternative of equal value and general awesomeness will be supplied instead. Hog’s honour.

The Rules:

    1. Poets must write a new poem for Spring
    2. Poems must be received by Midnight on the 7th of February 2022
    3. Entry is restricted to members of the Hedgehog Poetry Cult of the Spiny Hog
    4. Send your poem to: competition@hedgehogpress.co.uk

 

 

If you aren’t a member of our wonderful Cult and are all kinds of curious, you can find out more HERE