CRAVEN District Council has launched its first ever Craven Poetry Competition. It's open to anyone over 16, who lives, works or studies within the Craven district of the Yorkshire Dales, who can submit one poem on any subject.

The competition is free to enter and there is a 1st prize of £50, a second prize of £30 and a 3rd prize of £20.

we really hope this will give people the opportunity to have a go and write
something

Catherine Johnson - Craven District Council

The lucky winners will also get the chance to read out their poetry at the poetry reading event which will be held on National Poetry Day on 4th October in Skipton Library.

Catherine Johnson, Craven's Arts & Exhibitions officer explained "Following last year's poetry reading event on National Poetry Day, we wanted to make the event a little bigger and this year we have professional poet Ken Baldwin and local poet Jean Harrison reading at Skipton Library on 4th October at 7pm.

"The event's free, but we also wanted to encourage other people to have a go at expressing themselves through poetry, so we really hope this will give people the opportunity to have a go and write something".

For more information about the competition, and an entry form, go to www.cravenevents.org.uk or email cjohnson@cravendc.gov.uk

The closing date for entries is the 20th September