Long listed poems and stories from the 2023 Festival writing competition

We are delighted to announce that our writing competition judges have sifted through more than 160 entries to select a Top 40 long list of pieces that are published on Saturday 1 April. You can read them here - can you pick the winners*?

As walking among trees in their urban and suburban neighbourhoods is central to their creativity, we asked Joanna Wolfarth and ML Grieve, winners of the 2022 Festival writing competition, to come up with a theme for the Urban Tree festival 2023 writing competition, adding that we wanted to encourage people to get out and about on foot, among urban trees.

The theme they chose was “Secrets of The Trees”.

Our urban trees have stood central to the story of urban development and urban living for centuries. What human stories have they witnessed? Time to give the urban trees a voice!

How has the urban population relied upon them both practically and spiritually?
What do these trees represent to a variety of cultures?

What can our trees reveal about global connections and histories? 

How do our trees help us find a sense of belonging in our urban environment?
What personal stories feature your urban trees? (Maybe you proposed under a tree, took your baby out for their first walk...etc)
What possibilities do urban trees provide for our future? 

The pieces could be grounded in life writing or fiction, with two categories of Poetry and Prose Writing. The latter could encompass any genre of fiction or nonfiction, including memoir and personal essays. All they need to be, was 250 words or under.

*Winners and runners-up will be announced at the WRITE ABOUT TREES Showcase on the festival’s final day Sunday 21 May.