Anyone aged 18 and above is invited to apply for the Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. You may submit one poem or a collection of poems as long as ALL the poems in the collection speak to the theme.

Prize

The winner will receive a £3,000 cash prize as well as an invitation to the Alpine symposium.

Runners up will get an invitation to attend the symposium as well as travel expenses up to a total of £500. All food and accommodation will also be covered.

Theme

The theme of the competition is Freedom. Alpine Fellowship is interested in the following questions:

What types of freedom are there?

1. Are we political beings whose freedom is actualized together in a world shared with others?
2. What does it mean to be personally free? Is subjecting personal freedom to obligation necessary and helpful?
3. Is there a notion of freedom accessible beyond worldly constraints? Can inner freedom be developed by relating to one’s own experience in new ways?
4. What role does language have in shaping freedom?

If we accept freedom as a worldly and political imperative, how can we actualize freedom in the following areas?

• Freedom of expression
• Big tech and AI
• Academia
• Public health and government mandates
• Human rights

What is artistic freedom and is it special in any way? 

1. What social role do artists have in supporting and actualizing freedom?
2. Does the threat of public opprobrium have a limiting effect on artistic expression?
3. How could the notion of “a Zeitgeist” inform the discussion on freedom?

Rules:

• Open to all nationalities and to anyone aged 18 and above.
• All entries must be written in English.
• You may submit one poem or a collection of poems as long as ALL the poems in the collection speak to the theme.
• There is a maximum of 500 words per entry.
• There is no minimum required word count.
• Limited to one entry per person, one may not submit the same piece for the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize.
• Applicants can enter more than one prize in a single year, but it MUST be with different pieces of work. One piece of work can only be entered once.
• Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize).
• Due to the volume of applications the judges decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into following the results.
• Submissions will be judged anonymously, so please ensure that your name does not appear anywhere on your work.
• Entry to the prize is free.