After 15 years of the competition, two judges who have given distinguished service since the very beginning are stepping down. Susan Stanley-Carroll and Carol Douglas both taught English Literature in local schools and we are very grateful to them for all they have done to promote a love of poetry in young people in West London.
They will be hard to replace – but we are now inviting applications from enthusiastic and suitably qualified persons. Our head judge James Pendle has drawn up the following details. If you are interested in applying and would like to hear more, please contact Charmaine Stone, Administrator Chiswick Book Festival Young People’s Poetry Competition.
Poetry@chiswickbookfestival.net
Job Specification: Judge of Young People’s Poetry Competition
The Chiswick Book Festival attracts some of the most respected names in literature. The Young People’s Poetry Competition has been a popular part of the Festival since 2011 and the prizes are presented each year by distinguished children’s authors and poets.
This year, two of the Competition judges are stepping down and we require new judges to replace them,
Attributes
If you would like to take on this role you will need:
- To enjoy poetry, including poetry written by children.
- To be able to explain what it is that you enjoy about a poem to other judges
- To be able to assimilate the opinions of other judges and reach agreement.
Commitment
You will be expected to:
- Read poems that are sent to you for short-listing (this may take up to four hours)
- Attend a face to face meeting in West London in June 2026 with other judges to select the prize-winning and commended poems (usually a three hour meeting on a mid-week evening)
- Assist in displaying the poems at the Festival prize giving (this may take up to two hours on the day of the Festival)
- Attend the prize-giving ceremony at the Festival which starts at 4.30pm on Friday September 11th 2026 (this is usually for an hour on the Friday evening of the Festival)