Young Writers’ Competitions – E-Rotary working in partnership with Worcestershire Literary Festival – programme week commencing 24th January, 2013
There is an opportunity for the District 1100 eClub to link with Worcestershire Literary Festival (WLF) in their Young Writers’ Competition and partner them to provide workshops for youngsters 7-17 culminating in a competition to be judged in June this year. WLF would in exchange support the youngsters in entering and promote the (prospective) District 1100 eClub RIBI New Generations writing competition in November this year.
WLF envisage cash prizes of £15 for the winner, £10 second place, £5 third place in three categories to match RIBI categories:
JUNIOR: Aged 7 – 10 years (Date of Birth 01/09/2002 – 31/08/2006)
INTERMEDIATE: Aged 11 – 13 years (Date of Birth 01/09/1999 – 31/08/2002)
SENIOR: Aged 14 – 17 years (Date of Birth 01/09/1995 – 31/08/1999)
[NB: Same age groups as RIBI Young Writer Competition. In common with RIBI rules, an amanuensis may be used if the entrant has difficulties eg impaired vision or motor control – this means that an entry may be dictated to someone who records it on behalf of the entrant.]
The winning entrant and his / her immediate family will receive an invitation to the WLF Launch event and will read their winning entry to open the festival. They will meet the Worcestershire Poet Laureate who will award them their prize and a certificate. Their work will appear in a WLF anthology later in the year.
WLF plan to run workshops throughout Worcestershire – the Worcester one will be held Saturday 25 May 2013 – there will be a brief introductory talk – writing tutors, from available and willing volunteers: Jennifer Bogan, Jenny Hope, Maggie Doyle, Sue Johnson, who will run the workshops and introduce the competition. The theme is ‘13’ and the entrants can write a poem or prose as long as it is less than 300 words.
WLF will promote the RIBI competition in November – flyers could be given out at the WLF workshops. If the eClub wishes to run similar workshops in October, this could be arranged – potential to invite other RCs to attend and invite their competitors too.
Potential venue for the workshop – St John’s Library, Worcester – other venues in Worcestershire are being considered and our Poet Laureate has a meeting with Worcestershire Librarians to discuss.
Expenditure of £90. Would raise WLF / Rotary profile in the community / attract people to WLF / Rotary events / give the children a wonderful experience and encouragement to write.
WLF competition entries will be sent by email to WLF and judged by a panel. The RIBI Young Writers’ Competition will be run according to RIBI rules. WLF would ask Rotary to support the WLF competition by promoting the workshop and the prize-giving event, maybe attending the winners presentations – WLF plan to ask the Worcestershire Poet Laureate and / or the Mayor to present certificates / prizes at the Guildhall and involve the press.
It is proposed that the eClub runs the Young Writer Competition in November purely via digital means ie all entries via email. A major benefit is that all children in the district would get the opportunity to enter the competition, not only those who happen to be in a school or college associated with Rotary. We may get concerns from Rotary Clubs in the District, who might fear that their own Young Writer Competitions could be affected by entries being sent by email to the eClub.
Please post your thoughts and suggestions, this is very exciting to be running something in the North of our District.
I think that this is a lovely idea, I wonder if it is possible to get sponsors for the prizes though?
That would be wonderful, Rachel. Do you have sponsors in mind who could be approached?
I think this is really something different for the eClub to be involved with and am excited about it. With my pragmatic head on I have some questions:-
Is a little team needed to organise and get practical things done to enable this to happen? e.g. the publicising, linking with organisations who have contact with young people, negotiating sponsorship, organising workshops. Polly, you mention an expenditure of £90, what is this for?
Do entrants of the WLF competition need to live in Worcestershire?
Tim and I have had confused conversations, please can you verify whether the competition in November is the national RIBI competition or our local run competition which uses RIBI rules. If it is local, how wide an area can entries be taken from and do you envisage winners being entered into the RIBI national competition?
At the Zone 5 meeting we shared what New Generation competitions the different clubs were running and agreed it would be good to work in partnership rather than duplicating each other. If this happened at each Zone meeting and we knew which clubs around the district were running Young Writers competitions we could work in partnership with them, rather than what they would perceive as against them.
It is an exciting prospect and a team would be ace to promote the event and link with organisations who have contact with young people. In Worcestershire I’ve found the libraries and some schools and colleges to be most helpful and supportive.
There is no geographical requirement for the May / June competition, it’s only the age range criteria that makes a difference. The expenditure is for prizes and we already have two donations from people who’ve given £15 each for two of the three first prizes. If anyone else can find people who would be happy to sponsor the other first prize (£15)and the second and third prizes (x3 of each @ £10 and £5) that would be fab.
The May / June competition is being launched by the Worcestershire Literary Festival and the November one is the RIBI national competition. For Rtns, a concern for the November competition is that local clubs might feel that we’re impinging on their territory ~ happy to take advice on this ~ see next para.
In Worcester, for some years the clubs have been working together and jointly mailing to all of the schools / colleges, a bit like it looks like Zone 5 have agreed to do. But this still leaves some young people who do not happen to attend the schools / colleges with links to a Rotary Club. These youngsters are then either unaware of or unable to join in. It’s important that we work with other Rotary Clubs, so it could be that if they let us know who they’re targetting, if we get an application from one of their schools / colleges we simply forward it to them … would this work d’you think?
It is a bit tricky but with a bit of forethought should be OK.
Hope this makes things clearer. Maybe we need to get together to discuss it in full?
More information: WLF have made a start on promotion materials as the Worcestershire libraries are keen to have something about the May 25 event ~ they need the D1100 eClub logo (high res) and I will share the poster with you once it has been done.
Could somebody please send me a high-res logo?
I shall look forward to hearing from those of you who are interested in becoming part of a small team for this project 🙂
Dear Polly,
I am willing to help, knowing little about literary things and less about youth.
Best wishes,
Mary
Mary ~ that would be fab ~ we have a meeting ‘pencilled in’ for Sunday 24 March on the M5 (!) happy to pick you up if you can make it 🙂
Anyone other interested eClub members? Promoting the comp to libraries / schools / colleges with provided materials …
We now have rules and guidelines and have firmed up with St Johns Library, Worcester that we can run a workshop 25 May ~ other Worcester Libraries have copies of rules / guidelines and the poster and will support young people who wish to enter. Would any of your local libraries do the same?
You’ll find a link to the rules / guidelines below. Just let me know if you want a jpg of the poster.
Thank you for your support. This initiative will raise the profile of WLF and Rotary, especially our eClub 🙂
http://www.worcslitfest.com/wlf-and-d1100-eclub-young-writer-rules-and-guidelines/
Hi Polly, sounds really interesting. If you still need a sponsor for the 3rd 1st prize I would be happy to do this in memory of my mum! let me know where to send the money. I will spread the word and if you send me jpeg for the poster I will put it up at work…
Debbie, how wonderful, thank you so much for donating the third £15 prize.
There will be a WLF / eClub meeting 11am, 24 March at Strensham Services on the M5 ~ would you be able to come along? I could pick up the prize then.
Thank you again for your generosity, give me a few details about how this will honour your mum and I’ll make sure it gets a mention.
Anyone wishing to see the results of this competition could come along to the launch of the 2013 Worcestershire Literary Festival at Worcester Guild Hall 14 June, 7pm, when the new Poet Laureate will be nominated by a panel of judges and our Young Writer will read their work.
All soooo exciting 🙂
Just catching up with this Polly. I am free on 25 May which is a start. Where did the idea of meeting at Stensham services come from? sorry i can not make it for 24 march.