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Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB - 0844 800 9177 - info@unitedpress.co.uk |
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Press Releases Issued By United PressBelow you can read press releases that we have issued regarding our poetry and writing competition winners and new competitions. |
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PRESS RELEASE - POET PAT GETS HER HAPPY ENDINGPat Fearon, of Liverpool, has won the 2012 Novel Prize for her book 'Aftermath'. The novel is a 'boy meets girl' story set against the backdrop of the start of the Second World War. The aftermath of the title refers to an ill-conceived passionate encounter and the lasting effect it has on the characters' lives. Pat, who is a trained teacher, nurse and counsellor, drew on a wealth of personal experiences to produce her prize-winning novel. "As a counsellor you become very involved in the welfare of other people, and when the sessions come to an end you wonder how they will cope with any tragedy or unfairness they encounter in the future," she said. "In the same way, I like to give my stories equivocal endings - the reader is never quite sure if the main characters will end up happy." Pat is no stranger to hard work; she has been a nurse in care homes, has counselled those with alcoholism, and volunteered at the Everyman Theatre whilst working full-time. A member of the Dead Good Poet's Society, which holds open floor nights and has a programme of workshops to inspire local poets, Pat also runs therapeutic writing classes at the Women's Health Information and Support Centre in Liverpool. "I've retired about four times!" she joked. Although she has written several novels, this is the first Pat has entered into a competition. Having made several attempts to get published, she had become disheartened. "Then I read the United Press entry form, and thought, 'Why the hell not?'" she said. She considers herself lucky to have support and encouragement from her sons and grandchildren, and from Sarah Maclennan - coordinator of the Dead Good Poet's Society. ENDS PRESS RELEASE - "LYRICS PRIZE" WINNER ANNOUNCEDSusan Pope has sung her way to success by winning the Lyrics Prize. Susan submitted 'Little Stars' for the contest, which received hundreds of entries from songwriters all over the UK. As her prize, Susan had her lyrics set to music - arranged, produced, mixed, recorded and put onto CD. Susan received 100 copies and will retain all rights and royalties to the song, and will be the sole beneficiary from sales. "The Lyrics Prize presents budding songwriters with a great opportunity to achieve what most people can only dream of - having their words set to music and producing a finished record," said Peter Quinn, Managing Director of United Press which runs the Lyrics Prize competition. "I couldn't believe it when I was told I'd won the competition," said Susan, who is a full-time carer for her husband Mark. She writes for pleasure and to raise funds for Moorfield Eye Hospital Charities. 'Little Stars' is the first song lyrics she has ever written or entered into a competition. In 2008 she wrote 'Lighter Than Air', her first novel, and during 2011 she recorded this as a talking book, mainly for the blind and partially sighted. Full details can be found on her website: www.susan-pope.co.uk. "Susan sang 'Little Stars' herself. The song has a haunting melody and we're thrilled that it's won the Lyrics Prize for Susan," said Peter Quinn of United Press. "She's a hardworking and determined lady who has found an outlet for her feelings whilst raising funds for projects dear to her family's heart. We wish her good luck!" ENDS PRESS RELEASE - PORTSMOUTH POET IS A NATIONAL 'HERO'Susan Bird has won first prize in a national poetry competition, with her poem 'The Price of Freedom'. The competition, run by publishers United Press, asked for submissions related to 'Help for Heroes', ultimately raising over £3,000 for the charity. Inspired by her son-in-law, who has fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and The Falklands, Susan wanted to draw attention to the impact of war on those who fight for their country. "There is no quick fix for the kind of mental turmoil that these people suffer," she said. "Most people can't appreciate the fact that those people affected by conflict have to live with their problems for the rest of their lives." Susan, of Smith Street, also a member of the Salvation Army, and has also been inspired by several students - many of whom are Marines - who come there to worship. "We have a Sunday rota for providing lunch, and then they come to the evening service," she explained. "You realise that they are prepared to give their all, and you have to ask yourself: would I be prepared to do that?" Susan will receive £250 in vouchers kindly donated by Primark. She will also have her poem published in a general collection of modern poetry and will receive a free copy of the book. You can read Susan's winning poem below: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM What does it cost? An arm and a leg? Prepare for combat; rough terrain; Absorbing the anguish; enduring the pain Those that return and unscathed seem What does it cost? For some ‘twas their all ENDS PRESS RELEASE - CHARITY TEAM HITS £250,000Ten years ago a publishing company set up its own Charity Projects Team which has now marked its tenth anniversary by reaching £250,000 raised. The team has accomplished a variety of fundraising successes including “Things Kids Say” - a book of funny stories which has raised money for Barnardo's. But the biggest recent success for the Charity Projects Team at United Press is ukcharityaid.com. It was launched in June and has already raised over £60,000 for charities like Help for Heroes, Guide Dogs for the Blind, cancer and children's charities. The project was the brainchild of the company's Managing Director Peter Quinn and he has spent the last year working on it almost full time. "Charity Aid has really amazed me," said Peter. "It takes our fundraising work to an entirely new level. This now means that United Press has been able to raise a quarter of a million pounds for charity. A lot of people have put an enormous amount of effort into it. It's the biggest volunteer project of its kind in the UK and has proved that with the support of businesses, charity work can be tremendously successful. It's given a lot of people the opportunity to get involved in - and really enjoy - voluntary charity work.” The focus of Charity Aid is organising town centre entertainment and collections - with volunteer singers, musicians and collectors. "No one in the country has ever come up with a project like Charity Aid and even though it was a huge task, we've proved that it can be done. We've had no government support or funding at all but United Press has willingly funded the entire project and proved that even in the depths of a recession, people do want to give their time and money to charity." Charity Aid continues to search for more volunteers to join the project and Peter is available to give talks to colleges, universities and other groups of potential volunteer workers. For more information about Charity Aid visit www.ukcharityaid.com. ENDS PRESS RELEASE - "A ROYAL SUCCESS FOR WRITER JACQUELINE"A poem about the royal wedding has brought literary success for first time poetry competition entrant Jacqueline Ginns. She was chosen as winner of the free nationwide competition run by publishers United Press. “Jaqueline’s poem on the theme A Royal Day was chosen as winner from over 2,000 entries we received from all over the UK,” explained Peter Quinn of United Press. “It’s a poem which reflects the subject in a very thoughtful and creative way.” Jacqueline wins £100 and publication of her poem, He Knew, in a forthcoming poetry anthology, plus a free copy of the book. “It was a huge shock to win the competition. I saw an advert in my local paper and when I looked online, the deadline was looming. I thought I hadn’t enough time to write something suitable, but I must have been subconciously thinking about it, as the poem just seemed to come to me with ease. I entered in the nick of time!” If you want to learn about more free poetry competitions, visit www.unitedpress.co.uk, phone 0844 800 9177 or write to United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB. “I started writing when my dad died,” said Jacqueline. “After that my mum would always ask me if I had any poetry for her, and I would jot something down. It was only then I started to think about it properly and I started taking timeto write.” Jacqueline is married to David and they have three children, Kelly, Jemma and Ross. ENDS PRESS RELEASE - "YOUNG POETS OF THE YEAR 2011" RELEASEDBOOST FOR OUR YOUNG LAUREATES United Press has just published “Young Poets of the Year 2011” featuring the work of 17 previously published young poets from all over the UK. In this collection are: Abbie Maguire (North Stifford), Callum Brassington (Uttoxeter), Emily Katharine Button (Edmonton), Ellen Malarkey (Chorley), Meg Denham (Banbury), Jack Carle Carnegie (Bexhill-on-Sea), Courtney Mills (Kinrossie), Caitlin Lammin (Bishop’s Stortford), Emily Woodberry (Wolverhampton), Emily Joyce (Oakham), Chloe Halmkan (Wargrave), Megan Audrey Blake (Sunderland), Jessie Whichelow (Wimbledon), Orianne Breakspear (Great Missenden), Joshua Eteson (Dewsbury), Eilidh Fergusson (Carnforth) and Stephanie Clayton (Swindon). This annual competition is now in its second year. “Our aim is to encourage young people to get more involved in poetry and all the 17 poets get five free copies of the book, which includes photos and profiles of each one, plus several of their poems,” said Joanna Cummings of United Press. The publisher is now inviting more under 16s to submit their work for the next edition to come out next year. Telephone 0844 800 9177 for details or send a photo, profile (including date of birth) and ten poems to “Young Poets of 2012 ”, United Press, Admail 3735, London EC1B 1JB. “We have long encouraged young people to get involved in poetry,” said Joanna. “For over a decade we have produced free books featuring poetry written by children at various schools. By donating a large number of copies (50 or more) of these books to each school we have not only helped them to raise valuable funds but we have also given their pupils an outlet which has encouraged them to get involved in poetry. Throughout this period we have also included a lot of young people in anthologies along with adult poets. Every young poet under 16 has been given a free copy of any anthology which includes their work. This has helped a lot of young poets take those first vital steps towards getting recognised for their talents.” “Young Poets 2011 is the result and also the extension of that process,” said Joanna.“We decided to produce this book to help each one of our 17 Young Poet Laureates gain further recognition for their talents and help them to progress in their artistic achievement. I’m sure the poetry world will hear a lot more of them.” ENDS |
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PRESS RELEASE - "WHAT IS LOVE?" COMPETITION WINNERDYSLEXIA TUTOR FINDS THE RIGHT WORDS A woman who teaches dyslexic people how to overcome their problem has won a national poetry competition. Ann Davies, of Addlestone in Surrey, was chosen as winner of the free nationwide competition run by publishers United Press. “Ann’s poem on the theme What Is Love? was chosen as winner from over 2,000 entries we received from all over the UK,” explained Peter Quinn of United Press. “It’s a poem which reflects the subject in a very incisive and effective way.” Ann wins £100 and publication of her poem, All That We Name Love, in a forthcoming poetry anthology, plus a free copy of the book. “It was a wonderful surprise to win the competition. I’ve only been writing poetry for a few years but when I saw the competition advertised I was inspired to enter by the subject. It made me think about what love really means.” If you want to learn about more free poetry competitions, visit www.unitedpress.co.uk, phone 0844 800 9177 or write to United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB. Ann (63), is a literacy consultant currently tutoring students on a one-to-one basis at Kingston University. Previously she worked for the Nottingham Dyslexic Assocation. “Poetry expresses those difficult issues in our lives,” said Ann. “Working with dyslexic children and young adults for most of my career has shown me the power of words. Too many of us take for granted the wonderful gift of being able to express ourselves. I belong to the U3A Poetry for Recreation group in Knaphill, Woking where a group of people come together once a month to share poems.” ENDS |
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PRESS RELEASE - "NPA 2011" COMPETITION WINNERFIRST EVER SCOTTISH WINNER OF NATIONAL POETRY PRIZE Carole Bone of Glasgow is the first ever Scottish winner of the National Poetry Anthology - the biggest free to enter poetry competition in the UK. As her prize she was presented with £1000 and a magnificent trophy at Glasgow Central Library (The Mitchell Library) on Wednesday February 16th. “Carole was one of over 10,000 entrants for the competition and her winning poem Star Dancing reflects her fascination with nature and astrology,” said Peter Quinn of United Press which runs this huge national competition. “The competition is designed to encourage more people to get involved with poetry and Carole is a typical undiscovered poet. She has only been writing poetry for 6 years.” “The National Poetry Anthology is the most democratic of all poetry competitions so it’s a delight for me to win it,” said Carole who is a receptionist at Milngavie Enterprise Centre. Carole was referring to the democratic process in which the winner of this competition is selected. The organisers pick 250 regional winners from over 10,000 entrants. They then put the poems of these 250 regional winners in the annual book, The National Poetry Anthology. They give each winner a free copy and ask them to vote for their favourite poem in the book. This year they chose Carole’s. “It’s an honour to be the first Scottish winner of this huge competition,” said Carole. “I feel I’m helping to put Scotland on the poetry map - where it belongs. This nation has a magnificent poetry heritage and I hope that my success goes on to encourage more budding poets to have a go.” Carole, who is married with 2 sons, plans to publish a book of her own poetry. “In poetry I can say things which I couldn’t say in normal words,” she explained. “I was encouraged to start writing by Ann Whitaker, a friend of mine who taught me all about astrology and poetry. I owe her a lot of credit for this success.” Carole came across the National Poetry Anthology when she saw the appeal for National Poetry Anthology entrants in the Milngavie Herald. ENDS |
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PRESS RELEASE - "LOCAL POEM 2010" COMPETITION WINNERNHS WORKER TAKES £1,000 UK POEM PRIZE An entry form she picked up in her local library led to a writing career which has just won a national title for an NHS worker from Sheffield. Pamela Griffiths (58), wrote a poem about her home village of Loxley which was judged to be the winner out of many thousands of entries for the Local Poem Competition - one of the UK’s biggest annual free poetry contests. As her prize, she collected £1,000 in a presentation at Sheffield Central Library. “It was a great shock to win the competition,” said Pamela, a widowed mother of three. “I’ve been entering the Local Poem Competition every year since it started six years ago and it’s been my dream to win it.” Pamela only started writing when she saw a United Press entry form in her local library at Hillsborough. “My late husband Clive encouraged me to have a go and since then I’ve published my own book Expressions of Life and had poems published in many anthologies.” “Pamela’s poem is a traditional rhyming verse and has all the qualities we look for in this competition,” said one of the judges, Peter Quinn of United Press. “The whole aim of the Local Poem Competition is to encourage more people to write poetry. It’s free to enter and we ask people to submit a poem about someone or something local. Poems which come from personal experience often have that special ring of authenticity. They’re about things which matter to us personally. In the competition, we encourage people not just to celebrate their environment, but to describe and define it. Previous winners have been about towers, a river, village life and local history. Pamela’s poem, Home Sweet Home In Loxley Valley sits alongside all the other annual winners as a very worthy prizewinner. It’s a beautiful evocation of the pastoral, natural beauty of this country.” Born and bred in Sheffield, Pamela is a quality and development officer at the NHS Sheffield Community Equipment Loan Service. She lives with her partner Sandy Hoffman. “I’ve only been writing poetry for a few years, but it’s become something very precious in my life and I would recommend it to anyone,” said Pamela. If you want to enter the next Local Poem Competition, visit www.unitedpress.co.uk, phone 0844 800 9177 or write to United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB. The local poem competition is completely free to enter and there is no age limit. You can enter up to three poems. The main conditions are that they must be no more than 25 lines and 160 words each and you must be a UK resident. ENDS |
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PRESS RELEASE - "LYRICS PRIZE" COMPETITION WINNERTEENAGER TAKES LYRICS PRIZE Teenager Alannah Cowley has sung her way to success by winning the Lyrics Prize. |
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PRESS RELEASE - "THE POWER OF POETRY" COMPETITION WINNERPOWERFUL POEM WINS PRIZE FOR CORNISH WRITER A poet from Penzance has won a national competition for one of his poems. Derrick Roach (75) was chosen as winner from over 3,000 entries from all over the UK. As his prize he wins £100 and publication of his poem in a book. He also receives a free copy of the book. “We invited poets from all over the country to write on the theme The Power Of Poetry,” said Peter Quinn of United Press, which ran the competition. “Derrick’s poem A Poet’s Art was chosen because it’s a creative and imaginative interpretation of exactly how powerful poetry can be.” “I’m really thrilled about winning the competition,” said Derrick. “I’m quite new to poetry and only took it up a few years ago. I was inspired by a course I took in Penzance called Link Into Learning. I submitted work I did on this course to publishers and the first poem I wrote was published. Since then I’ve become quite prolific. I would recommend poetry to anyone. It’s a great way of expressing your feelings. As well as having poetry in print I’ve also just had a short story published.” Derrick has also published a collection of his poetry, As I Was Saying which is dedicated to his late wife. Derrick worked 19 years with British Rail, then joined Penwith District Council and retired as chief cashier 17 years ago. To find out more about free poetry competitions phone 0844 800 9177 or visit unitedpress.co.uk or send a poem to United Press, Admail 3735 London EC1B 1JB. ENDS |
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PRESS RELEASE - "SECRETS OF THE HEART" COMPETITION WINNERDANIEL SHARES HIS POETRY SECRET The secret is out. Daniel Gustafsson of York has become a prizewinning poet. Daniel has won a national poetry competition organised by publishers United Press. “Entrants to the competition had to write a poem on the theme Secrets Of The Heart,” explained Peter Quinn of United Press. “We thought that Daniel’s poem was really excellent and a very worthy winner from the entries we received, which numbered over three thousand.” As his prize Daniel receives £100 and has his poem published in this book - and he receives a free copy. Daniel said: “I’ve had poems published before but this is the first time I’ve ever won a competition. I’m absolutely delighted. My poem is all about a sense of innocence and tender anticipation - an awareness of natural beauty and human longing.” Aged 27, Daniel has interests including writing poetry and fiction as well as philosophy and religion. Daniel’s favourite poets are Blake and Eliot. “My work is inspired by reality at moments of crisis and transcendence. I started writing poetry ten years ago, and most of my poetry is motivated by a curiosity about where my creative urge came from,” he explained. “I would describe my style as quietly confident. I like concision and precision, and I am very fond of alliteration. I know my style may seem archaic at times, but as I am conscious of working in some kind of tradition, I want my poetry to recall what poetry could and can be, and to raise perceptions above the mundane.” To find out more about free poetry competitions phone 0844 800 9177 or visit unitedpress.co.uk or send a poem to United Press, Admail 3735 London EC1B 1JB. Since winning the United Press competition Daniel has had another success. His poem “Poppies” has won Decanto Magazine’s annual poetry competition. ENDS |
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