1. Entry to the competition is open to all.
2. Each entrant may make 1 entry. This is one poem.
3. Each entry must be a poem of no more than 28 lines (included blank lines), on the theme of ‘Darkness there and nothing more’. Entrants are encouraged to interpret this theme with imagination but with eviction in mind!
4. Each entraint have to pay $ 5. Without we don’t judge.
5. Entries will be judged in two categories:
- Young people, aged 11-18 on July 1, 2024
- Adults (19 or over) on July 1, 2024
6. All entries must be submitted through the contact form on the 4th Of July Festival website (www.4thofjulyfestival.com). Each entry must give:
- the entrant’s name;
- the entrant’s date of birth;
- a contact email address;
- the title of the poem;
- the month and the year of the poem
7. No postal entries will be accepted.
8. By entering the competition, entrants agree to abide by these rules
9. Judges will be appointed by 4th Of July Festival. Their decision will be final, and no appeals will be considered.
10. 4th Of July Festival reserves the right to amend these rules if it is deemed necessary to do so.
11. Entries must be submitted under the entrant’s real name.
12. 4th Of July Festival cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant.
13. The competition and rules are governed by American law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the American courts.
14. In accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, entrants’ details will be held on a secure database by 4th Of July Festival and will not be released to any third party without entrants’ explicit and written consent.
15. Poems must be entirely the original work of the entrant. Entries must never have been published, self-published, published on any website or broadcast in any form nor currently entered in any other competition before July 1st, 2024. The poem must not have won a prize in any previous competition.
16. Max. 52 selected poets will be notified by July 3rd 2024.
17. The prize for the 52 selected poets will be a performance opportunity at a 4th Of July Festival 2024 event and each selected poet will get one printed anthology.
18. The copyright of the winning and short-listed poems remains with the authors. However, the winning and short-listed poets, by entering the competition, grant 4th Of July Festival the right to publish in print and online and/or broadcast their poems for one year from July 1, 2024. Use of the poems elsewhere during this time is subject to permission from 4th Of July Festival.
19. Details of the winners will be posted on the 4th Of July Festival website.
20. The competition closes on July 1, 2024, and any entries received after this date will be rejected.
