|
In future this column will be updated several times each quarter. So please send potential News Section items to editor@lightenup-online.co.uk
Submissions sought for new anthology - The Iron Press is asking for material for a new anthology of humorous poetry which they hope to publish in the Autumn. Details can be found on www.ironpress.co.uk Submissions must be by POST and arrive by March 31st. So, get your skates on. Make sure to read the Submission Guidelines carefully. Good luck, and let us know how you get on. More Spectator successes - Both Bill Greenwell and Martin Parker were among the winners in a recent competition which called for an obituary written by its deceased subject. Bill appeared, in prose, as the wonderful Tommy Cooper -- just like that! -- while your Editor gave a modest John Betjeman’s assessment of himself -- just like that! -- but in verse, of course. Not only Helena Nelson … Helena Nelson of HappenStance Press has published The Unread Squirrel, a follow-up to her earlier selection of Unsuitable Poems. (Available at £4 from www.happenstancepress.com ). Do not miss Poetry Mobile … We value your poem / Please hold on / while we try to connect you …. and cherish her object lesson to poets on how to piss off their prospective publishers…. The Unread Squirrel is the first in what is to be HappenStance’s PoLite Series. We applaud Helena’s support for light verse -- which long pre-dates her reading of the Editorial which fronts the current issue -- and wish HappenStance every success with PoLite. But also Martin Parker. Despite his having ticked several of their “how-to-piss-off “ boxes , HappenStance seems bravely determined to continue waving the flag for lighter verse by publishing a booklet-length assortment of dubious gems by Lighten Up Online’s Editor, Martin Parker. This will be number two in their PoLite Series and will appear in time to trounce the plethora of cookbooks and D-list “sleb” memoirs which would otherwise be expected to head the bestseller list for Christmas 2010.
Competition Writers' Forum Magazine runs a monthly poetry competition with a £100 first prize. Because it's monthly, there are far fewer entries than for most competitions, and so a far higher chance of winning. See the website at www.writers-forum.com, or the magazine itself, for details. |