Budding poets offered chance for work to be displayed at Metro stations

The competition, by Metro system owners Nexus, has been launched to mark National Poetry Day – October 7 – and closes on November 7.

There are two categories: – Adult (over 16) and 16 and under.

The winner and the runner up in each category will see their poem displayed at Longbenton – a station used by more than one million customers every year.

The poems will be judged by Alice Mullen, manager of the Poetry Book Society, and award-winning poet Degna Stone.

Alice said: “We are delighted to be working with Nexus to give a platform to regional talent and share the joy of poetry the community.

"During this pandemic we’ve found that more and more people have turned to poetry and it’s brought us together during extremely difficult times.”

She added: “A single poem on a Metro platform could reach out to one commuter and make them see the world in a completely different light.

“As we emerge from some really tough times but poetry can offer some sort of hope, connection or even joy and that’s more important than ever these days.”

Poems should be on the theme of ‘Winter’.

Four poems reflecting on the pandemic, by professional poets, are currently on display at Longbenton Metro Station.

The winning and runner-up poems from this competition will replace them, and Nexus hopes to stage regular competitions on different themes in the future.

For full details of the competition and to submit entries go to www.nexus.org.uk/poetry