Last year, 5 Islands Press published Bright Crockery Days, a compilation of essays celebrating Robert Gray, one of the Australia’s great poets, and the contribution he’s made to Australian (and world) poetry. Searching for a way to honour Robert beyond the shelf-life of the book, we hit on the idea of a prize.
We are proud to announce the inaugural Robert Gray Prize for Poetry.
“A poem of not more than forty lines on the subject of nature” is the title of a poem of Robert’s that first appeared in Nameless Earth. And Robert’s title provides the line-length and theme (broad and inclusive but definitely earth-bound) for the prize we name for him.
Take whatever approach you like to “the subject of nature,” and employ any form. (Robert, known best for his masterful short poems and free verse epics, wrote in many forms, ancient and modern.)
The judges for the prize in its first year are Judith Nangala Crispin, Gareth Sion Jenkins and Tegan Gigante (who also comprise the editorial advisory board at 5 Islands Press). They’re looking for your best work.
Enter as many poems as you choose. The competition opens on 17 March and entries close on 5 May. A facility for uploading submissions will be provided on our website during this period.
A shortlist will be announced on June 30 and the prize will be awarded at an event in August. The venue and date for this event will be announced at the same time as the shortlist. Shortlisted poems will be published in the Oystercatcher Two anthology scheduled for publication late this year.
Full conditions of entry are available can be viewed by clicking the button below
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