comps

[Heather]

Here's a little warning to you would be competition entrants. Some time back I won the novice section of a poetry competition. The poem was eligible for the open prize but didn't get anything. To my mind it did not win the competition, it won a minor section.

I have approached two other competitions to see if the poem is eligible for their open comps but it seems that for the first lot I approached, the question wasn't one they had ever considered before so it was put in the too hard basket and not allowed. I've just had word from a second comp that because it won first "in any competition" that it is ruled out.

Not saying whether it's right or wrong but this is something I think competition organisers (and entrants) need to consider.

Heather

[Stephen Whiteside]

Eligible only has one l. It's a bit confusing because illegible has two ls, but that's because of the il.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Seems a bit crazy that a poem that has won the novice section of one competition becomes inelligible for the open section of another. Is there any field of endeavour more disorganised than bush poetry?

[Terry]

Hi Heather

A few of us have had the same thing happen, Just accept it and move on I Reckon.

Cheers Terry

[Heather]

Maybe I was thinking illegal, Stephen I could have passed it off as a typo if I hadn't done it twice. Let's just say I'm not a morning person.

Terry, it is accepted. I was just wanting to warn others. If the comps. made some other "prize" for the novice, then it wouldn't carry a "first" and there wouldn't be any confusion because clearly the poem did not win the competiton. Cest la vie.

Heather

[Mal McLean]

Well, Heather,

I had a similar experience back in 2008. Won't say where. I entered three poems and enclosed a note to the organisers that a poem had received an HC in another comp but seemed to meet their published criteria. I also asked for and paid for a critique. I didn't get a gong and wasn't surprised but as time went by and I had not had the much sort after critique I made some enquiries. I had a call to advise that a decision had not been made when the poems went to the judge and mine were then overlooked. I am still waiting on my refund. I have moved on.

Keep smiling

Mal

PS Heather is eligible...or was that illegible?

[Terry]

Hi Heather,

I understood what you meant and was just talking generally to anyone in that situation.

As you say be warned.

On the brighter side I must admit I was very pleased at the time to have won the emerging poet award.

Cheers terry

[Heather]

Waaaay too many "e" words for this late on a Friday!

[Mal McLean]

What were you emerging from, Terry?

[Stephen Whiteside]

A bush poet emerging from behind a bush, perhaps? Amazing anybody can see any of us, really.