I HAVE just finished running the second A Poem and a Pint poetry competition, writes CAROLINE GILFILLAN. For the past couple of months I’ve had a steady stream of poems delivered by post and email. I’ve been touched, inspired and intrigued by the poems, but had no hand in judging them.

Let me explain. A poetry competition is always judged by an independent writer with no links to our organisation. I kept a record of who had written each poem, but Carrie Etter, our judge, had no idea of their authorship. I sent them to her, and she decided on prizewinning and commended poems. I then had the pleasurable task of contacting the prizewinners.

It’s a rewarding exercise, but one that requires a lot of work. So why do we do it? Well, firstly to raise funds for A Poem and a Pint, so that we can continue to invite world class poets to South Lakeland, paying them a fair fee and expenses. Like many small not-for-profit organisations we’ve had a few ups and downs with our funding, and though we’ve now received a grant from the Hadfield Trust, the profits from the competition are still much needed to support our programme.

But there are other reasons, too. Running a competition raises our profile, making people aware of what we do. It also encourages local writers to work on their poems - there is a prize for the best poem written by a Cumbrian poet - and to find the confidence to enter them in the competition. Finally, the prizewinners receive a huge boost to their confidence. As a poet, you spend many hours writing in solitude, sometimes not knowing if what you’re writing is any good. The external validation of winning a competition is extremely valuable.

Which brings us to the icing on the cake: the prizegiving event. On September 21, A Poem and Pint are running an event at The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston at which all those who’ve won a prize or been highly commended will read their poems. Our judge, Carrie Etter, will also read from her wonderful collections. Music will come from female a capella group Sass, who take an irreverent, witty look at life in Britain today. I’ll be there: I hope some of you can join us.