The Beginning of the End

 Full details 

Frosted Fire FIFTH Annual Single-poem Competition 1 June — 30 September

Prizes: £350 1st prize £150 2nd £75 3rd plus 3 runner up prizes of £25

Anthology publication for up to 20 longlisted and prizewinning poets

Ticking Clock Anthology 2023 Every Breath Anthology 2022 Transformation Anthology 2021
Wild Words Anthology 2020

You can call it many things: a tipping point, the eleventh hour, climate change, the bell for the last lap, a general election, a jury retiring to reach a verdict, an amber traffic light, a month’s notice, someone asking for a divorce, being rushed into hospital, pushing a bell on a bus, pulling a train communication cord, loosing your balance, the start of the last chapter, a final written warning, a notice to quit, being charged with murder, passing the point of no return. Whatever you call it, it’s The Beginning of the End.

We can’t wait to read your poem and/or hear its audio.

Our judges will be open to all forms of poetry whether it be rhymed or blank, light or serious, structured or free. They consider content, quality, and originality before form. Entries are welcome from anywhere in the world, and we hope that this, our fifth annual single-poem competition will pass last year’s record number of countries from which competitors originated. Audio-only entries will be accepted.

The judging team will read every entry, and long-listed and short-listed entries will each be read by two judges.

All entries presented to the judges are anonymous. Our entry system automatically sends only the actual poems to the judges. Details of author and payment details are stored separately, filed under the title of each poem. The administration database is locked until judging is complete, when the names of successful poets are discovered and linked with their poem titles.

Rules for The Beginning . . . of the End competition 2024

Closing date: 30 September 2024 at 11.59 BST

• The contest is open to all poets, except those who act as volunteers for Wildfire Words/Frosted Fire or prizewinners in the last two years of Frosted Fire/Wildfire Words competitions.
• All poems must be entirely the entrant’s own, unpublished work.
• International entrants are welcome, but entries must be in English. Translations are not allowed, unless the poet has translated their own poetry into English.
• You may submit as many poems as you like, in batches of up to 4 poems. Each poem should be a separate file, and an entry fee must be paid for each.
• Each poem’s title should be at the top of the page, and the file name of the poem must be the poem’s title.
• Each poem should be a separate file in Word or PDF, and no longer than 50 lines, including title and stanza break lines.
• Do not put any identification on the work. We will match your entry title to your email address after the anonymous judging is complete.
• To maintain anonymous judging, your entry must not contain a poem that might be recognized by any of the judges through workshops, mentoring, or public readings.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but an entry must be withdrawn in the event of it winning a prize or publication elsewhere. Entry fees are not refundable once an entry has been received.
• Work will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
• We are unable to give feedback on individual entries or on the results of the competition — the judges’ decisions are final.
• Results will be emailed by late October to all who entered, and published on this website and social media.
• The entry fee is £4 per poem or £12 for 4 — but on 1 September will rise to £5 per poem or £16 for 4.
• Entries must be paid for on the entry form, and your entry file uploaded, by the closing time of 11.59 pm on 30 September 2024.

Entry form (see site)