The Whispering Wisdom First Poetry Competition June/July 2025

'Connection'

What connects you to life, to others, to yourself?

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Theme: Connection

Whispering Wisdom’s first poetry competition invites you to explore the many threads of connection — to self, to others, to nature, to the sacred, or to something ineffable that moves through us all.  We’re looking for heartfelt, reflective, or surprising interpretations of this universal experience. Poems that move us, slow us down, open something. Whether rooted in personal memory, spiritual insight, or ecological wonder, your voice is welcome here. 

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Prizes .....(because Artists should be paid for their creativity!)

• 🥇 First Prize: £100

• 🥈 Second Prize: £25

• 🥉 Third Prize: £25

• Plus an additional £25 prize for our favourite poem from poets living in a FY postcode area.

All prizes are subject to entries. Winners and a selection of shortlisted poems will also be published on the Whispering Wisdom website and social media (with your permission).​

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Entry Guidelines

• Theme: Connection

• Length: Up to 15 lines per poem (excluding title and line breaks). Poems exceeding 15 lines will not be considered

• Language: English

• Format: Typed and previously unpublished. Poems must have a title but submissions are anonymous - see Submission Guidelines below.

• Deadline: Sunday 31st JULY 2025, 11:59pm (UK time) PLEASE NOTE, This deadline has been extended.

• Winners: The winners will be announced on 31st AUGUST 2025 and notified via email. Winning entries will be published on our website in August 2025.

• Entry fees: 1 poem: £5.00  - This helps fund the prize pot, cover admin costs, and support the development of future competitions from Whispering Wisdom. Thank you for supporting meaningful, values-driven poetry. If you do wish to submit more than one poem, please email us at info@whisperingwisdom.co.uk A discount will be available for multiple submissions (20%, up to three poems submitted).

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​Submission Guidelines - How to Enter

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1. Pay your entry fee securely via  our website or via PayPal

2. If you wish to pay directly from your own PayPal account, our PayPal address is info@whisperingwisdom.co.uk  

3. Email your entries to info@whisperingwisdom.co.uk  with the subject line:
   Poetry Competition Entry – [Your Name]

4. Attach your poem(s) as Word or PDF files. Please do not include your name on the poems themselves — all entries are judged anonymously.

5. In the body of your email, include:

   • Your full name

   • Your contact email – if you have paid by PayPal and your PayPal uses a different email address, please be sure to tell us your PayPal email address please.

   • The titles of the poems you’re submitting  – DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS!

   • A statement confirming that the poems are your original work and unpublished.

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Judging & Results

All entries will be judged blindly, based on creativity, resonance, technical craft, and alignment with the theme. Chris Allen, founder of  Whispering Wisdom, will be joined by David M Garnett ('Roads Stretch') on the judging panel.

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AI-Generated Content Policy - Please read

At Whispering Wisdom, we celebrate the depth, nuance, and emotional resonance of human creativity and interaction. We recognise the growing role of AI in creative fields, but this poetry competition is intended to showcase the unique voice and lived experience of human writers.

Therefore:

• Submissions must be the original work of a human author.

• Poems that are fully or primarily generated by AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Sudowrite, Gemini, etc.) are not eligible.

• The core creative content — ideas, structure, voice, and language — must be your own.

• If we have reason to believe a poem has been AI-generated or substantially AI-assisted, it may be disqualified at the judges’ discretion.

We trust in the honesty and integrity of our entrants and ask that you submit only work that is genuinely your own. By submitting your poem/s to the competition, you are confirming that the poem is all your own work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit more than one poem?
Yes – please  email us at  info@whisperingwisdom.co.uk  for information on multiple entries (there is 20% on multiple entries to a maximum of three entries per person). 

Do I have to stick to the theme exactly?
Your poem should connect meaningfully to the idea of connection — but how you interpret that is entirely up to you.

Can my poem have been published elsewhere?
No — we only accept unpublished work (including blogs and social media).

Will I keep the rights to my poem?
Yes. If selected for publication, we’ll ask your permission. You retain full copyright.

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Spreading the Joy

5% of profits from these competitions will be donated to charity. This year’s chosen charities are Sarcoidosis UK and Narcolepsy UK. To find out more about the wonderful work they do, please visit their websites at https://www.sarcoidosisuk.org/ and https://www.narcolepsy.org.uk/ 

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