News and Events

Short Story Competition for the over 60’s

News of an excellent new competition which friends in writerly circles may find interesting. November will see the launch of Exeter's first literary festival. In conjunction with it is a short story competition (very short - just 1000 words). All entry fees will go to...

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Torbay Festival of Poetry October 18th – 22nd.

Welcome to this year’s Torbay Festival of Poetry and introducing our exciting guest poets. Many poets have come to Torbay to find inspiration and this year we are celebrating their faith in the beautiful environment by introducing their poetry. As usual, our popular...

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New Book by Acumen author, Paul Surman

Paul Surman's first collection has just been published by Oversteps Books, it is called Places, and contains three poems that have previously been published in Acumen. Paul Surman’s first collection takes us to real and imaginary places, celebrating both the natural...

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i.m. Thomas Ország-Land

It is with sadness that Acumen reports the death of Thomas Ország-Land earlier this year. Thomas was an assiduous translator and promotor of modern Hungarian poets like Miklós Radnóti, György Faludy, Hannah Senesh (see Andrew Knight’s praise of his translation in...

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Teignmouth Poetry Festival: Booking now open

Booking is now open for all the Festival events via Teignmouth Pavilions 01626 249049 or www.pavilionsteignmouth.org.uk . Good news is there are still a few places left on workshops. There's still time to enter the Teignmouth Festival competition - enter online or by...

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TEIGNMOUTH POETRY FESTIVAL, Open Poetry Competition 2018

Judge:  Pascal Petit Three prizes: £500, £250, £100 Postal entries: £4 for one poem - £10 for three. Online entries: £4.50 per poem Competition opens:  1 Nov 2017 /closes:  31 January 2018 Winners announced at Teignmouth Poetry Festival 2018. All shortlisted poets...

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Acumen Readers at the Lumen Centre, London. 21st February, 2017

There was standing room only when Shanta Acharya, Duncan Forbes, Peter Phillips and Andrea Witzke Slot read their poems at the Lumen Centre.  You can read their poems from the latest issue at Guest Poets and Guest Poets Archive.  To see some photographs of the event,...

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A major new arts and literary centre in Northern Ireland

Seamus Heaney HomePlace opens 30th September 2016 Seamus Heaney HomePlace, a major new arts and literary venue dedicated to the poet, author and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) is set to open on Friday, 30th September 2016. Built and owned by Mid Ulster...

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TEIGNMOUTH POETRY FESTIVAL Open Poetry Competition 2017

Judge:  Mario Petrucci Three prizes: £500, £250, £100 Postal entries: £4 for one poem - £10 for three. Online entries: £4.50 per poem Competition opens:  1 Nov 2016 /closes:  31 January 2017 Competition rules and details will be available from 1st November at Winners...

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Poetry Competition with great prizes

What's on my mind? Facebook asked me. Well, how to tell people about the Torbay Open Poetry Competition and its prizes. I dislike using extravagant words and OTT phrases. Yet the prizes are worth winning: first prize: £700 PLUS a free ticket to everything at this...

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New Guest Poems

Posted on Fathers Day Though these two poems are not specifically about Fathers, they both mention the role Fathers played in the poets' lives.  Do read them and send in your comments.

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