Welcome to Katherine Gallagher's website

(Photo by Marie Hyde)

Stop Press ⚊ Poetry Competition ⚊

The Pen Nib International Writing Competition 2021

I’ve been asked to judge this Poetry Competition by Brenda Henderson, and her expat writing community at Brantôme, a town founded in 769 by Charlemagne in the Périgord, South-West France. Maximum – 50 lines. First Prize - £150. Entry only through PayPal. No cheques. See Link here for how to enter and other details.

Closing Date- 15th November, 2021
Results on the website early February, 2022

Since the beginning of lockdown

2020 has been a very difficult year veering around lockdowns and the virus, wearing masks, handwashing and zooming, trying to keep well and to avoid this pernicious virus.
2021 has proved to be the same.

Support for my next full-length collection

In July, 2021, I was awarded a London Society of Authors’ Foundation Award towards the completion of my next full-length collection of poetry.

Leicester Rd. Barnet Group

The Barnet Group has continued to meet on Zoom, hosted by Lindsay Fursland throughout 2020 and 2021. Zoom has been marvellous. I can’t imagine what the Covid-19 era would have been like without Zoom and Skype.

The Palmers Green Stanza

The Palmers Green Stanza has continued to meet on the 2nd Friday of each month through Zoom meetings hosted by Julian Bishop and Jude Willetts. The Stanza is a wonderful support-group, with various members regularly appearing in magazines or competition-winners’ lists or in some cases, in their own pamphlets/books.

The Palmers Green Group Twice-yearly Readings

These were unfortunately cancelled in 2020. We’d hoped we’d be able to continue them in April 2021 at the latest. However, lockdowns and the threat from Covid-19 has left us now hoping to resume with readings in April, 2022.

Our Poetry in Palmers Green pages

on Facebook, are updated regularly by Martyn Crucefix.

The Barnet Open Poetry Competition

The popular Barnet Open Poetry Competition (Adults and Juniors) begun in 1992 by BBAC’s Pam Edwards and myself, was unfortunately cancelled in 2020. This happened due to Pam Edwards’ sudden illness. It was hoped that this long-running Competition might resume again in 2021, but this hasn’t been possible.

Readings

Along with other poets, I am sorry to no longer participate in regular group-readings although it is good to be able to take part in Zoom-events such as Grey Hen Press launches, Second Light Festivals, Enfield Poets’ readings or Arc Publications’ events.

Children’s Poetry

I am very pleased to have regular publication of my children’s poetry on the Australian Children’s Poetry Website, an online site, run by poet Jeanie Axton.