It’s Our City! presents ‘Voices for Change’ and invites submissions of poems, written by Sheffield people, for an anthology to be published in 2020 by Fantastic Books Publishing, with a forward by Ian McMillan.
The theme, ‘Voices for Change’ is linked to the It’s Our City! cross – Sheffield community campaign to improve our local democracy, to insist that all our diverse communities and the way we live, work and care for each other should be at the heart of how our city is run.
By getting 5% of the Sheffield electorate to sign the Sheffield People’s Petition, we can trigger a vote to move from a Strong Leader model of governance in the Town Hall, where only nine councillors of one party make nearly all major decisions, to a modern, more democratic and inclusive committee style system, which seems like a much better fit for our great city. We want more of our councillors across the parties, community groups and local experts to be given a say in how things are run. For more information about the campaign and how to sign the petition please check out the website, www.itsoursheffield.co.uk
Local published writers, including Suzannah Evans (Near Future, 2018), and Danuta Kot (Life Ruins, 2019), support the anthology and it was, in fact, Danuta’s idea. She is a renowned local author and said: “I thought it important to mark the campaign and to leave the legacy of this anthology to Sheffield, regardless of the outcome.”
Suzannah, a local poet who is leading the project explained: “We are looking for poems that celebrate our city, its diversity and its identity. We welcome poems that celebrate change, poems of campaign or protest that verge on the political, poems that align with the campaign for greater democracy in Sheffield. “
Poems should be a maximum of 80 lines long but can be much shorter. The deadline for submissions is Aug 1st 2019. All poems, (properly attributed), will be published on the It’s Our City! website and a selection chosen by a literary panel for inclusion in the anthology. Poems should be submitted by email and clearly marked ‘Voices for Change Submission’ to info@itsoursheffield.co.uk
POETRY WORKSHOP
Suzannah is running a poetry workshop for those who want to submit poems and who would find it helpful to think with others about ideas and content or develop skills and share writing. Places are limited to 20 and we are asking for a £5 contribution, payable in advance to secure a place. It will take place on Sat 20th April 2019 from 10 am to 3 pm at Union St Cafe. Please book a place at info@itsoursheffield.co.uk
We welcome offerings from experienced poets and novices alike so please get writing and sending in your work! You may very well end up in print!
Ruth Hubbard, (Co-chair) and Anne Barr (Co-ordinator)
It’s Our City! March 2019.