Celebrate Goole with Your Words

To celebrate 200 years of Goole, East Riding Libraries is launching a special poetry competition called Goole 26.

This is your chance to share what Goole means to you through a poem. You can write about your life in Goole, your memories, or what makes the town special – past or present.

Whether you are new to poetry or love writing, everyone is welcome to take part.

Who Can Enter?

The competition is split into three age groups:

• Primary school age
• Secondary school age
• Adults (16 years and over)

You do not need to be a poet. Just bring your ideas and your voice.

What Can I Write About?

Your poem should be about Goole.

You might write about:

• Living in Goole
• Growing up in Goole
• Memories of the town
• What Goole feels like to you today

There is no single right way to do it. Your poem must be your own original work and written in English.

Prizes

Each age group will have one winner and one runner-up, with prizes to be won:

• Winners will receive a cash prize
• Runners-up will receive a special Goole 26 commemorative salt and pepper pot set
• All winners and runners-up will receive a certificate

All prizes are kindly funded by the Goole Civic Society.

How to Enter

Poems must be no more than 45 lines long.

You can enter in one of two ways:

By email

Send your poem to goole.library@eastriding.gov.uk

In person

Hand in a printed copy of your poem at Goole Library and give it to a member of staff.

Please include your name and contact details with your entry, but do not include your name on the poem itself. All poems will be anonymised before judging, so judges will not know who wrote them.

Closing Date

Entries must be received by 11:59pm on Sunday 21 June 2026.

Late entries cannot be accepted.

Why Take Part?

This competition is part of the Goole Bicentenary celebrations and builds on the success of other library poetry competitions enjoyed by people of all ages.

Taking part is a great way to:

• Share your creativity
• Be part of Goole’s history
• Celebrate your town in a meaningful way

Terms and Conditions

1. The competition is free to enter and open to primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, and adults aged 16 and over.
2. Poems must be on the theme of Goole and show a clear connection to the town.
3. Poems must be no more than 45 lines long.
4. Entries must be typed clearly and written in English.
5. Poems must be original work written by the entrant.
6. Poems must not copy or closely imitate existing poems, song lyrics, or published work.
7. Generative AI tools must not be used to write the poem.
8. If AI is used in any way to support the creation of an entry, this must be clearly declared at the point of submission.
9. East Riding Libraries reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet originality or AI requirements.
10. Name and contact details must be provided separately to allow organisers to contact winners.
11. Poems may be submitted by email or as a printed copy handed in at Goole Library.
12. No changes can be made to a poem after it has been submitted.
13. Entries cannot be returned, so entrants should keep a copy.
14. All entries will be anonymised before judging.
15. Each category will have one winner and one runner-up.
16. Winners will receive a cash prize and runners-up will receive a commemorative prize.
17. Prizes are funded by the Goole Civic Society and there is no cash alternative for non-cash prizes.
18. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
19. By entering, entrants agree that winning poems may be published online or in print for up to one year after the closing date.
20. Personal data will be used only to administer the competition and contact winners, in line with data protection legislation.
21. East Riding of Yorkshire Council reserves the right to amend or cancel the competition if necessary.