Poetry Competition: "Rebirth Notice"

Announcing the arrival of a happy, healthy new writing challenge

(Please note: the competition below has now closed. You can find the results here.)

Happy 2024, readers. I’m writing to introduce another new blog feature, following the diary-style post last week (which seemed to go down very well; expect another instalment soon, including an explanation of how I came up with this idea!)

Today I am launching a poetry competition, but it’s just for paid subscribers I’m afraid – you will be an important part of the future of Valley Press, so I’m keen to lavish you with perks in 2024. Competition prizes will include VP books of your choice, publication (on the blog, and eventually, in a book), and the satisfaction, fame and fortune that must inevitably follow.

Details of how to enter can be found after the paywall, but if you’re a free subscriber and want to have a go just for fun, I gave away the theme in the post title; it’s a reference to the quaint “birth notices” which can still be found in some newspapers, starting something like “Mr and Mrs Smith of Smithton Village are delighted to announce the arrival of their daughter, Smithina”, then going on to provide the baby’s date of birth, weight, and sometimes names of grandparents and siblings. I’m thinking you could combine this concept with topical, early-January thoughts of renewal and rebirth, to create a really intriguing short poem – hope that’s not too esoteric for you! Best of luck, and if you’d like to enter, please read on for the full rules.