OPen house 2019 competition rules

1. Entries for the Open House competition must be in English, your own unaided work, and not a translation of another writer.

2. Your name and address must not appear on the pieces entered, nor any other marks that could identify you. Online entry will be available via our website: https://theinterpretershouse.org/open-house-competition/

3. Postal entries must be typed or neatly handwritten in black on white A4 paper or US letter size, and on one side of the paper only.

4. The maximum length of any individual poem entered must not exceed 40 lines.

5. You may enter as many pieces as you wish, accompanied by the appropriate entry fee.

6. Your poem must not have been previously published, in print or online, or placed (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd) in any other prize or competition to be eligible for the Open House Competition. You must notify us immediately if your work is shortlisted for another competition or accepted elsewhere and withdraw your entry.

7. The closing date is 31st March 2019. Postal entries must be received by the closing date to be eligible. Online entries can be placed until midnight GMT on 31st March 2019.

Winners will be notified by 18th August 2019. The first, second and third prize winners will be published in issue #72 of The Interpreter’s House on our website.

8. The Interpreter’s House will have the exclusive right to publish the winning and highly commended entries for six months from first publication on The Interpreter’s House website. After six months, the rights will revert to the authors, who may publish the pieces elsewhere, although we do request that they appropriately credit The Interpreter’s House.

Competition funds permitting, we also plan to publish a limited run pamphlet featuring the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winning poems and up to seven poems that are highly commended by the judge.

9. Postal entrants who would like a receipt for their postal entry, should send a small envelope marked receipt, self-addressed and stamped with UK postage, or enclosed with an international reply coupon. Online entries will receive automatic replies acknowledging receipt.

10. A list of the winners and details of any prize-winners’ event will also be published on our website in September 2019.

11. We are unable to return entries, so please don’t send your only copy. We will not enter into any correspondence about entries, or make changes to entries received. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. The judges’ decisions will be final. Your entry in the competition means you accept these rules.

12. We will abide by good practice in the running of this competition, but cannot be held responsible for circumstances beyond our control such as failure of postal delivery or inability for anyone to access our website services. Should the named judge be unable to proceed, we aim to find an alternative judge of equivalent standing as a poet. Prizes may be withheld or altered if we receive no outstanding entries, or insufficient entries.

13. If you enter by post and wish to pay via PayPal, please include your transaction ID number with your entry. Postal entrants should also include a brief note with the names of their poems, their address and telephone number. Postal competition entries should be sent to:

Open House Poetry Competition

The Interpreter’s House

6/12 Commercial Wharf

Edinburgh

EH6 6LF

14. Online entries should be sent to openhousecompetition@gmail.com, quoting your Paypal transaction ID and providing a telephone number or postal address.