Budding poets need to sharpen their rhymes as time is running out for entry in this year's Battered Moons Competition.

The deadline for the eighth contest is Friday, June 30, and poets need to be 18 or over. The poems can be about any subject and written in any style but only up to 40 lines. The judges are Battered Moons own Christina Newton and guest judge Malika Booker. They will both read through all the poems.

Christine said: "Battered Moons is Swindon's own and only national poetry competition and has been going on since 2010. It has had some of the most prominent poets in the country as guest judges and gets hundreds of entries every year.''

There will be three winners and four commended poets, who will all be invited to read their poems at the Poetry Swindon Festival on Saturday, October 7. It is supported by the Arts Council of England. The poems will then be printed in the Battered Moons pamphlet and uploaded on to the website.

First prize wins £700, second £200, third £100 and commended £25. The prizes will be presented by Malika, who will also read some of her own poetry.

Entries are £5 per poem, for more details or to enter visit www.batteredmoons.com - Flicky Harrison