The Poetry Festival (Singapore), formerly called the National Poetry Festival (NPF), is calling for entries for the National Poetry Competition 2017.

Each participant is encouraged to submit his or her best poem, which should be unpublished and not submitted simultaneously to another competition, by midnight on March 31, 2017. Chinese, Malay and Tamil entries will be judged in the original mother tongues. English translations are required for readers in other languages.

The winning entries and merit awardees may be featured in the Poetry Festival (Singapore) in July and published in the Sg Poems 2017-2018 anthology. Winners will receive trophies, certificates and book vouchers.

The competition details are below: 　　

Categories: Junior (below 18 years old) and Senior (18 years old and above)
Length: Up to 40 lines
Language: English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil
Theme: Regardless of Race

The violence and mayhem caused by race riots in the nation’s formative years highlight the need for harmony and cohesion in this multiracial society. But more can be done to address biases and to realize a vision in which all are brothers and sisters under the skin. Poetry can provide a space for everyone on this island to seek respect and to realize dreams regardless of race.

You can send entries to nationalpoetryfestival@gmail.com in Word and pdf formats.

See the National Poetry Competition rules and entry form at http://www.nationalpoetryfestival.sg/poetry-competition.

The Poetry Festival (Singapore) offers a programme of lectures, panel discussions, readings, displays of poetry and interpretations in the other arts and workshops by both established as well as emerging poets. Among the NPF’s directors are Cultural Medallion winner Edwin Thumboo, critically acclaimed poets and academics Tan Chee Lay, Azhar Ibrahim, as well as educators from LASALLE College of the Arts, Republic Polytechnic and the National University of Singapore Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.