The Sentinelle

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition (January 2012)–Judge’s Report

2012-02-20T11:06:00.001-08:00

My critical criteria for evaluating the short stories submitted to the Competition consisted of assessing whether there was a grasp of the form and an attempt to say something. I was looking for structure, a clear developmental arc with its attendant desire to test a character and move the reader through literary effects. I was looking for a narrative voice that filtered relevant information and used detail to carry the narrative texture forward and made the reader see and feel beyond. I hoped for an implied story rather than a blob of writing without purpose.

Whilst the overall standard of writing was good, many pieces submitted had no story and were seriously under-developed. This is consistent with the current national state of short story writing. There are many people who do not have a clue what they are doing. There was a lot of structureless prose that could have been made more reader-friendly with some basic story telling craft. A lot of the writing was interesting without challenging the reader. The stories that were aware of the form shone through and held my attention. Other stories seemed random and ill-considered by comparison. A number of stories were unrealized in terms of length as well as structure. They sought to tell and had no story, no action, simply disorganized writing.

The best stories showed the reader and held attention through their narrative force and the gradual filtering of information leading to some form of resolution that forced the reader back to the beginning. The best stories drew the reader into the world and engaged with the reader. They made their world matter and have significance.

I selected Small Town Fever for the First Prize. This first person narrative is completely immersed in the experience of Marcie, who is on the run from her dangerous boyfriend, Jason. The unpredictable narrative moves back and forward and withholds information so that the reader wants to discover more. It is a volatile page-turner. The use of detail is strong throughout and reinforces the edgy, implied and unknown danger. The reader is taken on a journey and the underlying threat is beautifully sustained and understated. It is all implied rather than told and has a great ending.

The Second Prize story, The Difference, is a third person narrative concerning a 61 year-old Lecturer who becomes infatuated with a twenty three year old student. She is full of inner turmoil and becomes disorientated. She talks to herself and when hearing Berlioz, recalls the memory of her first affair with her Professor. She is a serial adulterer that has chosen a lifestyle without a family. Her past life and age catch up with her as it is revealed that the student is not interested in her. However, she is able to put the negatives to good use and writes a poem about being ‘over the hill’ and her unknown desire. A potential crisis is averted and the inner turmoil is put to good use. The story has a classic narrative structure and forces the reader back to the beginning.

The Third Prize went to The Lift, a third person narrative, about a young woman’s attraction for an older man. Angela has difficulty in judging men and the story explores her gut instincts. She is given a lift to Sunday Mass by Eion, who has a hint of danger and an implied past with women. They arrive at the Church, chat and drive back to his farmhouse. Her physical attraction to Eion is implied through the use of detail. The reader is drawn into their physical world of fingers, hands, legs and between the legs. The thrill for Angela of finding an independent and sexually attractive man is sustained through a rapid series of epiphanies that propel the action forward. It is all implied and evoked rather than stated and has a strong ending that allows the reader to see why Angela went in the direction that she did.

The Highly Commended stories included The first time, another adulteress woman story that has a strong developmental arc. Here the woman doubts her behaviour and recalls the loss of her virginity to a married man. She is caught in the repetition of her behavior and desires. The story reveals the physical side of wanting two men and the moral courage, despite worries of betrayal, to make a difficult choice. The story ends with her having both men on the same day. Again all the detail is physical and the reader has a strong sense that this is not a frivolous betrayal but a considered and clear choice. Living in Bleaney’s Room, a first person narrative, reads splendidly when read aloud and would work well on the radio. The narrator’s mutability is thoroughly caught in the voice and its cadences. The story resonates through its rich texture, use of detail and draws the reader into its distinct Welshness. It requires rereading as the texture is rich and sometimes covers the under-developed arc of the story, despite being well under the word limit. Pews For Thought impressed with its narrator’s characterization and the exposition of his contradictions.

Other notable stories are Luck Has Got Nothing To Do With It, a third person narrative, attempts to explore the notion of a luck in a socially dived school world, and Present Clarity, works well with its mostly implied desire of a young woman to become upwardly mobile through transgression. I also admired the innovative approach of Paul in Pictures. Anniversary, A Kind Of Heaven, A Small Cool Evening, The Lighthouse, My Loss and Perfect were all commendable efforts. Congratulations to all the writers.

David Caddy

Tears in the Fence | David Caddy’s Blog

The winning and highly commended stories from this competition will be published in Sentinel Champions magazine #11, August 2012. Subscribe to Sentinel Champions magazine.

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions Results

Results of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions (January 2012)

2012-02-20T06:51:00.001-08:00

We are pleased to announce the results of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions for January 2012 judged by Derek Adams (poetry) and David Caddy (short stories)

POETRY

The 3 highly commended poems in no particular order are:

'Still Life' - Simon Jackson

'Passing Over' - Oz Hardwick

'Why Can't You?' - Annette Volfing

Third Prize

'Sugar' - Andy Humphrey

Second Prize

'Captain Nemo's Dinner' - Terry Jones

First Prize

'When a Sound Pretends to Kick a Bucket' - Bob Beagrie

Sentinel Champions Subscription Giveaway

The poet that receives 1 year's free subscription to Sentinel Champions magazine is Tony Sainsbury

SHORT STORIES

The 3 highly commended short stories in no particular order are:

'The First Time' - Sarah Evans

'Living in Bleaney's Room' - Debbie Jay

'Pews for Thought' - Janet Eugenia Lynch

Third Prize

'The Lift' - Shauna Gilligan

Second Prize

'The Difference' - Caroline Clark

First Prize

'Small Town Fever' - Vedrana Mamula

Sentinel Champions Subscription Giveaway

The short story writer that receives 1 year's free subscription to Sentinel Champions magazine is David Frankel

Congratulations to all the winners.

SALA Online Launch: 20-Jan–20-Apr, 2012

2012-01-21T07:03:00.001-08:00

Sentinel Annual Literature Anthology (SALA) is a yearly publication of new poetry, short fiction and plays by SPM Publications - the publishing division of Sentinel Poetry Movement.

SALA 2011

The first book in the SALA series published in November 2011 was edited by Unoma Azuah, author of Sky-High Flames, and Edible Bones (Poems), Amanda Sington-Williams, author of The Eloquence of Desire (Short Stories), and Nnorom Azuonye, author of Letter to God & Other Poems and The Bridge Selection (Plays). The book also features additional poems chosen by Roger Elkin, author of Fixing Things and Blood Brothers, from the Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition (2010) of which he was judge.

Works featured in SALA have been contributed by authors from Hong Kong, Nigeria, the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom among other countries. Here we have an exciting mix of voices dealing with issues from everyday to the unusual.

Authors featured include: Nicholas Y.B. Wong, Byron Beynon, Hajo Isa, Rusyan Sopian, Nsuhoridem Okon, Abigail George, Katie McDermott, Zino Asalor, Nike Adesuyi, Unoma Azuah, Angel Propps, Amanda Sington-Williams, Mel Ross-Macdonald, Jill Richter, Tendai Tshakisani Makavani, Michael Spring, Catherine Smith, Callum Patrick Hughes, Angela Amalonye Nwosu, Nnorom Azuonye, Hannah Lowe, Gary Smillie, Derek Sellen, W.F. Lantry, Christian Ward, Wally Smith, Jane Moreton, Carolyn King, Jonathan Davidson, and Paul Groves.

What's inside? The contents of SALA 2011 and some excerpts are available here >

Launch Promotion!

Win a copy of SALA, and review it for Sentinel Literary Quarterly.

Go to promotion >

January Competitions now closed.

2012-01-21T06:09:00.001-08:00

The Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions (January 2012) have now closed. Excellent response once again by writers from across the world.

We are grateful to the channels who regularly help us out with publicity, notably: The Poetry Library, The Poetry Kit, Editors-Writers, Writers Reign, Prize Magic, London Comedy Writers, The Poetry Society of New Zealand, The Poetry Competition Insider, Kudos for Writers, Orbis, JBWB Writing Competitions, First Writer, Just a Contest and Writing Competitions Digest.

The results will be announced on 20th February 2012 at www.sentinelquarterly.com

We would like to thank you all for your continued support of our competitions.

If you took part in this competition and would like to receive the results and judge’s report by e-mail, please join our Mailing List (if you have not already done so) at www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/list.html

Any queries should be directed to the Competitions Secretary, Sandra Felix competitions@sentinelpoetry.org.uk or the Administrator, Nnorom Azuonye nnorom.azuonye@sentinelpoetry.org.uk

Swale Life Poetry Competition (January 2012)

2012-01-12T14:19:00.001-08:00

Closing Date: 31 January 2012

Details: #5 in the quarterly poetry competition in aid of Diversity House, a charity based in Sittingbourne, Kent, publishers of Swale Life magazine. This competition is for previously unpublished poems in English Language, on any subject, in any style, up to 50 lines long (excluding title). Poems entered must not have been posted to any website or blog, and must not be under consideration for publication, or accepted for publication elsewhere.

First Prize: £100.00, Second Prize: £50.00, Third Prize: £30.00, High Commendation Prizes: 2 x £10.00

First Publication: All prize winners will receive first publication in Swale Life Magazine at www.swalelife.com on 28th February 2012, and will be included in the second Swale Life Anthology to be published in January 2013.

Entry Fees: £3 per poem, £12 for 5 poems. £16 for 7 poems and £22 for 10 poems.

Donations to Charity: A third of net entry fees and all profits from the sale of the anthology will go to Diversity House.

The Judge: Mandy Pannett - author of Frost Hollow.

Competition Administration: Eastern Light EPM International -organisers of Excel for Charity writing competitions series.

Enter online and pay securely by PayPal or print off Entry Form at http://easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity/swale-life-poetry-competition/jan-12/

Cheques/Postal Orders in GB£ payable to:

EASTERN LIGHT EPM INTERNATIONAL

Unit 136, 113 -115 George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1AB

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Competitions

2012-01-12T14:17:00.001-08:00

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY COMPETITION (JANUARY 2012) | CLOSING DATE: 20-JANUARY-2012
For previously unpublished poems in English Language on any subject, in any style, up to 50 lines long (excluding title). Poems submitted must not have been accepted, or currently be under consideration for publication elsewhere and must not be simultaneously entered into another competition. Judge: Derek Adams.
PRIZES: £150 (First), £75 (Second), £50 (Third), £10 x 3 (High Commendation). All winning and commended poems will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions magazine. The authors will each receive 1 free contributor's copy. All entrants to this competition will also be automatically entered into a draw to win 1 year's subscription to Sentinel Champions. 1 poet and 1 short story writer must win the subscription this quarter.
Results will be announced at www.sentinelquarterly.com on 20-Feb-2012
ENTRY FEES: £3/1 poem, £6/2 poems, £9/3 poems, £11/4 poems, £12/5 poems. Cheques/Postal Orders in GB£ to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT, Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1AB
Enter online and pay securely by PayPal or print off Entry Form from website at http://sentinelquarterly.com/competitions/poetry-0112/

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY SHORT STORY COMPETITION (JANUARY 2012) | CLOSING DATE: 20-JANUARY-2012
For previously unpublished short stories in English Language on any subject, in any style, up to 1,500 words long (excluding title). Stories submitted must not have been accepted, or currently be under consideration for publication elsewhere and must not be simultaneously entered into another competition. Judge: David Caddy.
PRIZES: £150 (First), £75 (Second), £50 (Third), £10 x 3 (High Commendation). All winning and commended stories will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions magazine. The authors will each receive 1 free contributor's copy. All entrants to this competition will also be automatically entered into a draw to win 1 year's subscription to Sentinel Champions. 1 poet and 1 short story writer must win the subscription this quarter.
Results will be announced at www.sentinelquarterly.com on 20-Feb-2012
ENTRY FEES: £4/1 story, £8/2 stories, £10/3 stories, £12/4 stories. Cheques/Postal Orders in GB£ to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT, Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1AB
Enter online and pay securely by PayPal or print off Entry Form from website at http://www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions/short-stories-0112/

Results of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions (October 2011)

2011-10-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

October 2011 Results

We are pleased to announce the results of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions for October 2011 judged by Todd Swift and Adnan Mahmutovic respectively.

POETRY

The 9 commended poems in no particular order are:

'Nearer my God to Thee' - Charlotte Trevella

'Van Eyk's Arnofilni Portrait' - Lynn Roberts

'The Abbot of Bingen' - Brian Nisbet

'Mitigating Things' - Richard W.Halperin

'Silent Days' - Eilidh Thomas

'Atlantis' - Nick Taylor

'An Honourable Outlaw' - Steve Layzell

'Angels of Galway Harbour' Terry Jones

'Losing the Termagant' - GB Clarkson

The 3 highly commended poems in no particular order are:

'Post' - Sharlene Teo

'Nature Walk' - David Paul Jones

'When I Lived in Buenos Aires' - Al McClimens

Third Prize

'Valentine Gift' - David Paul Jones

Second Prize

'Dorothy' - Richard W. Halperin

First Prize

'Madame de Pompadour Considers...' - Lynn Roberts

SHORT STORIES

The 3 highly commended stories in no particular order are:

'Maggie Kelly's Gift' - Nancy Cook

'Going Quietly' - Jane Moreton

'Cztery miesiące / Four months' - Martin Cathcart Frödén

Third Prize

'Third Time Lucky' - Andrew Campbell-Kearsey

Second Prize

'Where the Blue Line Fades' - Alison Lock

FIRST PRIZE

'Swarm' - ALISON LOCK

The winning and commended works listed above will be published in Sentinel Champions #10 in May 2012.

Congratulations to all the winners.

SENTINEL ANNUAL POETRY COMPETITION 2011

Closes 15-November 2011

Judge: Roger Elkin

First Prize: £500

Second Prize: £250

Third Prize: £125

High Commendation Prizes: 5 x £25

Entry fee: £5 per poem. Enter as many poems as you wish.

All winning & commended poems will be published in Sentinel Champions #9 in February 2012.

Results due: 15 December 2011

Enter online and pay securely by PayPal or download entry form at http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/competitions/sapc-2011/

Postal Entries: Please send cheques/postal orders in GB£ only payable to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT together with your poems, entry form or cover note to:

Sentinel Poetry Movement

Unit 136

113-115 George Lane

South Woodford

London

E18 1AB

United Kingdom

_____________________________________________________________________

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Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions Results Page

2011-10-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

Lynn Roberts and Alison Lock win the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions (October 2011)
Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions Results Page

Weekly News update

2011-10-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Identity Issue

We are exactly 10 days away from the publication of the Identity issue of Sentinel Literary Quarterly guest-edited by Caine Prize for African Writing winner and author of Voice of America, EC Osondu. We shall be publishing this magazine online as usual, but will have a print version available as well for those who prefer good old paper between fingers, and to keep it in their bookshelves. Don't forget to visit www.sentinelquarterly.com on October 31st. If you would like to be notified by e-mail when this publication goes live, please subscribe our free e-Newsletter.

Sentinel Literature Festival 2011

The 2nd Sentinel Literature Festival will be held at the University College London on the 27th, 28th and 30th October 2011 and will feature readings, performances, lectures and talks by writers and musicians including Nengi Ilagha, author of Mantids, Derek Sellen, author of The Arch and its Shadow, Amanda Sington-Williams, author of The Eloquence of Desire, Osita Okagbue, author of Culture and Identity in African and Caribbean Theatre, Andy Willoughby, author of Tough, Miles Cain, author of The Border, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, editor of Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Terence Frisby, author of Kisses on a Postcard, Monica Clarke, author of They call me Hottentot Venus, Peter Olorunisomo (a.k.a Pete Godismo), author of A Snake in the King's Palace, Christie Watson, author of Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, Graham Burchell, author of Vermeer's Corner, N. Quentin Woolf, author of The Writer's Notebook, and "Tequila Secrets" writer Adura Ojo. Learn more and buy your tickets now at www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/literaturefestival

Sentinel Literary Quarterly, French Literature Issue

The French Literature Issue of Sentinel Literary Quarterly will be published in January 2012. If you have not submitted your work to this issue, you may do so before the 30th of November. The French Literature issue of Sentinel Literary Quarterly marks a return to print publication of our magazine. The online magazine will still be available free-to-read but will only contain some of the materials that appear in the print version.

Submit your work to Sentinel Literary Quarterly

Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition 2011 | Closing Date: 15-Nov-11

Details:

For previously unpublished poems in English language up to 50 lines long, on any subject, in any style. Poems entered may not be under consideration for publication, or accepted for publication elsewhere.
Prizes: £500 (First), £250 (Second), £125 (Third), 5 x £25 (Highly Commended). Publication in Sentinel Champions magazine #9, February 2012 in print and eBook formats. Judge: Roger Elkin, author of 'No Laughing Matter' and 'Fixing Things'. Results will be announced on 15-DEC-2011 at www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk
Entry Fee: £5 per poem

Contact: Send poems with Cover Note or Entry Form with Cheque/Postal Order in GP£ only payable to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT, Address: Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, London E18 1AB, United Kingdom.
Enter online or download Entry Form at:
http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/competitions/sapc-2011/

Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition 2011, judge - Roger Elkin

2011-10-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

The closing date for the Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition 2011 has been extended to 15th November 2011.

Prizes: £500 (1st), £250 (2nd), £125 (3rd), and £25 x 5 for High Commendation.

All winning and commended poems will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions in February 2012. Published authors each get a free contributor's copy of the magazine.

Entry fee: £5 per poem

We hope that this extension will make it possible for more people to enter.

Click here to enter competition today >>

The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy - review | Books

2011-09-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Bees is Carol Ann Duffy's first new collection of poetry to be published since she was appointed our Poet Laureate in 2009, in succession to Andrew Motion. It's also her first since Rapture, the ecstatic sequence about the rise and fall of a lesbian love affair which won her the T S Eliot Prize in 2005.

The Bees is not so ruthlessly focused but it has nonetheless been artfully organised around the bee as a symbol, boasting a cover honeycombed in gilt around a glittery bee. The book begins and ends with specific poems about bees and there are others scattered here and there, such as, for example, a lovely riff on Book IV of the Georgics, Virgil's Bees, which she wrote in response to the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen. Throughout, bees stand for endangered nature - and they appear glancingly in the book in other poems, as do allusions to flowers, pollen and honey.

Full review The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy - review | Books

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition October 2011 | Judge Adnan Mahmutovic

2011-09-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition October 2011 | Judge Adnan Mahmutovic

Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition 2011, judge - Roger Elkin

2011-09-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition 2011, judge - Roger Elkin

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions (October 2011)

2011-07-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition (October 2011)
For poems on any subject in any style up to 40 lines long.
Closing Date: 20-September 2011
Judge: Todd Swift
Prizes: £150, £75, £50, £10 x 3.
Fees: £3 per poem. £12 for 5 poems.
Enter competition here >>

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition (October 2011)
For stories on any subject in any style up to 1500 words long.
Closing Date: 20-September 2011
Judge: Adnan Mahmutovic
Prizes: £150, £75, £50, £10 x 3.
Fees: £5 per story. £9 for 2 stories, and £12 for 3 stories.
Enter competition here >>

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lupus-uk-international-poetry-competition

2011-06-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

LUPUS UK INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION
CLOSING DATE (NOW EXTENDED TO) 30-JUNE-2011
Lupus UK International Poetry Competition 2011
This competition is administered by Excel for Charity in aid of LUPUS UK – a national charity helping people with the presently incurable immune system illness lupus. Lupus UK currently supports some 6,000 members through their Regional Groups and advise many others on the symptoms prior to diagnosis.
Open theme. Maximum 40 lines long.
Prizes: £150, £75, £40 and 2 x £10 Commendation Prizes. Plus publication in the Excel for Charity website.
Entry Fees: £4/1, £7.50/2, £10.50/3, £12.50/4 and £14.00/5 (a third of entry fees goes to Lupus UK).
Judge: Jim Bennett – award-winning author of The Man Who Tried to Hug Clouds, Managing Editor, Poetry Kit.
Go to competition page

lupus-uk-international-poetry-competition

The Poems of Barbara Sinead Smith

2011-06-13T04:41:00.001-07:00

From Sentinel Poetry (Online) #25 2nd Anniversary Issue December 2004 http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/mag1204/page11.html

Barbara Smith lives on Ireland's eastern seaboard. Poems recently published, or pending includes: Riposte, Electric Acorn, Ireland; nthposition.com and The Coffee House, UK; Garm Lu, Canada; Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, US and TMR, India. Essays recently published include west47online and VirtualWriter, Ireland. Smith has published two volumes of poetry: Gnosis and Poetic Stage; the latter enjoyed moderate success both inside and outside Ireland.
www.writesight.com/writers/babsinead/

BARBARA SINEAD SMITH

A WOMAN'S WORK

(After Kavanagh and Heaney)

My granny used to soak the spuds too
making it easy to peel them later.
Part of morning's ritual was topping
their pot with water . Later, after
fowl were fed and tae and bread were eaten
she'd peel them slowly; humming all the while
Moore's medley of almanac songs.
Steeping my potatoes now, as she did,
brings her four green fields down the years to me.
Scaly and red, my Roosters, instead of
her soft Queens; mine tattle of tractor harrow;
long scars that I smooth away with stainless
peeler. I rinse them down, split them with a
long broad knife and leave them by for dinner.

Notes:
1. Roosters, Queens - types of potatoes currently grown in Ireland.
2. Moore's Old Almanac - an almanac giving tides, moon dates and other info. useful to farmers.
3. Four green fields - an Irish Ballad.

EMERGENCE

As the focus shifts onscreen,
layers of fat and bladder give
way to an image; teeth buds, skull,
arms, hands. A curlicue spine
all turned out from one fertilized
nucleus; one zygote.
And the focus shifts -
the factory needed workers;
they came in droves, with
builders and roofers all tumbling after.
No call was made; they just came.
The suburbs rose from
one side street, one city.
Another slide show shows
the glass house exposed;
it's inhabitants have been
here fifteen years, watched
by a greater being. Their queen
laid a future (after a one night
stand - and he died!)
that emerged howling
into the man-made storm
of tomorrow's world.
So, we prod that mass,
manipulate the medium;
watch flora atrophy from
the empty vessels fulcrum.
We share a future grown
by mould, fledged onscreen;
reduced to zero and one
and all the fractions
in between.

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SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY & SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS, Every 3 months. Deadlines June 20th, September 20th, December 20th, March 20th. First Prize £150, Second Prize £75, 3rd Prize £50, Commendation Prizes 3 x £10. Entry Fees: £3 per poem, £12 for 5 poems. Judges, competition rules and how to enter online or by post at http://www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions/

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SENTINEL CHAMPIONS #6

May 2011

In this issue of Sentinel Champions #6

Short Stories

The Scream - Samantha Symonds

Mayday - Andrew Campbell-Kearsey

Love at First Site - Andrew Campbell-Kearsey

A Way with the Kids - Sharon Birch

Crown of Burrs - G.H. Zitzelsberger

The Green Gators - Joey C. Aglasi

Poems

Getting Married with Gertrude Stein - Nicholas Y.B. Wong

Teaching English Poetry in Hong Kong - Nicholas Y.B. Wong

Thoughts on a Bad Day - Emanuela Puosi

Spock - Christian Ward

Tastes of Blue - Warren Paul Glover

Edinburgh - Warren Paul Glover

Voice in the Night - John Cooper

Leaving Day - John Cooper

The Age of No Dog - Mandy Pannett

Move On - Mark Borg

Please Destroy - Catherine Pitt

When Kieron Came - Heather Buswell

Dorm - Ilya Meylakh

Lines - Kate Barnett

Article

Adventures in Writing Competitions Administration - Nnorom Azuonye

Sentinel Champions #6

Winners & Commended work from the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions judged and selected by Geoff Stevens (Poetry) and Ivor Hartmann (Fiction)

Perfect Bound: 60 Pages

£4.95 (UK), £5.95 (Overseas)

Buy now at http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/champions/

Poems Damien Fehrenbach

2011-06-06T02:40:00.001-07:00

We continue to share work from the Sentinel archives. These poems by Damien Fehrenbach are taken from Sentinel Poetry (Online) #25 2nd Anniversary Issue December 2004

DAMIEN FEHRENBACH

YOU

Jazz like rain
falling
cool against my skin
as sit here
the memory of your lips
lingering.
We jumped night trains
fluid
In the autumn rain
Laughing
you smiled at my soul
And for the first time
I knew you meant it
That moment is acid
Etched
In my skull
For eternity
of course
Eternity is only the length
Of one life,
Yours and mine

LINES FOR GINSBERG

He who once had visions of Blake,
dead 7 years now, gone
and still without him the world goes on,
In your words I heard blood,
King of May, son of the silent scream.
Someday that will be me,
6 feet below the earth you once walked upon.
Saint, now in the stars, holier than most,
Shining down as I rode in American cars,
I know
I felt it
They will call me crazy for saying so
but that is the risk we take for being honest.
Are you with Neal now or is there another?
Its funny
I never met you but I miss you anyway
No more obscene literature
from you bottomless well

Damien Fehrenbach is an American studying in the UK. He attends Bournemouth and Pool College while currently living in Sway.

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Sentinel Poetry Movement Newsletter June 2011

2011-06-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Poetry Movement Newsletter June 2011

Poems by Gill McEvoy

2011-06-04T00:08:00.001-07:00

We continue sharing gems from the Sentinel archives. These poems by Gill McEvoy are from Sentinel Poetry (Online) #25 2nd Anniversary Issue December 2004

GILL McEVOY

POT-HOLING
"Don't go," I begged, but you would,
so I did too.
I watched the soles of your shoes escape
from the thin beam of my torch
and knew it was my turn
to learn to burrow in the dark.
I'm sorry I let you down:
when I felt the Earth's great weight
against my ribs I knew I couldn't do it.
I'm sorry I screamed so loud:
I'm glad that nothing fell
on anyone down there.
We don't speak of it; the subject's
locked inside the tunnels of the mind.
Sometimes the weight of it
squeezes me so hard I must speak -
but you just squirm away
in a squeak of rubber shoe.

BIOPSY
As you gently take my breast,
ready to sink your needle in,
I shudder, not from fear of pain,
but where the loneliness begins.

END OF RELATIONSHIP
"Give it time," they said
and so she did: she gave it
minutes, hours, days.
He never gave it
a second thought.

CONVERTED CHAPEL
There are seven skylights now
set into the roof and, probably,
over the old beams a planked floor slung
to make a sleeping platform.
No stained glass in the old rose-window now:
everything done to let in light.
At night when you lie like a
snug rat in your undisturbed,
uncurtained loft, do you sometimes
marvel at the moon?

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COMPETITIONS

2011-05-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Latest information on the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story competitions (July 2011) Judged by Kachi Ozumba and Bob Beagrie
COMPETITIONS

Sentinel Competitions Bulletin May 2011

2011-05-30T11:38:00.001-07:00

You are welcome to the Sentinel Competitions Bulletin, May 2011. We are aware that although we publish all our competitions results and judges’ reports online, not all of our competition entrants use the Internet. We have now made a decision to make our competitions bulletin available not just online but delivered to you through normal post. This way you get to know the results and also get the link to the judges’ reports online. If you wish to receive the judge’s report in the post, please send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope and we will be happy to send it to you.

RESULTS OF THE SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY AND SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS (APRIL 2011)

Once again it gives us great pleasure in announcing the results of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry and Short Story Competitions. From the feedback we have had from the adjudicators Jude Dibia and Andy Willoughby, the overall standard of the entries this quarter were particularly high. Willoughby who judged the poetry competition had to ask if we could have 10 commended poems selected for publication in Sentinel Champions instead of our normal 9 as he found it difficult to cut the number down any further. This is a great testament to the contribution our competitions are making to the creation of new literature.

SHORT STORIES

This quarter, our three Highly Commended stories are: “If” by Ina Claire Gabler, “The Mackwater Seam” by Brindley Hallam Dennis and “Having a Cigarette” by Anne Wilson.

***WINNERS***

The Third Prize of goes to “Are we there yet?” by Andrew Blackman. The Second Prize goes to “Colouring Matthew” by Bruce Harris and the First Prize has been won by “MRS. MACKENZIE’S SECRET” by EILEEN HOON.

POEMS

This quarter, our Highly Commended poems are: “Kaleidoscope” by Ayoola Oyeniyi, “Death in Inverness” by Bruce Gardner and “Jackie Scribbles falls again” by E.K. Wall.

***WINNERS***

The Third Prize goes to “Darling Sleep” by Tabitha Joy. The Second Prize goes to “The World is Flat” by Catherine Edmunds, and the FIRST PRIZE has been won by “THE LIVING BUSINESS OF A BADGER” by ELLIE EVANS.

The Winners and Highly Commended writers in fiction and poetry plus 10 other Commended poets from the January 2011 competitions will be published in Sentinel Champions #7, in August 2011.

The Highly Commended Poets will each receive a signed copy of The Wilds Anthology edited by Andy Willoughby and Bob Beagrie.

Congratulations to all the winners and commended writers.

If you have any questions regarding any aspect of Sentinel Literary Quarterly Writing Competitions, please direct your enquiries to the Competitions Secretary, Sandra Felix competitions@sentinelpoetry.org.uk or to the Administrator, Nnorom Azuonye nnorom.azuonye@sentinelpoetry.org.uk

Judges’ Reports

The judges’ reports for the April 2011 competitions. are online at: www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions

If you would like to receive the reports in the post, send SSAE to:

Sentinel Poetry Movement

Unit 136

113-115 George Lane

South Woodford

London E18 1AB

Please mark your SSAE “Judge’s Reports (April 2011)

__________________________________________________________

CURRENT COMPETITIONS

__________________________________________________________

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY COMPETITION

JULY 2011

Competition Details

Subject: Poems may be on any subject or style and MUST NOT have been previously published, posted on a website or blog. Poems posted on members-only writing groups for workshop purposes as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

Length: Maximum 40 lines per poem.

Entry Fees: £3.00 for 1 poem, £12.00 for 5 poems. (You may enter as many poems as you wish – with the appropriate fees. All 5-poem entrants receive a FREE Sentinel Champions #5 eBook. )

Prizes: First: £150.00, Second: £75.00, Third: £50.00, Highly Commended: £10 x 3.

First Publication: The three winning poems and three highly commended poems will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions – Selected Poems & Short Stories from the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Writing Competition Series. (This magazine appears in print and eBook formats) Up to 15 poems in total, subject to quality, from this competition will be published in Sentinel Champions Magazine in February 2012.

Entries Deadline: 20th June, 2011

Results due: 31st July, 2011 announced in Sentinel Literary Quarterly magazine online at: http://www.sentinelquarterly.com

Judge: BOB BEAGRIE,

Competition Administration: Sentinel Poetry Movement.

ENTER ONLINE OR BY POST

To enter online, please log on to www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions

To enter by post, please fill out the Entry Form you have printed out and send it, together with your poems and fees to the address on the form which is:

SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT

Unit 136

113 – 115 George Lane

London

E18 1AB

United Kingdom

Terms & Conditions/Privacy Policy:

1. You may enter as many poems as you wish with the appropriate entry fees.

2. If you win one of the prizes in this quarter’s competition, you will NOT be prohibited from entering next quarter’s competition.

3. Judges read the poems without any indication of the identity of the authors. If the same poet wins more than one prize, in the interest of fairness we WILL award it.

4. The decision of the judge is final, and no communication will be entered into.

5. If on the advice of the judge, the quality of entries is too low to produce worthy prize winners, or any other legitimate reason beyond our control arises which may affect a fair completion or conduct of the competition, we reserve the right to cancel the competition and refund all entry fees immediately by the same method we have been paid.

6. We reserve the right to reapportion the prize money if necessary in the interest of continuity as an alternative to cancellation of the competition.

7. If you would like an acknowledgement of postal entries, please enclose an SAE marked “acknowledgement”.

8. The Judge’s Report will be published in Sentinel Literary Quarterly (online) on 31st July, 2011. www.sentinelquarterly.com

9. If you would like to receive the Judges’ Report in the post, please enclose an SAE marked “Judges’ Report SLQ Poetry July 2011”.

10. All prizewinners will be notified by post or e-mail within 7 days of the announcement of the results. These notifications will be accompanied with a prize claim invoice.

11. By entering this competition you provide some information such as your address and e-mail address which may be deemed personal information. These will be processed according to the data protection act 1998. We will never pass on any detail you provide in the course of entering this competition to a third party and we will never sell your data to anyone for marketing purposes.

12. By entering this competition you agree that we may contact you by e-mail or post via our newsletter with the results of the competition, the adjudicator’s reports and information on future competitions. You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

13. *Online entries must be received by midnight on the 20th June 2011. Postal entries must be post-marked by 20th June, 2011. E&OE | SLQ

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY SHORT STORY COMPETITION

JULY 2011

Competition Details

Subject: Stories may be on any subject or style and MUST NOT have been previously published, posted on a website or blog. Stories posted on members-only writing groups for workshop purposes as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

Length: Maximum 1,500 words per story.

Entry Fees: £5.00 for 1 story, £9.00 for 2 stories, £12 for 3 stories. (You may enter as many stories as you wish – with the appropriate fees. All 3-story entrants receive a FREE Sentinel Champions #5 eBook. )

Prizes: First: £150.00, Second: £75.00, Third: £50.00, Highly Commended: £10 x 3.

First Publication: The three winning short stories and three highly commended stories will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions – Selected Poems & Short Stories from the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Writing Competition Series. (This magazine appears in print and eBook formats) Up to 15 stories in total, subject to quality, from this competition will be published in Sentinel Champions Magazine in February 2012.

Entries Deadline: 20th June, 2011

Results due: 31st July, 2011 announced in Sentinel Literary Quarterly magazine online at: http://www.sentinelquarterly.com

Judge: KACHI A. OZUMBA, award-winning author of Shadow of a Smile.

Competition Administration: Sentinel Poetry Movement.

ENTER ONLINE OR BY POST

To enter online, please log on to www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions

To enter by post, please fill out the Entry Form you have printed out and send it, together with your stories and fees to the address on the form which is:

SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT

Unit 136

113 – 115 George Lane

London

E18 1AB

United Kingdom

Terms & Conditions/Privacy Policy:

14. You may enter as many stories as you wish with the appropriate entry fees.

15. If you win one of the prizes in this quarter’s competition, you will NOT be prohibited from entering next quarter’s competition.

16. Judges read the stories without any indication of the identity of the authors. If the same poet wins more than one prize, in the interest of fairness we WILL award it.

17. The decision of the judge is final, and no communication will be entered into.

18. If on the advice of the judge, the quality of entries is too low to produce worthy prize winners, or any other legitimate reason beyond our control arises which may affect a fair completion or conduct of the competition, we reserve the right to cancel the competition and refund all entry fees immediately by the same method we have been paid.

19. We reserve the right to reapportion the prize money if necessary in the interest of continuity as an alternative to cancellation of the competition.

20. If you would like an acknowledgement of postal entries, please enclose an SAE marked “acknowledgement”.

21. The Judge’s Report will be published in Sentinel Literary Quarterly (online) on 31st July, 2011. www.sentinelquarterly.com

22. If you would like to receive the Judges’ Report in the post, please enclose an SAE marked “Judges’ Report SLQ Poetry July 2011”.

23. All prizewinners will be notified by post or e-mail within 7 days of the announcement of the results. These notifications will be accompanied with a prize claim invoice.

24. By entering this competition you provide some information such as your address and e-mail address which may be deemed personal information. These will be processed according to the data protection act 1998. We will never pass on any detail you provide in the course of entering this competition to a third party and we will never sell your data to anyone for marketing purposes.

25. By entering this competition you agree that we may contact you by e-mail or post via our newsletter with the results of the competition, the adjudicator’s reports and information on future competitions. You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

26. *Online entries must be received by midnight on the 20th June 2011. Postal entries must be post-marked by 20th June, 2011. E&OE | SLQ

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Related Competition

LUPUS UK INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION

Details

Poems must be in English Language on any subject or style with a maximum length of 40 lines. Open to every poet in every country. Poems entered must not have been previously published, posted to a website or blog. The poems must also not be under consideration for publication anywhere.

Prizes:
First Prize £150.00, Second Prize £75.00, Third Prize £40.00. Two Highly Commended Poets will also receive £10.00 each. [The three winning poems and the two highly commended poems will receive first publication in the Excel for Charity website.

Entry Fees:

£4.00 for 1 poem, £7.50 for 2 poems, £10.50 for 3 poems, £12.50 for 4 poems, and £14.00 for 5 poems. [A third of all entry fees goes to the charity Lupus UK] All 5-poem entrants receive a FREE Sentinel Champions #4 e-book courtesy of Sentinel Poetry Movement.

Entry Deadline: Extended to 30th June, 2011

Results 15th August, 2011 at www.easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity

Judge: JIM BENNETT, Managing Editor, Poetry Kit (www.poetrykit.org), author of over 50 books including Larkhill, The Man Who Tried to Hug Clouds, and Bold Street.

Competition Administration: Eastern Light EPM International (Organisers of Excel for Charity competitions)

How to enter by post:

Complete Entry Form, or make up a Cover Note with your name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number (Optional), and the titles of your poems.

Send your poems with your Entry Form or Cover Note and the appropriate entry fees to:

Excel for Charity

Eastern Light EPM International

Unit 136
113 - 115 George Lane
London E18 1AB

PLEASE NOTE: Cheques or Postal Orders must be in GB£ Sterling only payable to EASTERN LIGHT EPM INTERNATIONAL

You may also enter online at www.easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity

Terms & Conditions

You may enter as many poems as you want.

The decision of the judge is final, and no communication will be entered into.

For transparency, Eastern Light EPM International makes it clear that the primary aims of this competition are to raise money for the charity and to honour the winning writers. The prize money is expected to be generated by the entry fees. In the event that there are too few entries to pay the prize money from the entry fees after a third has been earmarked for donation to the charity, we reserve the right to either reapportion the prize money or refund all entry fees to the entrants by the methods they paid for their entries.

Postal entries must be received by 30th June, 2011.

Online entries must be received by midnight 30th June 2011.

Poems will not be returned, please don't send your only copy.

The judge's report will be published alongside the winning and commended poems in the Excel for Charity website

www.easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity

When you enter the competition we will invite you to join our mailing list so that you may receive updates on this and other competitions. Joining the mailing list is optional. We will never sell your details to anybody for research or marketing purposes.

The Lupus UK website is www.lupusuk.org.uk

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Sentinel Champions Magazine

__________________________________________________________

Winning and Highly Commended Poems and Short Stories from the Sentinel Literary Quarterly competitions are usually published in Sentinel Champions magazine which appears in paperback and in eBook formats. The magazines also feature interviews with our champions.

Visit www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/champions to review our catalogue and buy a copy of the magazine for yourself. Subscribing to Sentinel Champions is a brilliant way of supporting Sentinel Poetry Movement.

POETRY KIT NEWSLETTER

2011-01-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

PETER FINCH RECEIVES THE TED SLADE AWARD FOR SERVICE TO POETRY 2011

The Ted Slade Award is given annually to a person who is in the opinion of the selection panel has given unstintingly of their time and efforts over many years to promote poetry to a wider audience. Nominations for the award are made by members of Poetry Kit, and the selection is made from suitable short listed nominations, by an appointed selection panel.

This years award goes to Peter Finch, poet, critic and Chief Executive of Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency. (www.peterfinch.co.uk)

Jim Bennett, who is a poet and Chair of Selectors, said, “Peter Finch has had a long and distinguished career, not only as a poet, but also as editor, critic and in recent years as Chief Executive of Academi, promoting literature. Peter has been an inspiration for many years and this award is given to acknowledge the tremendous contribution he has made to poetry.

Information below;
The Ted Slade Award
Bio of Peter Finch
Contact details

THE TED SLADE AWARD FOR SERVICE TO POETRY

Ted Slade was the founding editor of The Poetry Kit, in every respect it was his vision and determination that saw the site grow to become one of the most visited poetry related internet sites in the world. This was done with the ethos of providing a service for readers and always putting their needs first when developing the site. For this reason Poetry Kit does not accept advertising or sponsorship and is run and funded by poets for poets. For all his work Ted received no official thanks and no payment, he did it because it was necessary and if he had not done it others with less integrity might have.
Ted died suddenly in 2004, and we always felt that we wanted to find a way to honour his memory and so we introduced an award in his name which is given to a person who has given their time and energies over an extended period to ensuring the continuance and development of poetry,. This will include people who have kept poetry as a presence in an area or community. Those who have pursued a poetic vision through a magazine or regular reading events. Those who have developed other media to explore its poetic use or have published poets who could not have otherwise found an outlet for their work.

In 2005 we gave the first TED SLADE AWARD and since then the following people have received it;

2005
Sally Evans
(Poetry Scotland)

2006
Gerald England
(New Hope International)

2007
Michael Horovitz
(Poetry Olympics)

2008
Connie Pickard
(Morden Tower)

2009
Geoff Stevens
(Purple Patch)

2010
Andy Croft
(Smokestack Books)

All recipients of the Ted Slade Award are acknowledged for their endeavour and dedication in the promotion of poetry. Without such people many of today's well known poets would not have had the opportunity to find a platform, develop their skills or find an audience. Recipients have their name entered onto the award and this will soon be on permanent display in a library in Liverpool.

PETER FINCH

Peter Finch is a poet, critic, author and literary entrepreneur living in Cardiff, Wales. He is Chief Executive of Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers. As a writer he works in both traditional and experimental forms. He is best known for his declamatory poetry readings, his creative work based on his native city of Cardiff, his series of books on Wales, and his knowledge of the UK poetry publishing scene.
He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Architects of Wales (RSAW), a Fellow of the English Association (FEA) and a Fellow of Yr Academi Gymreig / The Welsh Academy.
In the sixties and seventies he edited the ground-breaking literary magazine, second aeon, exhibited visual poetry internationally and toured with sound poet Bob Cobbing. In the eighties and nineties he concerned himself with performance poetry, was a founder member of Cardiff's Cabaret 246 and of the trio Horse's Mouth. This was work with props, owing as much to theatre as it did to literature. In the new Millennium he was worked on psychogeographies and alternative guides to his native city of Cardiff. The city has become his obsession.
Today he is much in demand as a reader as well as a lecturer at festivals and venues up and down the country. You can get into Finch's performances. There's little deliberate obscurity. His talks on Cardiff and how it is with urban living are always entertaining. In addition to the readings Finch also delivers a number of presentations on the poetry publishing scene (how to get yourself published - a demystification of the arcane world of books, magazines and the internet), on the history of sound poetry (which features histrionic performances of dada texts and the playing of numerous historical recordings), on the writing of short fiction and on the history of the small press. He works with schools and has led young people's writing squads in co-operation with local authorities.
From the early seventies until the late nineties he was treasurer of ALP, the Association of Little Presses. Between 1975 and 1998 he ran the Arts Council of Wales's specialist Oriel Bookshop in Cardiff. In 1998 he took up his current post as Chief Executive of Yr Academi Gymreig/ The Welsh Academy - the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers.
Peter Finch has published more than 25 books of poetry. His latest is Zen Cymru, published by Seren Books (April, 2010). His other titles include Food, Useful & Poems For Ghosts (Seren) and Antibodies (Stride). His The Welsh Poems appeared from Shearsman in 2006. His Selected Later Poems was published by Seren in November 2007.
His prose works include a number of critical guides including How To Publish Your Poetry and How To Publish Yourself (Allison & Busby) as well his famous alternative handbooks, guides and literary rambles, Real Cardiff , Real Cardiff Two and Real Cardiff Three (Seren). With Grahame Davies he edited the anthology The Big Book of Cardiff (Seren). He is currently editing titles for Seren's Real Wales series and has published a book that takes in the whole country - Real Wales.
Nerys Williams's essay on Finch's work appears as Recycling the Avant-Garde in a Welsh Wordscape in Slanderous Tongues - Essays On Welsh Poetry in English 1970-2005, edited by Daniel G Williams and published by Serten, 2010.
Until recently Peter Finch compiled the poetry section of Macmillan's annual Writer's Handbook. He continues to write the self-publishing section for A&C Black's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook. He is a book reviewer and writes articles on Cardiff, Wales and the business of poetry. His poetry and criticism is widely published in magazines and anthologies.

His column, The Insider, appears weekly in The Western Mail. His blog is at http://peterfinchpoet.blogspot.com/

THE POETRY KIT - http://www.poetrykit.org/ The Poetry Kit is one of the worlds most visited sites dedicated to poetry. Provides links to resources for poets across the world.

Contact for further information;
Jim Bennett – Editor of The Poetry Kit (www.poetrykit.org) email info@poetrykit.org

sentinel champions #4

2011-01-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

sentinelpoetry.org.uk/champions

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY & SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS (OCTOBER 2010)

2010-08-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY & SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS (OCTOBER 2010)
Entries are invited for previously unpublished poems and short stories in English Language on any subject or style. Maximum length of 40 lines (poems) and 1,500 words (stories).
Prizes: £150, £60, £40 in each category + First Publication in Sentinel Champions print magazine.
Fees: 1/£3, 5/£12 (Poems), 1/£5, 2/£9, 3/£12 (Stories)
Geoff Stevens is the judge for poetry and Ivor Hartmann will judge the short stories.
Cheques/Postal Orders payable to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT in GB£ only to: Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, London, E18 1AB
Deadline: 30th September 2010
Details and online entries at www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/slq/competitions

My E-Conversation with Roman Graf

2010-07-09T03:06:00.000-07:00

Sentinel Poetry (Online) Magazine Monthly...Since December 2002

ISSN 1479-425X

JUNE 2003, ISSUE #7

Nnorom Azuonye

"I condemn hierarchies in religion or philosophy.

I am convinced that everyone is responsible for

his actions and has to find his own philosophy,

meaning, ethics and morality."

Nnorom Azuonye (NA): Hello Roman. Thank you for making the time to talk to me. Let's begin this conversation by quickly going over your background. May I ask when and where you were born, and where you received your education?

Roman Graf (RG): I was born on the 14th of April 1978 in Winterthur, a former worker's town in the vincinity of Zurich. I went to school in Neftenbach a village near Winterthur.

NA: And where do you currently reside?

RG: I live in Zurich, Switzerland.

NA: Do you currently work as a full-time writer or are you involved in another occupation?

RG: Sometimes I work part-time and write, at other times I work full-time like I am doing at the moment as a member-recruitment officer for Greenpeace. This will make it possible for me to take time off, travel for a while and concentrate on writing.

NA: Would you kindly say what other work you did before that?

RG: I started with an apprenticeship as a lumberjack, then I cared for disabled people and later worked as an editor for a weekly newspaper Das Stadtblatt Now I have left journalism for literary writing, however, sometimes I also still write for the magazine Der Tages-Anzeiger on a freelance basis.

NA: What inspired you to start writing poetry?

RG: Life is inspiring. It is all about coming to terms with what happens and to voice these thoughts.

NA: You have said that life inspires you. Would you say that you are naturally philosophical or are your attitudes to life and what happens guided by a religion, or any other organised school of thought?

RG: Of course I have been influenced - by the culture I grew up in. But other than that I am an atheist and I do not adhere to any specific school of thought. I condemn hierarchies in religion or philosophy. I am convinced that everyone is responsible for his actions and has to find his own philosophy, meaning, ethics and morality. Everyone has to bear this burden. This is what I do.

NA: Are there any poets that have influenced or continue to influence your poetry?

RG: The Swiss writer Max Frisch, the Austrian writers Ingeborg Bachmann, Thomas Bernhard and Bettina Balàka and also Paul Auster.

"I can only speak for myself and

for me writing is to demolish walls.

The readers begin to see the world differently,

they are plunged into a different world

an alternative world."

NA: If you were faced with a challenge to define poetry to somebody who has never heard of it, how would you define it?

RG: Poetry is to turn words into a flower.

NA: Do you have a favourite form of poetic expression?

RG: The newly-invented.

NA: When is it fine for a poet to experiment with form? Are you an experimental poet and if so, what do you wish to achieve with your poetry?

RG: I was always more interested in innovations in form that of content, but every writer must know this for himself. I can only speak for myself and for me writing is to demolish walls. The readers begin to see the world differently, they are plunged into a different world, an alternative world. It is only natural that I experiment with form; I see no reason to restrict and reduce myself to one kind of expression. But despite the fact that I see myself as an experimental poet I do not want to achieve anything with my poems. That remains the readers concern: everyone can see what they like in the text.

NA: How regularly do you read your poems to a live audience? How important is it to you that poems are read or performed and what devices do you apply in order to achieve unforgettable performance poetry?

RG: I give readings regularly. Generally though I believe that all my texts, poetry and prose, should be read and not read aloud. I read poems slowly and for prose scenic reading is often a good idea. I don't give much for performances: performances, poetry slam and the like represent a different kind of literature that bears little resemblance to mine. For me language is all important. It has to be powerful without the need for performance.

NA: Do I understand that once you have written a poem it is like electricity which some people may use to save lives and others may use to kill?

RG: No, it is not like electricity, which some people may use to save lives and others may use to kill. That is all about power, but this is not what I am after. A poem is a poem and it is just there like a tree on a meadow. Everyone can come to the tree and find in it what he wants to find.

"I think that it is wrong that we have been

trying to psychologise everything recently...

When everything that we do is motivated by

deficiency and we know this then our

self-perception will soon be that of inferiority.

Man is reduced to nothing…"

NA: Surely there must be a purpose or motive to your writing. I recall George Orwell once listed four main reasons he believed drove writers to write, namely, sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse and political purpose. Which of these, if at all, comes closest to your strongest motive when you pick up a pen?

RG: I don't think Orwell is right to set up such types. For most authors all these points are playing a part and probably many other reasons as well. Serious art is always also a form of self-discovery. Such a division into four points is too simplistic - someone, whose writing is politically motivated, would also write because he is personally involved, for example because he lived in Germany during World War 2 or the post-war years. Thus he is automatically also writing for egoistical reasons.

One cannot write about something that is alien to oneself. I could not write about somebody in a third world country because that would be arrogant and not credible. Everybody writes about himself and that is good too as everyone can only speak for himself.

But your question about the purpose to my writing asks for an explanation: how is the writer's motive relevant for literature? I do not know my reasons and I think that it is wrong that we have been trying to psychologise everything recently. The psychologist Alfred Adler once said that the more ambitious one is in a certain field the larger his inferiority complex will be in that same area. This statement may be correct, but what use is it? When everything that we do is motivated by deficiency and we know this then our self-perception will soon be that of inferiority. Man is reduced to nothing and can only define himself in his actions and achievements. And we are getting better and better at this: we have great careers, fast cars and build huge cities and funfairs. Man himself is becoming less important - if it continues like this, he will soon have disappeared. But to return to your question about these four types: the answer lies in literature. The reader of literary works does not need to ask why it has been written.

NA: That is your view, of course. Let's move on. You work with words. Have there been times you failed to find a word either in German (the language in which you write) or any other language to precisely convey an idea or describe a feeling in a poem? If so how have you managed an approximation, and does this make it hard to look that poem in the eye?

RG: I have never asked myself this question because I do not express feelings with words but with situations. Of course it happens sometimes that I do not know how the story should continue or that I lack a metaphor or a line of a poem. This problem can only be solved by giving the text some time. I sleep it over, go for a walk ... and suddenly I find the answer.

"...the responsibility for cultural development

is slowly returned to the authors themselves.

Society retreats and the circle of authors

is self-centred and has to provide for itself."

NA: When you have a subject to write about, what makes you decide that poetry and not prose will be a better vehicle for it to gain life?

RG: I never pick a topic and then decide whether I want to write prose of poetry. For me it the form that determines the content. When I want to write a poem, I sit myself down or I walk along the Zürichsee and then the ideas come up too. Of course it also happens that I come up with a sentence - but in most cases I know immediately whether this is a sentence for a short story or a poem. I just follow my intuition.

NA: How long do you carry a poem inside you before you write it?

RG: I don't really know this. I write when I feel like it but I cannot say how long my unconscious has carried it. Like I said it sometimes happens that I don't know how to continue a text. In that case I just give it time, sometimes it just takes an hour, sometimes a night or a week that is always different.

NA: How long after you have written a poem do you leave it alone, or even forget it, before you begin revising it?

RG: Normally I finish a poem in a day and revise it the following days. Sometimes I also revise texts that are a few months old, but that is rare.

NA: Poetry in translation breaks down the barrier of language. When you see your work in a language you can't read, does it make you uncomfortable, even if you trust that your words and the contexts in which you use them survive in tact?

RG: Translations are always problematic, especially with poems. So far I never had had any problems with translations, this is because they are new texts by different authors. I do not really identify with these texts but I find it interesting to see what the translator has made of it and how the poem is changed, what it has gained and what it has lost.

NA: What is your attitude to pay-to-enter poetry competitions?

RG: Competitions are there to promote literature that is still unknown or new. This is important because these competitions are often the only way that young authors can draw attention to themselves and critics to their texts. Most of these young authors take part in many competitions because with the masses of entries it is very difficult to win any, not least because good literature is always in the position of the outsider and controversial.

Then there is the fact that young and unknown authors normally don't have much money - and because it is not often possible to make a living from the sale of books, prizes and grants are an important source of income.

Where there are too many pay-to-enter competitions it is no longer affordable for the author and also a loss-making business: many have to reckon with the fact that they will spend more on entry fees than they might receive if they win a competition.

But there is a more important aspect to this question: Today most of the competitions in Switzerland, Germany or Austria are funded by the governments or by foundations and sponsors. In doing so they take on responsibility for the cultural development of a country. Recently pay-to-enter competitions have also come up in the German-speaking area. Therefore the responsibility for cultural development is slowly returned to the authors themselves. Society retreats and the circle of authors is self-centred and has to provide for itself.

That is of course critical, not only financially: the cultural and intellectual significance of literature would no longer be appreciated by the state, foundations and the economy and may even be forgotten. If pay-to-enter competitions became the norm in the German-speaking literary scene then this would be a step backwards.

These entry fees eventually lead to a two-class literary scene: only those who have enough money can establish themselves in literary business. To give a quick summary: pay-to-enter competitions only promote the self-exploitation of authors and therefore I would not say that they promote literature at all but destroy it.

NA: Roman, it has been a nice chat. As I get to read more of your work in English and follow your writing career, I hope that not too long from now, we will talk again. Thank you very much for this conversation.