SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press is thrilled to launch a creative collaboration with photographer and Fellow of the British Institute of Professional Photography, Mike Curry, for his forthcoming book, "Fleeting Reflections II". Mike´s book is a collection of straight from camera shots which are not manipulated in Photoshop at all but are just reflections of buildings in water located at Canary Wharf in London. 

In 2017, Mike published "Fleeting Reflections" , also a collection of unedited photos taken at Canary Wharf. Mike says of his first collection, “The sense of energy at Canary Wharf is palpable; it´s not a place that is often associated with quiet contemplation. Yet pausing for a moment reveals real beauty and softness alongside the corporate architecture; the patterns and colours can be mesmerizing like a kaleidoscope as they change with the light and weather. With so much activity all around, capturing these colourful images requires a focus that isn´t immediately obvious to passers-by; I can spend hours at a time examining one body of water, waiting for something out of the ordinary. I sometimes think I might be the only person who is still among the crowd. The more I stand and watch the more I see, yet the more I look the more I notice that “looking” is futile, it´s more about feeling and anticipating.  

The images in this book are inspired by my childhood fascinations with kaleidoscopes and Spirograph and being captivated by the endless variation of colours and shapes you could create. The photos may seem like they have been manipulated or created in Photoshop but they appear in this book as they did for me while capturing them, as beautiful fleeting reflections.” 

On discussion with Mike about which form of poetry would best accompany four of his photographs in “Fleeting Reflections II”, we agreed that haiku would be perfect as this form captures a fleeting moment and evokes images through words. 

The contest will be judged by Mike and the winning poets will have their poem published in this collection and will also receive a copy of the book.  

This is a phenomenal opportunity for poets. 

CONTEST DATES: 1st December 2022 – 31st January 2023

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: 

• To allow creative freedom, and to follow both traditional and modern forms, submitted haiku can adhere to the 5/7/5 syllable rule but they don´t have to. Haiku can include a season word or not and we will also accept senryu.  

• Submitted haiku/senryu MUST be three separate lines for the layout of the book. 

• Mike is looking for poems which not only reflect what´s in the photo, but also add another layer to it. 

• Poets may submit a maximum of FOUR haiku/senryu, ONE per photo via email to theweesparrowpoetrypress@gmail.com. 

• In the subject line, please write “Haiku Photo Prompt Contest” and include your haiku in the body of the email.  

• Title each haiku/senryu with the number of the image it accompanies.

• Please also include your first name and surname and country of residence in the body of your email. 

• Previously published poems will NOT be considered. We are looking for new words inspired by Mike´s stunning photographs. 

• Poems must be in English.  

• The winning poems will be printed on the opposite page of each accompanying photo. 

• The winning poets will each be required to sign a publishing agreement confirming that they give permission for their poems to be published in Mike´s book and that they retain full rights to their words. 

Image 64

Image 55

Image 69

Image 46