Ethos of Jawbone

Here at Jawbone we celebrate the diversity of writing and creative talent that exists in individuals everywhere. As organisers and participants at literary events  we have seen an incredible diversity of talent. We have been astounded at some of the brilliant gems that we have been able to hear and share over the years.

We know that getting published is one of the hardest things for writers to be able to do and to this end we want to provide a platform that nurtures new and emerging writers to engage with a wider audience. Our own personal experiences with acceptance into publications or competitions provided us with an impetus to move our craft forward and helped us gain the confidence to share with a wider public.

We are already providing opportunities for writers to get published and share their success on our print and digital platform.

What we will always promise, both in our Competitions and on our literary platform is that we will avoid elitism and prejudice. All applications will be considered solely on literary merit. Irrespective of gender denominations, race, colour, disability or social background.

The Jawbone Journal will be published twice each year in October/November and April/May commencing in  Autumn 2024. For our first issue, all submissions for publication will be free during our submission window.

Our Local Competitions are limited to entrants from the South-West of England broadly described as Wessex... That includes Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Entrants with a residential postcode outside these areas will be automatically disbarred from the Local Competition.

Our Other Competitions unless specified are open to entrants from anywhere in the world. The number of allowed submissions for each event will be clarified in the submission terms for each contest, please check specific requirements for each competition.

First prize winners in our main competitions will receive five copies of  the issue that features their winning poetry; runners up will receive three copies; all long listed entries will get one issue of the journal. We also plan to pay winning prize money out of subscriptions and journal sales provided that we first cover printing and production costs. This is a 'Not for Profit' social enterprise so we are reliant upon book sales, subscriptions, donations and grants for our funding.