Poetry competition 2021: Judge announced

Vahni Capildeo will select the winners of Dementia together magazine’s sixth poetry competition.

We’re delighted that Vahni Capildeo, the award-winning Trinidadian Scottish poet who’s also University of York’s Writer in Residence, will be judging our poetry competition this year.

They’ll select the winning poems, from shortlists picked by our special panel, that we’ll publish in October/November 2021’s magazine. 

Vahni Capildeo

Vahni Capildeo.

Our 2021 poetry competition closed to entries at the end of June thank you to everyone who sent poems to be considered by our shortlisting panel!

Read more about our previous competitions and the winning poems from 20192017 and 2015.

Competition rules

  • The competition is open to residents of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, aged 16 or above at time of entering.
  • Each poet may enter up to three poems and each poem can be up to 40 lines long.
  • Poems must be about dementia and/or people affected by dementia.
  • Entries should be emailed to [email protected] before midnight at the end of 30 June 2021, including the poet’s name and postal address. We can also include poems received by 16 June 2021 posted to: Poetry Competition, Alzheimer’s Society, 43–44 Crutched Friars, London, EC3N 2AE.
  • Poems must be the poet’s own original work, and should not be published elsewhere (unless in a personal capacity, for example, on their own blog – ask us if unsure).
  • If poems are entered on someone else’s behalf, the person entering them must have the poet’s permission to do this before entering the competition.
  • Poems will be anonymised while they are being shortlisted and the winners selected, and the results are final.
  • Our panel may shortlist any entry in either one of two categories – ‘From the heart’ or ‘A way with words’. Only one poem from each poet may be shortlisted, and only in one category.
  • Category: ‘From the heart’ – poems that authentically express a person’s experiences of their own or someone else’s dementia.
  • Category: ‘A way with words’  – poems that use techniques such as rhythm, form and imagery to move us or make us think.
  • Winning poems will be published in Dementia together magazine and on the Alzheimer’s Society website, and poets retain copyright of their own work.

Dementia together magazine: June/July 21

Dementia together magazine is for all Alzheimer’s Society supporters and anyone affected by the condition.
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Dementia together magazine is for all Alzheimer’s Society supporters and anyone affected by the condition.
Subscribe now
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