Submissions are invited from poets in the region for Issue 3 of Poetry in the Waiting Room, a poetry pamphlet distributed in hospital waiting rooms in Derby. The aim of the pamphlet is to make the experience of waiting for an appointment a more pleasant one and to give people the opportunity to enjoy poetry in an unlikely setting.

Poems should meet the following criteria:

– Poems should be positive in tone, and not refer to serious illness or death.
– Poems should be aimed primarily at adult audiences but may also be read by younger people. As such poems containing violence, strong language or sexual content will not be accepted. Poems should be no longer than 20 lines.
– Poems should have the title and author of the poem stated clearly.

No correspondence on the selection of the poetry will be entered into. The decisions on content (made between Derby Literature Development and Derby NHS) will be final. Successful applicants will receive 5 copies of the pamphlet. No other cash prizes will be given for accepted poets. If the poems are unsuccessful for this issue they may be selected for future issues. Poetry should be e-mailed either as an attachment in Word or within the body text to or posted to Catherine Rogers, Derby City Council, Regeneration & Community, Roman House, Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1XB. Deadline for submissions will be January 31st 2008.