The Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize competition is an annual spring competition open to everyone. It's named after a much-missed brother of Dónall Dempsey to commemorate Brian's untimely death in March 2015 (but this fact need not affect the topics of competition entries). As Dempsey & Windle we publish an anthology each year, based on the entries to the competition . All contributors receive a free copy of the book.
The Brian Dempsey Prize Competition 2020 is open
from 1st December 2019 to 29th February 2020
Results will be announced on 31st March,
Competition Anthology launched in the Poetry Café, London, on May 21st 2020
PRIZES 2020:
Pamphlet Prize (Submissions of 10 poems):
£100 + a pamphlet of the winner's poems (up to 36 pages) published by Dempsey & Windle and 20 free copies of it.
Individual Poem Prizes (for submissions of less than 10 poems)
1st Prize: £75
2nd Prize: £50
3rd Prize: £25
Pamphlet Prize (Submissions of 10 poems):
£100 + a pamphlet of the winner's poems (up to 36 pages) published by Dempsey & Windle and 20 free copies of it.
Individual Poem Prizes (for submissions of less than 10 poems)
1st Prize: £75
2nd Prize: £50
3rd Prize: £25
The Judges:
All entries will be read by Janice and Dónall Dempsey, who will select a short-list of entries in each category.
Paul McGrane (Secretary of the Poetry Sociey and author of 'Elastic Man') will read all the short-listed poems and the prize-winners will be chosen from among them.
All entries will be read by Janice and Dónall Dempsey, who will select a short-list of entries in each category.
Paul McGrane (Secretary of the Poetry Sociey and author of 'Elastic Man') will read all the short-listed poems and the prize-winners will be chosen from among them.
Rules for entry
Entry is by email only. (see instructions below)
Poems on any theme are eligible.
Poems should not be longer than 40 lines including stanza gaps.
Poems should not have been published in print or online before.
No simultaneous entries, please.
By entering their poems, entrants give permission for their poems to be published either singly in the competition anthology,
or if they are outright winners of the Brian Dempsey Prize with 10 poems, for them to be published (with a further submission if necessary) as a pamphlet.
Entry is by email only. (see instructions below)
Poems on any theme are eligible.
Poems should not be longer than 40 lines including stanza gaps.
Poems should not have been published in print or online before.
No simultaneous entries, please.
By entering their poems, entrants give permission for their poems to be published either singly in the competition anthology,
or if they are outright winners of the Brian Dempsey Prize with 10 poems, for them to be published (with a further submission if necessary) as a pamphlet.
HOW TO ENTER:
There is no theme: poems can be on any topic, in any genre, but should not be longer than 40 lines including stanza breaks. (Short poems are as likely to succeed as long poems). The poems you enter should not have been published before in a print book, but poems that have been self-published online are accepted. You confirm by entering them that the poems are your own original work and that you hold the copyright on them. No simultaneous submissions, please.
How to Enter
We prefer payment through the Paypal button below, but will accept cheques and postal orders. All entries will be read anonymously, identified only by the Paypal Transaction ID or serial number of the cheque or postal order.
Paying by Paypal:
Please select the number of poems you are entering and pay using the Paypal button below.
You will receive a Transaction ID code in your receipt from Paypal when you have paid. Please copy and paste the code into the subject line of an email.
Then copy and paste your Transaction ID as a heading above the title on each poem. (Each poem should be attached as a separate file, labelled with the title of the poem, not the code.)
Paying by cheque or postal order:
Type the serial number of your cheque or postal order into the subject line of an email, and above the title in each poem file that you are submitting.
Please attach each poem as a separate file, named with its title. We will print each of your files and use them when judging the competition.
In the body of the email give the titles of your poems and your name, postal address and telephone number (these details will not be used for any purpose beyond
corresponding with you about the competition and the anthology and they won't be passed on to anyone else) You shouldn't include any other identification in the poem files.
Poems submitted in the body of an email will not be read, entered or acknowledged.
Send the email to to dempseyandwindle@gmail.com
Janice will acknowledge your entry within 10 days.
Entry costs: payable via the Paypal button below or by postal order or cheque (see instructions above)
1 poem: £5.00; 3 poems: £7.00; 4 poems: £9.00; 5 poems: £11.00; 6 poems: 13.00; 7 poems: £15.00; 8 poems: £17; 9poems: £1900; 10 poems: £20.00
There is no theme: poems can be on any topic, in any genre, but should not be longer than 40 lines including stanza breaks. (Short poems are as likely to succeed as long poems). The poems you enter should not have been published before in a print book, but poems that have been self-published online are accepted. You confirm by entering them that the poems are your own original work and that you hold the copyright on them. No simultaneous submissions, please.
How to Enter
We prefer payment through the Paypal button below, but will accept cheques and postal orders. All entries will be read anonymously, identified only by the Paypal Transaction ID or serial number of the cheque or postal order.
Paying by Paypal:
Please select the number of poems you are entering and pay using the Paypal button below.
You will receive a Transaction ID code in your receipt from Paypal when you have paid. Please copy and paste the code into the subject line of an email.
Then copy and paste your Transaction ID as a heading above the title on each poem. (Each poem should be attached as a separate file, labelled with the title of the poem, not the code.)
Paying by cheque or postal order:
Type the serial number of your cheque or postal order into the subject line of an email, and above the title in each poem file that you are submitting.
Please attach each poem as a separate file, named with its title. We will print each of your files and use them when judging the competition.
In the body of the email give the titles of your poems and your name, postal address and telephone number (these details will not be used for any purpose beyond
corresponding with you about the competition and the anthology and they won't be passed on to anyone else) You shouldn't include any other identification in the poem files.
Poems submitted in the body of an email will not be read, entered or acknowledged.
Send the email to to dempseyandwindle@gmail.com
Janice will acknowledge your entry within 10 days.
Entry costs: payable via the Paypal button below or by postal order or cheque (see instructions above)
1 poem: £5.00; 3 poems: £7.00; 4 poems: £9.00; 5 poems: £11.00; 6 poems: 13.00; 7 poems: £15.00; 8 poems: £17; 9poems: £1900; 10 poems: £20.00
If you prefer to pay by cheque (from a UK bank), please make your cheque payable to Janice Dempsey and send it with a covering letter giving your name, phone number and titles of your submitted poems, to:
Janice Dempsey, 15 Rosetrees, Guildford, Surrey, GU 2HS.
Use the serial number of the cheque or postal order as the heading of your poem files and submission email.
Janice Dempsey, 15 Rosetrees, Guildford, Surrey, GU 2HS.
Use the serial number of the cheque or postal order as the heading of your poem files and submission email.
The 2019 Brian Dempsey Memorial Competition is closed.
2019 RESULTS
Congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted poets whose poems were published in the anthology.
The Brian Dempsey Pamphlet Prize
Winner:
Dawn Gorman
Shortlisted:
Derek Adams
Fiona Cartwright
Kathryn Haworth
The Brian Dempsey Individual Poem Prizes:
Ist Prize:
Fiona Cartwright – The Astronomer's Children
2nd Prize:
Terry Jones – The Gooseberry Bush
3rd Prize:
Steven Jackson – Whittler
Highly Commended:
Steven Jackson – Apricots
NATIONAL POETRY DAY COMPETITION 2019
Dempsey & Windle and The 1000 Monkeys competition for National Poetry Day (3rd October 2019)
This competition closed on 15th September.
