Alton Poetry Competition Terms and Conditions 

1. The competition is open to all UK residents, except employees of McCarthy Stone, their immediate family or anyone directly connected with this competition. 
2. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant. All submitters warrant that they own the poems submitted and they have exclusive copyright. 
3. Entries submitted posthumously will not be eligible. 
4. The closing date for receipt of entries is midnight on Sunday 28th May 2023. 
5. To enter the competition, email entries to: [email protected] and include ‘Alton Poetry Contest’ in the subject header, and also your name, age and contact details in the email. 
6. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify inappropriate, incomplete or illegible entries.
7. Entrants are permitted to submit one poem and may only enter once. 
8. Entrants must be aged 18 and over. 
9. By entering into the competition, the entrant automatically grants McCarthy Stone with an unrestricted, non-exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual licence to use any poems submitted to the competition for any purpose in which McCarthy Stone deem appropriate for their own business purposes. Authors will receive credit with each use. 
10. This competition will be judged by Goldfinch Books in an independent and fair manner. The judges' decision is final, and no individual correspondence shall be entered into. Judges are unable to comment on individual entries. 
11. The organisers reserve the right to change the panel of judges without notice and not to award prizes if, in the opinion of the judges, such action is justified. 
12. Entering the competition implies acceptance of all the above rules. Failure to comply with the entry requirements will result in disqualification. McCarthy Stone reserve the right to withdraw this competition as a result of unforeseen circumstances arising. 
13. There is one prize of £150 for 1st place. 
14. Prize winner(s) will be notified by Sunday 18th June 2023 and invited to a and photo shoot at a later date (TBC). We will notify the winner by email and/or telephone. If the winner cannot be contacted within one-week McCarthy Stone reserve the right to choose an alternative winner. 
15. The winner agrees to take part in non-paid publicity following their poem being chosen (including photography if required), relating to the competition.
16. The entrant’s personal data shall only be used for the proper administration of the competition unless the entrant has expressly opted in to receiving future marketing communications from McCarthy Stone via the entry form. 

Promoter: McCarthy Stone plc, 4th Floor, 100 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8AQ. References to “McCarthy Stone” in the Terms and Conditions includes any and all companies within the McCarthy Stone Group of Companies.