NORWICH WRITERS' CIRCLE 39th ANNUAL OPEN POETRY COMPETITION

Our 2010 Open Poetry Competition was adjudicated by Hilary Mellon.

Hilary Mellon was born in Norwich in 1949, and spent 21 years working in science labs. Since then, after studying for an Open University degree, she has worked in adult education, a bookshop, a library, behind a bar, and as a market researcher. For many years she has taught 20th Century Poetry, Creative Writing and Life Skills to a range of adults, including the residents of Norwich Prison.

More recently Hilary has been working with teenagers on various programmes at a local training centre.  She has also been involved in the poetry scene, both locally and nationally, for a great many years. In addition to the above, Hilary has given readings at a variety of venues all over the country and has judged several poetry competitions. She is also one of the organisers of the Norwich Poetry Group.

Hilary's poems have been published in over 80 different magazines and anthologies.

The local poet's work has also been published in 4 pamphlet books:

	Spaces Inbetween (Hesperus, 1983)
	Fire Raiser (Priapus, 1989)
	Disturbing The Night (Envoi, 1989), and
	Alarmed By Dawn (Krax, 1993)

Hilary Mellon's first full-length collection was Night With An Old Raincoat, which was first published by Headlock in 1995, and then reprinted in 2000.

Currently, Hilary is putting together a new collection of her work.

Hilary has also sponsored our OPC Minimalist Prize in 2o11. Please go here to find out more about this year's competition.

To read a full list of Open Poetry Competition 2010 winners, please go here.

Alternatively, to see how to purchase a copy of the 2010 Competition Anthology, please click here.