WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER

GRIST COMPETITION 2021

We're all in it together.

Poems for a DisUnited Kingdom.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland is a post-imperial state that has failed to adapt to its reduced role and status in the world and has also failed to come to terms with the history and legacy of empire. The fault lines of national and regional identity, and of class, race and gender continue to be significant obstacles to the development of a meaningful sense of unity, and the devolution of society into digital solipsism and consumer narcissism is feeding the development of individualism and an increasingly atomised society. The national rupture precipitated and exposed by Brexit has thrown our divisions into stark relief: on one side, triumphalism, hostility, gloating and a will to dominate; on the other, hopelessness, sadness and only fragmented protest and resistance. Yet both sides seem to be characterised by an underlying confusion and lack of confidence about values and purpose in the context of national identity and the role and nature of the State. Meanwhile the world continues to globalise with the Neo-Liberal model overwhelmingly dominant and the ecological crisis of the Sixth Extinction intensifies. What does it mean to be 'British' in this apocalyptic context? Is it possible for the Kingdom to become United? Is it even desirable? Or was that unity always a fiction—in Benedict Anderson’s terms an ‘imagined community’? We're All in it Together is an anthology that looks to explore these issues and we're looking for you to contribute your poems or hybrid pieces. We’re not looking for any particular type of poetry or, indeed, any particular type of politics. 

Interpret the brief in your own way.

Please send up to three poems (max. length 40 lines  each) to grist@hud.ac.uk Send them as Word of PDF attachments. How you format the poems is your choice.

The deadline is 12 November 2021.

We look forward to reading your poems.If your poem is selected you will be paid £50. The book will be launched at the Huddersfield Literature Festival in March 2022.

GRIST COMPETITION 2018

Last night saw the launch of our new short story collection 'Trouble'.

First Prize: Tabitha Bast, for her story 'But have you seen it in the snow?'.

Second Prize: Bethany Ridley-Duff, for her story 'Money bank'.

Third Prize: Jonathan Holland, for his story 'Three Conversations with Mr. Sienkiewicz'.

Highly Commended: Sarah Hussain, for her story 'You will be free one day,my dearest India'.

Thanks to everyone who entered, everyone who came to the launch, to our judges, the University of Huddersfield press, our student editorial team, Megan Taylor and Michael Stewart.

Watch this space for details of our next publication 'Strife', a collection of poetry which celebrates protest in all its forms.

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TROUBLE AND STRIFE ANTHOLOGY RESULTS

Thanks to everybody who entered our competition!
There were a large number of entries and the standard of work was extremely high. Due to the volume of submissions we have decided to publish TWO anthologies instead of the planned one. The first, an anthology of prose titled 'Trouble', will be launched at the Huddersfield Literature Festival in March 2019 and the second, an anthology of poetry titled 'Strife', will be launched at the Huddersfield Literature Festival in March 2020. We have also decided to double up on the prize money, so there will now be three prizes for prose and three for poetry. The prizewinners for each anthology will be announced prior to the launch of first book. It's been a pleasure reading your wonderful stories and poems and it has been a difficult, but enjoyable task compiling what we're sure you will agree are two exciting and thought-provoking anthologies about protest in all its many forms worldwide Please see below for the list of authors and poets who have been selected for our new Grist publications.

Prose

• Alex Murray
• Bruce Harris
• Bud Craig
• Elizabeth Woodgate
• Ilse Fox
• Jim Lewis
• Jonathon Holland
• Ledlowe Guthrie
• M.A.Hodgson
• Martin Nathan
• Mary Fox
• Matt Hill
• Michael Bird
• Miriam Burke
• Robert Kibble
• Sarah Hussain
• Tabitha Bast

Poetry 

• David Coldwell
• Emma Harding
• Jennifer Hockey
• Al McClimens
• John Clarke
• Kim French
• Kitty Donnelly
• Laura Potts
• Lauren Ebanks
• Linda Menzies
• Mie Hanson
• Peter Danyluk
• Rosalind Fairclough
• Sally Tottle
• Sam Szanto
• Sheila Aldous
• Tony Noon
• Zoe Broome

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