CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST 2017 [FEBRUARY]

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Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR) is now receiving entries for the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC) SEASON III, 2017 (February edition). Poets from Nigeria, Africa and all over the world are hereby invited to submit their poems on the theme “GENDER EQUALITY.”

“The common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations” is what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declared to be in 1948. “Each individual and every organ of society shall strive to promote… these rights and freedoms…. by securing their universal and effective recognition and observance.”

But this text is three quarters of a century old. Today gender inequality seems to be gaining new ground everywhere for a lot of reasons.

What is a poet’s vision of the problem? Does he have an absolute mission of upholding these ideals? Do inequalities between men and women and their corollaries have a role to play in a relative world, by advancing good guidance and promoting a peaceful life on all levels?

Entries will be received until 11:59 PM, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017.

Prize to be won:

The winning poem will be awarded a cash prize of N7000 and a copy of the BPPC 2016 anthology
All top 10 poems will be automatically entered for the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2017
All top 10 poems will be published in the annual BPPC 2017 anthology
All top 10 poets will receive a free copy of the BPPC 2017 anthology
Authors of the top ten poems will also be awarded a certificate each

Guidelines:

Contestants are invited to submit one poem on the theme ‘GENDER EQUALITY’ (expanded to include the following subthemes – womanhood, feminism, gender balance, female genital mutilation, rape, violence against women, domestic violence, marriage, girl child education, motherhood, and other social realities of the female gender)
Submissions should be sent to SUBMISSIONS@WRR.NG
All entries must be the original work of the poet submitting it
No ATTACHMENTS. Please submit poem and other details as body of mail
The CONTESTANT NAME, CONTEST MONTH, & POEM TITLE must be mentioned clearly, as the subject of the e-mail. For example: ‘Abubakar Nnamdi Adekunle, BPPC February 2017, ‘A WOMAN’S CROSS’
The maximum length of the poem should be 28 lines (plus the title). Poems exceeding this length will be disqualified.
Authors must provide their full names and Facebook ID [for identification] and a 50-100 word biography in the body of the e-mail
Submission deadline is 11:59 PM FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017.

Note that:

Poems containing profanity, racism or vulgarity will be automatically disqualified
The poems will be judged based on their artistic quality and creativity
The judges’ decision is final and under no circumstances will they enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions
The copyright of each submission remains with its owner but we retain the right to publish ALL and ANY entry in the annual BPPC anthology
Poets resident in any part of the world are eligible
No entry fee required
Past winners may enter for the competition, but a poet can only one once in a calendar year (Season). If a past winner makes the TOP 10, the poems will ONLY be awarded a certificate and be featured in the anthology.

The last edition of the BPPC (September 2016) was won by poet Izuchukwu Saviour Otubelu, a 300 level Zoology student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, with the poem ‘THE SUN RISES TOMORROW’.

The BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC), a brainchild of Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR), is a monthly writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets. It was instituted in February 2015 in honor of Brigitte Poirson, a French poet and lecturer, editor, who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support of African poetry. Now in its second season, and being one of the few credible contests, the BPPC has since grown to be one of country’s most popular, especially among the younger poets.

The overall winner of the SEASON III (February to September 2017) will be awarded the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2017. Kanyinsola Olorunnisola won the prize in 2016.