Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR) is now receiving entries for the August edition of the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC) SEASON III, 2017. Poets from Nigeria, Africa and all over the world are hereby invited to submit their poems on the theme: LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING.
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde.
“Living is doing reckless things – doing things you’ve always wanted to do – fulfilling your dreams, chasing them and doing whatever it takes to catch them. Existing on the other hand, is merely breathing and doing the daily chores. I personally feel that the biggest difference in living and existing is the amount of control you have on your life, on your emotions.” — Unknown
“Living is understanding that we only get one shot at life, so we had better make the most of it, existing procrastinates, hesitates and squanders the opportunity to make a difference.” — Better Life Coaching Blog
“To live is to enjoy life, experience the beauty around us, be happy, live happily, smile, laugh, be yourself and love. To exist, you simply follow the actions, like a robot. You are here physically, but your not living, you do what you have to do to get through the day.” — Unknown
Someone who exists lets emotions such as fear and anger dictate what they can and can’t do — like a long survival, a process where you breath and you survive while the individual who chooses to live explores and understands life’s emotions and actively makes efforts to tame them so they do not interfere with his/her life decisions.
Participating poets are expected to explore the concept of living a full life, as opposed to just existing. They should explore the questions: What does it mean to live? Does it mean simply to exist? Is there a difference? Do people live their lives to the fullest of their potentials? Are people restricted, by self of society, from living, constricted to just existing?
We therefore invite poets from all over the world to submit well-worded poems the theme: LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING. Judges will be focused on ORIGINALITY, adherence to THEME, CREATIVITY and the poet’s’ use of LITERARY DEVICES in the poems.
Entries will be received until 11:59 PM WEDNESDAY August 30, 2017.
Prize to be won:
- The winning poem will be awarded a cash prize of N7000 and a copy of the BPPC 2017 anthology
- All top 10 poems will be automatically entered for the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2017
- All top 10 poems will be published in the annual BPPC 2017 anthology
- All top 10 poets will receive a free copy of the BPPC 2017 anthology
- Authors of the top ten poems will also be awarded a certificate each
Guidelines:
- Contestants are invited to submit one poem on the theme: LIVE IS FOR THE LIVING.
- Submissions should be sent to SUBMISSIONS@WRR.NG
- All entries must be the original work of the poet submitting it
- No ATTACHMENTS. Please submit poem and other details as body of mail
- The CONTESTANT NAME, CONTEST MONTH, & POEM TITLE must be mentioned clearly, as the subject of the e-mail. For example: ‘Abubakar Nnamdi Adekunle, BPPC August 2017, ‘THE END OF LIFE’
- The maximum length of the poem should be 28 lines (plus the title). Poems exceeding this length will be disqualified
- Authors must provide their full names and Facebook ID [for identification]and a 50-100 word biography in the body of the e-mail
- Submission deadline is 11:59 PM WEDNESDAY August 30, 2017.
Note that:
- Poems containing profanity, racism or vulgarity will be automatically disqualified
- The poems will be judged based on their artistic quality and creativity
- The judges’ decision is final and under no circumstances will they enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions
- The copyright of each submission remains with its owner but we retain the right to publish ALL and ANY entry in the annual BPPC anthology
- Poets resident in any part of the world are eligible
- No entry fee required
- Past winners may enter for the competition, but a poet can only one once in a calendar year (Season). If a past winner makes the TOP 10, the poems will ONLY be awarded a certificate and be featured in the anthology.
The July 2017 edition was one by Aire Joshua Omotayo, a 21-year-old programmer, campus journalist and writer studying at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC), a brainchild of Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR), is a monthly writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets. It was instituted in February 2015 in honor of Brigitte Poirson, a French poet and lecturer, editor, who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support of African poetry. Now in its third season, and being one of the few credible contests, the BPPC has since grown to be one of country’s most popular, especially among the younger poets.
The overall winner of the SEASON III (February to September 2017) will be awarded the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2017. Kanyinsola Olorunnisola won the prize in 2016.
Announcer:
Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
CEO/Publisher WORDS RHYMES & RHYTHM LTD
+234(0)8060109295
kukogho.samson@gmail.com
