The 9th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition is open for entries. 2021/2022 (9th) competition runs for 41 weeks. Every Tuesday at midday (UTC) from 13th April 2021 – 25th January 2022, five words will be posted on this competition page. Entrants have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week.

Prizes

• A prize of 750 euros will be awarded to the winner, plus 500 euros for second place and 250 euros for third place.
• These three, if available will be invited to read at Ó Bhéal’s fifteenth anniversary event, on Monday the 11th of April 2022. Should they be able to host a physical event at that time, then an additional travel fee of 100 euro plus B&B accommodation will be provided for this.
• Furthermore, the overall winner also receives a physical award, hand-crafted by acclaimed glass artist (and poet) Michael Ray.

Submission Guidelines

• Five Words International Poetry Competition is open to all countries. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week.
• A modicum of poetic license is acceptable.
• As long as the original spelling is intact within your syntax, you’re welcome to pluralise, join or even split the word to form two adjoining words.
• Poems should be newly written, during the relevant 7-day period. There is no limit to the quantity of entries, although each payment and submission should be made separately

Submission

For postal entries, please print out and complete the submission form, and post it together with your attached poem (on which nothing other than the title and poem appear).

Ó Bhéal
Five Words Poetry Competition
c/o Civic Trust House
50 Popes Quay
Cork, Ireland

Email entries should only be sent via the above email address, not via the [email protected] email link on the home page, which is only for non-competition entries, written and performed live during each Monday evening event from words derived randomly by the audience.

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