NORWICH WRITERS' CIRCLE 40th ANNUAL OPEN POETRY COMPETITION

Our 2011 Open Poetry Competition was adjudicated by Martin Figura.

Martin Figura was born in Liverpool in 1956. He is married to the poet Helen Ivory and works part-time at The Writers’ Centre, Norwich, and as a photographer.

Martin's first poetry collection - 'The Little Book Of Harm' - was published in 2000 and sold out 4 editions. Another book, entitled 'Ahem', followed in 2005.  In 2010 he won the Poetry Society’s Hamish Canham Prize and his collection 'Whistle' was published by Arrowhead.  An Apples & Snakes produced spoken word version Whistle began touring at Ledbury Poetry Festival in July.  A pamphlet of his humorous poems 'Boring the Arse Off Young People' is published in November by Nasty Little Press.  He is chair of Café Writers in Norwich.

In addition to the above, Martin is also a member of The Joy Of Six, with whom he has toured and performed with at numerous events and festivals, from Norfolk to New York.

For more information on Martin's career to date, please visit his website at martinfigura.co.uk.

To read how to enter this year's Open Poetry Competition, please go here.