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The Thomas Hardy Society
COMPETITION
To mark the centenary of Human Shows, Far Phantasies, Songs and Trifles
Each entrant to write a short article, analysis, review or poem (maximum 500 words) in reference to one of the poems in the collection.
There are 120 to choose from - Click here to view
The Competion is open to everyone
Maximum 500 words
1st Prize: £50 voucher
2nd/3rd Prizes: £25 voucher
(Vouchers for THS online shop)
The winning entry will be published in The Hardy Society Journal
Please send entries to info@hardysociety.org
Closing date is 31st December 2025
(Terms and conditions below)
Human Shows, Far Phantasies, Songs and Trifles, published in 1925, is Hardy's penultimate collection of poems.
The anthology has been described as the most cheerful of Hardy's collections. He feared that he had been “too liberal in selecting flippant, not to say farcical, pieces into the collection”. It contains memories of friends, family and his first wife Emma and features miscellaneous collection of old, new and reworked poems. Hardy included reflections on loss and memory and humorous, often cynical observations of daily life. The collection showcases Hardy's enduring lyrical strength and wit, exploring universal human experiences with his characteristic blend of tenderness and pessimism, even burlesquing his own tragic themes. The work is considered a "serious novelty" that is both mundane and philosophical, reflecting a lifetime of artistic and personal themes with undiminished power.
Portrait of Thomas Hardy, photograph by Clive Holland, 1900s (npg.org.uk)
Competition Terms & Conditions
Eligibility Criteria: The competition is open to everyone with the exception of members of the THS Council of Management and their immediate families (including any live-in partner or household member) who may not enter.
Entry Requirements: Entrants to provide a short article, review or poem of no more than 500 words that must be their own creative original work by email to info@hardysociety.org. Entry is free. By entering the competition entrants warrant that all information submitted by them is true, current, and complete. Entrants also warrant that they are the copyright owners of any copyright works submitted and will not infringe the rights of any third party.
Prize Details: Prizes are vouchers for use in the THS online shop. There are no cash alternatives.
Prize Distribution: Prize winners will be notified by email within 30 days of the competition closing date and the vouchers solely for use in the online shop will be made available at the same time. The voucher is valid for 12 months and THS will cover any postage incurred for items purchased using the vouchers.
Winner Selection: A THS panel will be set up to judge the entries. The judges decision is final.
Duration: The competition opens on 1st October 2025 and closes on 31st December 2025.
Promotional Use: The winning entries will be published in The Hardy Society Journal, THS newsletter, THS website and social media. THS reserves the right to use winners' names, images, or audio/visual recordings for publicity.
Data Privacy: Personal data collected during the competition will be used in accordance with the UK Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
The promoter of the competition is The Thomas Hardy Society, C/o Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8PX
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