National opportunities


National Write a Poem about the News Day: Wednesday 24 June
Feel like you can't do anything about what's going on in the news? Writing a poem about it could be empowering and enlightening. Feel like poetry's not relevant to the world today? Use the vast amount of material in the news to inspire your words. Add your poem to the snapshot of the day being created at www.poetryasithappens.wordpress.com.

Third annual Troubadour Poetry Prize 2009
The Troubadour awards this year will be judged by Maura Dooley and Jamie McKendrick, with both judges reading all poems. First prize is £1000, and there will be a special prizewinners’ poetry reading with the judges on Monday 30 November 2009 for all winning poets. Deadline for submissions is Friday 9 October. For more details and how to enter, see www.coffeehousepoetry.org.

Body Gossip: national writing competition
Do you have a story about your body? The Body Gossip national writing competition was launched in 2006, inviting everyone in the UK to write their story about their body as a response to pressure in the media and in society to conform to some 'perfect' body image. Earlier this year, a cast of celebrities including Natalie Cassidy, Anne Diamond and Ewen MacIntosh performed a selection of these real stories to two sell-out audiences in London, at an event called Body Gossip. Now your story could be performed live on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then the West End, by a celebrity cast, to raise money for Beat (the UK’s leading eating disorders association). To submit your story, see www.bodygossip.org.

Approaching deadlines
Just a quick reminder that deadlines are fast approaching for submissions to the High Tide festival (deadline: 31 July), and for the Manchester Writing Competition , which offers £10,000 for the best work of fiction by a new writer and an award for best work from a writer aged 18-25 (deadline: 7 August).

Kevin Spacey seeks new ideas
Young creatives aged 16-25 can bid for support for project ideas at www.ideastap.com until 30 June. This is a new project set up by Kevin Spacey in his capacity as artistic director of the Old Vic.