Closing date: Monday 15th November 2021
All Australian poets are invited to explore the spiritual and religious in a new work of 100 lines or less.
The Blake Prize is an open poetry prize that challenges poets, both national and international, in conversations concerning faith, spirituality, religion and/or belief. It is strictly non-sectarian and the entries are not restricted to works related to any faith or any artistic style, but all poems entered must have a recognisable religious or spiritual integrity and demonstrate high degrees of artistic and conceptual proficiency.
The Blake Poetry Prize is an aesthetic means of exploring the wider experience of spirituality with the visionary imagining of contemporary poets. The Blake Poetry Prize takes its name from William Blake, a poet and artist of undoubted genius, who integrated religious and artistic content in his work. The Blake Poetry Prize is a biennial event held in collaboration with Western Sydney literature development organisation, WestWords, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and Liverpool City Council.
Michael Campbell, WestWords Executive Director says, “During these times exploring the spiritual dimension of our humanity seems almost urgent. We are honoured, through the Blake Prize, to be able to facilitate the dialogue between our inner selves and the larger dimensions of a changing world.”
The judges for the 2021 Blake Poetry Prize are:
- Multi-awarding winning poet and Griffith University lecturer Anthony Lawrence,
- Award-winning Chilean-Australian poet Juan Garrido-Salgado and
- The 2020 Blake Poetry Prize winner Judith Nangala Crispin.
Key dates:
- Entries close Monday 15th November 2021
- Shortlist will be announced Friday 4th February 2022
- Winners will be announced on Saturday 12th March 2022.
ENTRY FEE: $30. For full details on how to enter visit:
westwords.com.au/projects/blake-poetry-prize-2021/
Enquiries: Christian Pazzaglia, Producer, WestWords
PO Box 2327, North Parramatta, NSW 1750