Enter the Greg Judkins Poetry Competition

Entries are now open for 2023 Greg Judkins competition in reflective poetry. We invite entries in two categories: poems in any form up to 25 lines in length, and haiku consisting of three lines and 17 syllables. The submissions must align with the theme of Connecting: hauora, courage and togetherness, and be emailed to communications@rnzcgp.org.nz no later than 25 June 2023. All registrars and fellows of the RNZCGP are eligible and encouraged to apply.

The competition was established in 2018 in honour of Dr Greg Judkins who, apart from working as a GP for nearly 40 years, has been inspiring registrars to reflect on their practise through the medium of creative writing. Greg is an author of a short story collection Biopsies and a book of poems Shrapnel, and will be one of the judges on the competition panel. The other judges are Auckland-based author Dr Himali McInnes practising in the prison system, known for her medical essays The Unexpected Patient, and Dunedin poet Ruth Arnison involved in many creative projects such as Poetry on Steps and Pocket Poetry. The three judges will evaluate the submissions and award the prizes for the best haiku and poem.

Before submitting an entry, please read the rules of 2023 Greg Judkins Prize for Reflective Poetry:

1. Entry is limited to members of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners during the competition period.
2. Poems submitted must be original, entirely the work of the entrant and not previously published anywhere.
3. Only poems submitted in the form described in the competition publicity are eligible for judging.
4. Only poems received by the notified closing date and time to the address given in the competition publicity are eligible for judging.
5. Prizes will be awarded to the winning poem in each of the two categories.
6. By entering the competition, entrants agree to the winning poem being read aloud as part of the Prize ceremony.
7. The winner will be announced at GP23: the Conference for General Practice.
8. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The winners will be announced and read out on Saturday, 22 July 2023, in Auckland during GP23: the Conference for General Practice. The awards include a cash prize of $200 and copies of Biopsies and Shrapnel by Dr Greg Judkins. Last year, out of 48 entries the panel of judges awarded the poem Suicide written by Gary Mitchell and the haiku Sailing through tough times by Jen Abernathy, which can be read here: Greg Judkins poetry competition | RNZCGP