Poetry in the Archives Competition launched

A new poetry competition for students and staff has launched today, with a £100 prize for the winning entry.

The College Archive Centre housed in the School of Pythagoras has launched a new poetry competition today. The competition, called "Poetry in the Archives" is open to all current students and staff at St John's and has a £100 prize for the winning entry.

Poets entering the competition can choose from 10 intriguing and unusual items in the Archives, including a letter signed by Elizabeth I, College rugby caps from the 1880s, items for preparing parchment deeds, and a pink resin Pig Club badge. Entrants then must write a poem in response to the item they have chosen as their muse.

Poems must be original and previously unpublished and a maximum of two poems, on different items, can be entered by one participant.

The 10 hand-picked items will be on display in the School of Pythagoras every Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30-4:00 until the end of April. The deadline for entry to the competition is 30 April. Entries should be handed in to the Library Issue Desk.

For more information, please see www.joh.cam.ac.uk/poetry-pythag-competition or contact the Archivist at archivist@joh.cam.ac.uk.

You can see the items in the gallery below: