Hong Kong scribes who rhyme for a reason were delighted recently to find it's now the season for verse - oft booksellers' poor relation - to grab the spotlight with the dedication of a poetry prize offered far and wide by Hong Kong University, with pride.
A HK$2,500-dollar purse (and let's face it, poets usually do worse) is on the table for the unpublished bard most able to convince star judge, poet Louise Ho of an innate, nascent talent - and thereby, with all fine lyricism show that words, like seeds in turned earth, grow.
Speaking at the inauguration of the HKU Poetry Prize at the university, Professor Douglas Kerr said: 'The prize is part of a programme devised by Page Richards of the School of English for enhancing creative writing, from our Moving Poetry initiative for children to our new Master of Fine Arts [degree] in Creative Writing.
'The prize also comes from a partnership between the School of English and Hong Kong University Press, who will publish the winner.'
Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages long and submitted with a postmark deadline of September 30 this year. A reading fee of HK$250 must accompany each entry. The winner will be selected by leading Hong Kong poet Louise Ho, author of Incense Tree, who gave a vigorous reading at the inauguration, and announced on September 1, 2010.
'Anyone in the world who writes in English and hasn't already published a book of their poems is eligible. So we are expecting a big response and hoping the prize will pay for itself,' added Kerr.
