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Calling on all our amazing u3a poets - you are invited to take part in our National Poetry Competition 2020 - an opportunity to get creative and to show off your poetry writing skills.

The Trust is launching a UK-wide initiative to find the best humorous poem penned by one of you. The top three entries will be published in Third Age Matters magazine, which reaches over a quarter of a million households.

The theme for the challenge is ‘hobbies or interests’. Given most of us have had more time than usual to engage in our hobbies this year it seems a fitting theme. You can write about a new hobby you have taken up during lockdown, jog your memory by writing about hobbies of the past or use your imagination to write about a hobby you have never quite managed to take up. Or something else related to hobbies or interests - the choice is yours.

You may want to discuss your ideas in your interest groups via phone, email or virtual conference call or this may inspire you to start up your own poetry or poetry reading group. There is information and advice on the Poetry subject adviser's page.

Whatever you decide, we want your poem.

You can submit your entries via this form to be accepted. You have until 12 noon on Friday 20th November to submit your poem.

See our Learning Pages for more about how it will work and some of the competition rules to follow.

Good luck!