Poetry Contest eligibility rules
Opening date: May 10, 2024
(For any entry or eligibility queries not covered below, please email info@caribmagplus.com for clarification before submitting an entry.)
Entrants must be citizens of a Caribbean or Central American Country, or descended from a Caribbean/Central American country by no more than two generations. I.E, as far back as your grandparents.
(See list of eligible countries below)
Eligible Countries
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands
CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES
Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela.
There is no age restriction for entry into the Competition.
Submissions must be in English, or if in your native language, must be translated to English on the same submission script
Entries will not be accepted from judges of the Competition or from individuals employed at Caribbean Magazine Plus
Entries must be submitted via the online entry form at: https://www.caribmagplus.com/poetry-contest-2024/
The Caribbean Magazine Plus will request verification of citizenship status before winners are selected. Entries from people that are not citizens of non-Caribbean and Central American countries, or descended from those countries as described above are not eligible.
Entries must be unpublished and remain unpublished in any language until August 23, 2024.
Only one entry per writer may be submitted for the Caribbean Magazine Plus Poetry Contest – the poem must be the entrant’s own work. The poem must be original work and should not have been published anywhere, in full or in part, in any language, before May 9, 2024.
Entries must be 200 words minimum, 2,000 words maximum (not including title). Entries should be uploaded in a Word or PDF document. Please save your and use the title of the poem as the file name. If you are paying for an entrant, please save the document as the payee name and title.
All entries are final and there will be no revisions, additions or amendments and no recalls. So check your entry properly.
The cost of entry is $15 US/BSD dollars per single entry. We will not accept cash, either pay by credit/debit card, Paypal or bank draft. We are also allowing groups to enter, see below:
If you are paying on behalf of a group, the rules are as follows:
- You submit all grouping entries on one single Word or PDF file with each contestant separated by name and country on that file;
- Ensure the file is in the name of the person/entity paying with the credit/debit card; and
- Then you are directed to the payment button and you select the tier you are submitting for:
Tier #1. Up to 5 Entrants: $65
Tier #2. Between 6 and 10 Entrants: $100
Tier #3. Between 10 and 20 Entrants: $160
Agreement
The ‘Rules of Entry’ as defined here for the Caribbean Magazine Plus’s Poetry Contest 2023 (Rules) incorporate the Competition’s ‘Terms and Conditions’ (Terms). The Terms shall govern in event of conflict. By submitting an entry, you agree to be bound by the Rules and Terms of the Competition.
Competition deadline
The final closing date for entries into the Caribbean Magazine Plus Poetry Contest, 2023 is on August 23, 2024 at 11:59pm EST.
Entering the Competition
Entries must be made via the Competition’s online form and must include:
Entrant’s name
Entrant’s nationality
Entrant’s current residence
Entrant’s email address
If your submitted poem adheres to the Rules and Terms of the Competition it will be approved and will be evaluated accordingly.
An email notification that your entry has been submitted will be sent to the email provided at submission.
Judging process
Criteria for judging will be based on:
How impactful the poem is; and
Originality of the submission
There is no direct theme and writers are encouraged to explore their range of ideas.
Judging
A panel consisting of lead evaluator, poet, educator and performing artist, Dr Amina Blackwood-Meeks along with Caribbean Magazine Plus staff will shortlist submissions and finalize.
Announcement of Winners
The overall winner and finalist will be announced on the Caribbean Magazine Plus’s website and related social media accounts.
The decision of the judges is final. No correspondence will be entered into. All finalists will be notified by email on/by September 30, 2024.
The winner will be named the Caribbean Magazine Plus’s poet of the year, and will receive a cash prize of $500 (USD) for first place, the second place finalist will receive $250 (USD) and the third place finalist $100 (USD).
All entrants agree that their submissions may be used in a compilation book of this year’s submissions.
For all enquiries regarding the Caribbean Magazine Plus Poetry Contest 2024, please contact: info@caribmagplus.com
About Dr Amina Blackwood-Meeks
Amina Blackwood Meeks is a writer and director of children’s plays and contemporary stories. She is also an award-winning actress, performer, workshop facilitator, motivational speaker and custodian of oral tradition. The highly acclaimed international storyteller has been featured in festivals in South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Mexico and across the Caribbean. She has also been credited for having made a major contribution to the recent revival of storytelling in the Caribbean. Blackwood Meeks is the holder of Cayman’s highest award for culture, The Gold Star of Cayman, for her contribution to the development of storytelling in the Cayman Islands. She is the founder and programs director of Ntukuma, The Storytelling Foundation of Jamaica, which is dedicated to exploring the connections between the ancient wit and wisdom of African ancestry and the ways in which this heritage has immediate redemptive applications for the growth, development, and continuation of civilization. She is also the founder and executive director of Ananse SoundSplash, the annual storytelling festival/conference in Jamaica.
