Basharat Hussain Memorial Prize

The prize commemorates the life and work of Basharat Hussain

who arrived from Pakistan into West Yorkshire aged 14.

He began working in the textile mills to support his family,

walking miles each night checking the looms in the weaving sheds for thread breakages.

Then by day he worked in the family corner shop.

Throughout it all he wrote poetry.

 

This prize has been donated anonymously to commemorate a life

cut short by the pandemic,

and to celebrate the human spirit's luminosity through poetry.

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The donation of £500 is seed funding for an annual award. 

If the value of entries exceeds £500, the value of the prize

will increase accordingly for the subsequent year.

 

We welcome submissions of 24 lines or fewer

that celebrate cross-cultural friendship.

 

The prize is open to City of Poets members only.

Entries may be in English, Scots, or Urdu.

Those in Urdu and Scots must be accompanied by an English translation.

The last day of February is the deadline for entry in any year.

On April 14 in any year the winner will be announced.

Entry is £12.

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Please:

please email your entry as an attached PDF, open office, or word document. 

• do not include your name on the ATTACHMENT

Pay your entry fee here.

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