Barbara Bradford Award : Poetry 2020/21

Tunbridge Wells Soroptimist Barbara Bradford Award Poetry Competition 2020/21

                                               

You are invited to submit poems for a competition in memory of Barbara Bradford, a leading Tunbridge Wells Soroptimist and former lecturer at SOAS, London University.

 

Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement. The Latin term Soroptimist is widely interpreted as meaning ‘the best for Women’—an ideal Soroptimists work to achieve in every sphere of their lives. In Tunbridge Wells we actively support local community projects aimed at enabling young women achieve their full potential through education and self-empowerment.

 

Poems should be on the subject ‘2020’. Open interpretation of this theme will cover significant events that affected your life. Although the Covid pandemic is the likely root cause of such challenges this year, another starting point for your poem might be the future and how you will face/overcome/deal with the changed landscape of your life as a result.

Prizes

 We are pleased to offer 3 prizes of £50, one in each category—

Sixth Form

Key Stage 4 Years 10-11

Key Stage 3 Years 7-9

Shortlisted poets and poems will be made available on request

Entry Details

 Free—by post or email

Deadline for receipt of entries—31 December 2020

Judges

 Tunbridge Wells Soroptimist Club

Results—February 2021

PLEASE READ THE RULES CAREFULLY

We look forward to receiving your entries.

Rules

• Poems must be 40 lines or less, excluding title
• Each entry, including title, must be typed in a standard 12-point font
• Poems must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished, and not been awarded a prize in any other competition.
• No entrant may win more than one prize.
• Entrants must attend school in the local Tunbridge Wells/Tonbridge Area
• Entries close at midnight 31 December 2020

How to Enter

 Online—

 Please submit to angela.mcpherson6@icloud.com

 Attach your poem in a separate document to the email

In the email subject line, please write ‘Soroptimist Poetry Competition’.

In the body of the email, include name, title of poem, class year & School

By Post—

 Type your poem with a separate cover note to include your name, title of poem, class year & school, and an email address

Post entries with cover note to—

Soroptimist Poetry Competition 2020

c/o Angela McPherson

Programme Action Officer

8 Time Square

Lime Hill Road

Tunbridge Wells TN1 1BE

Please keep a copy of your work, as entries cannot be returned.

Please check your entry before you send it.

The judges’ decision is final.

Entry Deadline—31 December 2020

Winners and those shortlisted will be notified by email.

Copyright remains with the author.

Shortlisted poets and winners may be invited to read their poem at a prize-giving event. In addition, some poems may be printed at a later date on our website—

https://sigbi.org/tunbridge-wells/ or in another format.

Queries

 Please contact

 Angela McPherson

Programme Action Officer

Email— angela.mcpherson6@icloud.com

Tel: 07845 039344

 

Tunbridge Wells Soroptimist Competition 2018

Results January 2019

Sixth Form Prize : Francesca M for her poem 100 Years Later  Tonbridge Grammar School

Year 9 Prize : Emma L for her poem Be A Rebel, Not a Slave Tonbridge Grammar School

Year 7&8 Prize: Olivia B for her poem They Never Fled  Weald of Kent Grammar School

Highly Commended : Diya B for her poem Keep on Marching Weald of Kent Grammar School

                                    Torulin R for her poem I Am… Weald of Kent Grammar School

Press Report

Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists, established in 1946, is part of a global volunteer movement. The Latin name Soroptimist is best interpreted as ‘the best for Women’ and Soroptimists have continued to strive to achieve the ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives. Here in Tunbridge Wells they support many issues and campaigns which aim to help young women in their future lives and careers through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities with a focus on fundraising for local community projects.

The Barbara Bradford Award has been established as a biannual competition in memory of Barbara Bradford, a committed member of Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists and a former lecturer at SOAS, London University. Poems were invited on the subject of VOTE 100, a reflection of the important 100 year anniversary of Women being able to vote. The competition was open to all secondary schools in the area.

Three prizes of £50 each were awarded to Sixth Former Francesca from Tonbridge Grammar School for her poem 100 Years Year 9 Prize to Emma also from Tonbridge Grammar School for her poem Be A Rebel, Not a Slave  and Year 7&8 Prize: Olivia from Weald of Kent Grammar School for her poem They Never Fled

Highly Commended book prizes were awarded to Torulin and Diya, year 7, Wealf of Kent Grammar School.

 

Soroptimist Caroline Auckland and Angela McPherson together with Barbara’s husband Ian Bradford visited Tonbridge Grammar School to present the awards and hear the poems read.

The judges stated that the standard of work was very high and hoped that all the winners would continue to write and submit their work to other competitions.  All of the winning poems highlight women’s past struggles and call for the baton to be taken up by women today since gender equality has not been fully achieved.

Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists meets at 7.30 on the 3^rd Monday of each month Willicombe Park. Sandhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells TN2 3UU. New members are welcome and can be contacted by email situnbridgewells@yahoo.co.uk

 

Sixth Form Prize won by Francesca, Tonbridge Grammar School

100 Years Later

We stand with fists raised
Feet march to the drum
Single entity, single aim
So we protest as one
We fight for our rights
And our right to vote
So our sisters beside us can feel strong on their own
Yet 100 years later I still walk in fear
Down a badly lit street
Music removed from my ears
Snapped twigs make me flinch
And quicken my pace
Cos the dark conceals figures
Who make the blood leave my face
These figures I fear, above everything else
Though I know no one’s willing to listen or help
Like they don’t want to hear about the wage gap,

or rape, or abuse
Because we should be seen and not heard,

not be bossy, or prude
But not be slutty or in-opinionated,

and we may never ask why
We must just sit in this box made for us by the guys
And conform to the impossible and ignore the injust
Unlike our sisters in the past who still kick up dust
My sisters screamed justice ’til their lungs gave out
And left history’s ears ringing with shouts
And I know they’d be pleased with all the progress they made
Until they delved deeper and realised
It didn’t all change

Year 9 Prize  won by Emma, Tonbridge Grammar School

 ‘Be a Rebel, Not a Slave’

A goal to strive for-

The right to vote. My husband objects:

“No need. No point. Stay out of it.”

He doesn’t understand the hope I have

As fresh as the green valleys of home.

I left when I was young. Daughter to wife.

No change, just different rules.

I want to be part of something better:

Joining with women whose hearts are pure,

Like white lilies among the choking weeds,

Fighting to rise up.

Authority, tradition, fear stand against us.

But I am not alone.

I wear my sash and stand tall.

Flashes of purple in the crowd- my kindred spirits.

I am here for my daughter. For a future yet to unfold.

“Voted for Women!” Join the cry.

The flight may be long but the cause is just.

Be a rebel, not a slave.

                           

Year 7 & 8 Prize won by Olivia, Year 7 Weald of Kent Grammar School

They Never Fled

Have you ever felt the pain of not being heard

Have you ever seen a scene that makes you feel inert

Do you ever wish you could do something to change how people live

Well that’s what those brave women did

 

They never fled

They did not cower

And after years they finally got their power

 

Can you ever do something for the better

Or are you someone who at the scene of a challenge, will begin to cower

Do you ever wonder if hard work is something you can give

Well that’s what those brave women did

 

They never fled

They did not cower

And after years they finally got their power

 

Do you ever yearn to do something good

Or have you ever not done something that you should

Have you ever achieved something even though you’re only a kid

Well that’s what those brave women did

 

They never fled

They did not cower

And after years they finally got their power

 

Has it ever occurred to you that you’re not good enough?

Or have you ignored all of the horrible, downbeat feedback?

When this negativity happens have you ever just hid?

Well that is not what those brave women did

 

They never fled

They did not cower

And after years they finally got there power

 

We will never wonder how to change the earth

We will never ponder on how we changed the universe

It does not matter what is false or what is true

It only matters what you are going to do                                      

UPDATE December 2018

All of the poems which meet the entry requirements for the Barbara Bradford Award are now with the judges. Results will be announced in January and let us tell you there are some stellar entries.

Entry Information

Secondary Schools in Tunbridge Wells/ Tonbridge Area

Deadline for entries: 30 November 2018

 

Barbara Bradford Award

We are inviting you to send us poems for a competition in memory of Barbara Bradford, a committed member of Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists and a former lecturer at SOAS, London University.

Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement. The Latin name Soroptimist is best interpreted as ‘the best for Women’ and Soroptimists have continued to strive to achieve the ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives. Here in Tunbridge Wells we support many issues and campaigns which aim to help young women in their future lives and careers through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities with a focus on local community projects.

 

Poems should be on the subject of VOTE 100, in this important 100^th anniversary of Women being able to vote. Open interpretation of this theme including what it means to you to be able to Vote. May include poems on the subject of being a Suffragette or a Suffragist. Or may be based on being a female in the 21^st Century choosing a word from the Tunbridge Wells Soroptimist Postcard as your starting point.

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