Shepton Snowdrop Festival is once again calling on local and international talent to enter its popular photography and poetry competitions, with entries opening on 3 October, National Poetry Day.

This year's theme, 'Treasures of Nature', will invite participants to reflect on the beauty of the natural world, from the plant kingdom to the landscape and geology.

Last year, the competitions attracted entries from 43 countries in poetry and 28 countries in photography, with submissions from as far afield as Bangladesh, Croatia, Australia, and of course, Shepton Mallet. Festival organisers hope to see an even greater response in 2025.

The competitions are open to all ages, with three categories available: 18 and over (£300 prize), 12-17 (£100 prize), and 11 and under (£50 prize).

Judges announced for 2025

Jason Ingram, renowned photographer and winner of the Garden Media Guild's Photographer of the Year Award, will return to judge the photography competition. Speaking about the theme, Jason said: "Some treasures of nature are hidden or less obvious... Be creative, take time to finesse your composition and remember that light is key."

For the poetry competition, author and poet Wendy Pratt will also be returning as judge. She encourages entrants to think beyond traditional nature writing, saying: "This year's competition is about how we value nature. Use your creativity to bring the background to the fore, to make the usual unusual."

How to enter

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The photography competition will close on 20 January 2025, while the poetry competition will close earlier, on 6 January 2025. More information, including how to enter, can be found on the festival's website at https://www.sheptonsnowdrops.org.uk/competitions/.

With last year's competition seeing a fantastic turnout from all over the world, the festival is keen to see an even stronger response in 2025.