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
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.
Please send your poem(s) in separate Word file attachments (.doc or .docx) in an email headed with the transaction number of your Paypal payment or the number of your cheque. In your email, please give your real name (even if you write under a different one), your postal address, your phone number, and the titles of the poems you are submitting. Your contact details will be kept private and will not be used for any other purpose than communicating with you about the competition.
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Please include the transaction number or reference number of your payment as a heading above the title of each poem but don't include your name on the individual poems, because they will be printed off and judged anonymously by Janice and Dónall Dempsey.
Please don't send poems by post: email submissions only please.
When we receive your poems, we will reply with an acknowledgement of them.
Address for submissions: dempseyandwindle@gmail.com
Entry costs: payable via the Paypal button below.
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.
Please send your poem(s) in separate Word file attachments (.doc or .docx) in an email headed with the transaction number of your Paypal payment or the number of your cheque. In your email, please give your real name (even if you write under a different one), your postal address, your phone number, and the titles of the poems you are submitting. Your contact details will be kept private and will not be used for any other purpose than communicating with you about the competition.
.
Please include the transaction number or reference number of your payment as a heading above the title of each poem but don't include your name on the individual poems, because they will be printed off and judged anonymously by Janice and Dónall Dempsey.
Please don't send poems by post: email submissions only please.
When we receive your poems, we will reply with an acknowledgement of them.
Address for submissions: dempseyandwindle@gmail.com
Entry costs: payable via the Paypal button below.
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 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 as the heading of your poem files and submission email.
The 2019 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.
