Isle of Man Poetry Society, in conjunction with Manx Litfest, has launched the 2014 Douglas Poetry Trail. Entries are invited for inclusion in the trail, which will take the form of 20 poems printed on posters and displayed at venues around Douglas town centre in the lead up to and during Manx Litfest 2014.

The Poetry Trail, which is kindly sponsored by Isle of Man Bank Ltd, will be in place in Douglas between 12 September and 5 October. Last year’s trail generated a lot of interest from poets across the Island, attracting a total of 82 entries.

Ruth Baxendale, Chair of Isle of Man Poetry Society, said, ‘It was a challenge choosing just 20 poems last year, and this year we expect to have even more. As with last year’s trail, the 20 chosen poems will feature at a range of town centre venues which will be promoted in the Litfest brochure.’

All 20 of the poems included in the trail will be published in an accompanying booklet, of which each successful entrant will receive a copy. Entries will be judged by a committee from Isle of Man Poetry Society.

As Ruth explained, ‘We will be looking for poems that entertain, inspire, uplift, provide food for thought, raise a smile, or touch a nerve. The poems must be suitable for public display and be an asset to literature in the Isle of Man.’

To submit for the trail, poets need to send their work in to the Isle of Man Poetry Society office with an entry form, together with ?3.50 per poem, by Friday 13 June. The entry form can be downloaded at Isle of Man Poetry Society’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/isleofmanpoetrysociety, or you can pick up a copy at the Henry Bloom Noble Library in Douglas.