The Writers’ Workshop of Asheville is sponsoring its 25th annual Poetry Contest, open to any writer regardless of residence.The deadline to enter is Feb. 28, postmarked or emailed.
Awards: First place, your choice of a tw0-night stay at our Mountain Muse B&B, three free workshops (online or in person), or 10 poems line-edited and revised by our editorial staff; second, two-night stay at our B&B; or two free workshops or eight poems line-edited; third, one free workshop or five poems line-edited; 10 honorable mentions.
Guidelines: All work must be unpublished.Each poem should not exceed two pages.Multiple entries are accepted.Your name, address, phone, email and title of work should also appear on a separate cover sheet. The entry fee is $25 for every three poems. All entries receive comments from the judges. Enclose self-sealing SASE for comments and winners’ list and mail to: Poetry Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC  28805.
Emailed submissions may be sent to writersw@gmail.com with “Poetry Contest” in the subject.The entry fee is payable online at www.twwoa.org.
Writers’ retreat
The Writers’ Workshop 15th Annual Writers’ Retreat will be held May 14-17 at Folly Beach, S.C. It is open to a small group of beginning or experienced writers, and is an ideal place to relax, write and review participant’s work.
Daily sessions in fiction, creative non-fiction and memoirs will be led by The Writers’ Workshop instructors. Participants stay at a beach house near the ocean.
The all-inclusive rate (except for meals) is $495 for a private room, or $450 shared. The commuter rate is $55 per session.
Registration deadline is Feb. 28. Please register ASAP since space is limited, at www.twwoa.org, or contact 828-254-8111 or writersw@gmail.com for more information.
Author signing
Loyd C. Taylor will be at Literary Bookpost Jan. 31 signing his books from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Taylor has written a book of poems, “Using My Muse,” and a children’s book, “The Adventures of Mr. Pumpkinhead Pumpkinny Tales.” Both were published through Xlibris.
Taylor is one of 12 children who grew u in North Carolina. His wife Kathy is the inspiration for his romance and relationship poetry. Many of him poems also praise God. He writes on the jacket of his books of poetry that he doesn not consider himself a great poet, but believes God gave him a gift, or muse and writes what he feels.
Mr. Pumpkinhead is a mischievous pumpkin who has many farm animal friends. Taylor has given all of them names, like Onlie Owl, and the book uses a lot of alliteration and sing-songy prose, like a children’s poem might be.