Elvis Poetry Competition

Each year, Parkes Elvis Festival invites all aspiring and published authors of poetry to submit their best and greatest unpublished poems at the Elvis Poetry Competition and Breakfast.

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Each year, Parkes Elvis Festival, invites all aspiring and published authors of poetry to submit their best and greatest unpublished poems inspired by this year’s festival theme of “Love Me Tender” with at least one mention of Elvis, the Parkes Elvis Festival or a Parkes Elvis Festival event.

Entries are now open and will close 30 November at 5pm 2025.

This competition is open to all Australian citizens or permanent residents, 18 years and over, with novice, open and people’s choice categories.

All finalists will be announced at the beginning of the poets’ breakfast and will read or have their poem recited during the event for final judging.

Length: Poems of up to 70 lines.

Theme: Love Me Tender with at least one mention of Elvis, the Parkes Elvis Festival or a Parkes Elvis Festival event.

Competition Entry fee: Free, all entries will also receive free entry to the Elvis Poets’ Breakfast – breakfast to be purchased separately.

Prizes:

Novice Category – author has not previously won or been shortlisted in a poetry competition or have been published. Winner $75 cash
Open Category – author has previously won or been shortlisted in a poetry competition or have been published. Winner $150 cash
People’s Choice Category – prize $75 cash
Free Verse Prize – best poem using free verse style from either Novice Category or Open Category. Winner – publication of poem in the Suburban Review

The Elvis Poets’ Breakfast is held on the Friday morning of the festival at the Parkes Golf Club.

Breakfast is served from 7:30am

Poetry readings start 8:00am.

Contact

Event Organiser: Kerryn Jones

Email: Elvis@parkes.nsw.gov.au

Full Terms and Conditions for the Elvis Poetry Competition can be found here.

Name*
First Last
Age*
Mobile*
Phone
Email*
Address*
Street Address City State Post Code Country
All entrants are automatically eligible for People's Choice category, which other category would you like to be entered into*
- Novice Category (You have not previously won or been shortlisted in a poetry competition or have not been published)
- Open Category (You have previously won or been shortlisted in a poetry competition or have been published)
All entrants will automatically receive free entry to the Elvis Poets’ Breakfast on Thursday, 9th January 2025 and shortlisted entries will be required to perform their poem on the morning, please indicate below your availability for this:
If you are nominating a representative to read your poem, please add the name here
How many poems will you be entering?
Write the titles of each poem you have entered below*
Upload Your Poem*
Drop files here or

Max. file size: 256 MB, Max. files: 3.
Entrant Signature*
Terms & Conditions*
- I/We hereby adhere and agree to the conditions and instructions outlined with this entry form and will follow instructions from Parkes Shire Council, Parkes Police and SES. Registered participants are advised that during the course of this event they may be photographed or filmed by official Parkes Elvis Festival photographers or by officially accredited media. It is a condition of entry to the competition that participants consent to the use of any photos or film containing their image, by media outlets, and/or by the Parkes Elvis Festival and/or by related parties in pursuit of Parkes Elvis Festival objectives. On form submission you will be automatically added to our mailing list. We use our mailing list to communicate with you about the Festival. We will never sell or supply your contact details to third parties.
- Tick to acknowledge that you have read the Terms and Conditions for Elvis Poets’ Breakfast and to declare that the poem or poems entered in this competition are your own work and that these have not previously been published.

Elvis Poetry Competition

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Awards

Key dates

7-11 January 2026

September 2025

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