The Basil Bunting Poetry Award 2012
'Bunting’s going home’
Each year the Award gathers more respect and esteem. Peter Bennett, one of 2009’s winners, said:
It really is a great privilege to be among the commended and winning line-up of this first Basil Bunting Award, which I predict will become one of the most sought after awards in the country.
Last year, our judge, Jo Shapcott commented that whilst this was only the second year of the Award:
It was a sign of a truly useful and interesting Award because it felt as though it had been around for ages.
Building upon the success of the first two Awards we are pleased to increase this year's first prize to £1250.00.
The Third Basil Bunting Poetry Award will take Bunting back to his roots. The Award ceremony will be held in the Cumbrian booktown of Sedbergh to coincide with their annual literature festival. The provisional date for the Awards is Saturday 22nd September 2012. Sedbergh is only a stone’s-throw from the tiny hamlet of Briggflatts which gave its name to Bunting’s now famous long poem. We are planning some events to coincide with the Award and full details of these will be available on the website later.
As already announced August Kleinzahler will judge this year’s competition. We are delighted to have him as our judge not only because of his own international reputation but because of his close connection to Bunting as a one time student and long term admirer.
Full details of the rules and conditions are now posted on the web site and the competition will be open for entries on from 9 September 2011
Please note that the closing date for entries is 31st July 2012. We look forward to receiving your poems.
Prizes for the 2011 Award are:
First Prize: £1250.00
Second Prize: £500.00
Third Prize: £250.00
and there are three commendations of £75.00 each