The University of Manchester is kicking off bicentenary celebrations with the return of its popular Micropoetry competition, with a judging panel featuring esteemed poet and former Chancellor of the University, Lemn Sissay.
The theme for this year is ‘200 years of creativity: Manchester’s past, present or future’, and entries must be submitted by Wednesday 10 April 2024, with winners to be announced Friday 17 May.
Participants are invited to write a micropoem, of no more than 280 characters, and submit via email or on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #micropoem24. Submissions are open to anybody and can explore Greater Manchester’s industrial past, dive into the modern-day city and everything it has to offer, or even imagine its blossoming future.
Prizes will be awarded for first place (£500) and the two runners-up (£250), with a £25 book token for winner of the under-18s category. Authors of the top three micropoems and the winner of the under-18 category will also be invited to attend the University of Manchester’s Community Festival on Saturday 8 June 2024.
Professor John McAuliffe, Creative Manchester Director said: “Inspired by Lemn Sissay’s daily poem on social media, we are asking everyone to have a go at capturing their connection to Manchester’s creative spirit. We hope your micropoems will offer snapshots that will speak to other readers now and in future.
“With the university celebrating 200 years of learning, innovation and research, it made sense to focus our competition theme on Manchester this year. As a city with a global reach that celebrates its connections across the world, we look forward to seeing people’s different takes on our beloved city.”
Find out more and try your hand at the #micropoem24 competition here: Uom.link/micropoem24
