NISA/Northern Initiative for SocialAction is a registered not-for-profitcharitable organization in Sudbury,Ontario, which offers a number ofopportunities for people with livedexperience of mental healthchallenges to re/discover theirindividual talents and their ownrecovery path. The Annual BrainStorm PoetryContest is intended as a fundraiserfor NISA’s literary magazine, OpenMinds Quarterly, as well as a wayto support people who experiencemental health challenges byawarding prizes and publication tothe top three winners.

Learn more at:www.nisa.on.ca

NISASudbury

Contact Us123 Anywhere St., Any City, ST 12345

+123-456-7890

hello@reallygreatsite.com

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Open Minds Quarterly features abroad range of writing—includingbut not limited to prose, poetry,research, and reviews—and visualart. We publish work by contributorswho self-identify as having livedexperience of madness, mentalhealth challenges, mental illness,and/or neurodiversity at any pointin their lives. As our tagline suggests, ourintention is to facilitate explorationsof life in a mad world.

Learn more at:www.openmindsquarterly.com

openmindsquarterly openmindsq

or call: 705-222-6472 ext. 303

BrainStorm Poetry Contest

18THANNUAL 

January 1-February 9, 2020

First Prize $250 Second Prize $150

Third Prize $75plus publication in

Open Minds Quarterly !

Organized by:NISA/Northern Initiative

for Social Action

Find out more and submit at:www.openmindsquarterly.com

The contest is open internationally to people withlived experience of madness/mental healthchallenges/mental illness/neurodiversity. Thecontest opens Wednesday, January 1, 2020 andcloses on Sunday, February 9, 2020. All entriesmust be received before midnight on February 9,and payment must arrive with entry. Entries willnot be returned. Poetry about the experience of madness iswelcomed; however, all subjects are acceptable.Poems are judged on poetic merit: originality,creativity, how well it changed or provokedreaders’ thoughts, how well it was written, theeffective use of imagery and sound devices, writingmechanics, and whether the poem imparted asensation after it was read—the last a criticalfactor in the final round of judging. The top three winning poems will be published inan upcoming issue of Open Minds Quarterly.Winners will receive two copies of the issue ofOpen Minds Quarterly in which their workappears. The top three winners will also receivemonetary awards: $250 for First Place; $150 forSecond Place; $75 for Third Place. Entries receivingHonourable Mentions will be published insubsequent issues of Open Minds Quarterly. Allnon-winners will be entered in a random draw towin a free one-year subscription to Open MindsQuarterly or a copy of our upcoming book, TheDictionary of Madness (two draws). The judges’ decisions are final. Monetary prizes willbe awarded in Canadian dollars.Authors retain allrights to their work and, after the contest, arewelcome to submit their poems to Open MindsQuarterly for regular review. 

be original, unpublished work;be written in English;be accompanied by one entry form for everythree poems entered;arrive with your entry fee;NOT include a name on the page (put yourname only on the accompanying entry form);be written legibly;be no more than 30 lines in length;not include any drawings or images;arrive at NISA by 11:59 p.m. of February 9;arrive by surface mail, hand delivery, or theonline submission form (no faxes or e-mails);if submitted by mail, be printed on 8.5” x 11” orA4 paper, one poem per page

they have already been published by oraccepted for publication in Open MindsQuarterly or elsewhere;the rules listed above are not followed;entry fee payment is returned due to insufficientfunds.

To be eligible, each entry must:

Poems are not eligible if:

NISA staff and board members are ineligible forentry. Disqualified entrants will not be notified ofdisqualification. Entry FeeThe entry fee is $12 CAD for up to three poems. Formailed entries: Do not send cash in the mail. Cheques or money orders must be made payable toNISA or Northern Initiative for Social Action.Credit card payments can be sent via PayPal.comto info@nisa.on.ca, and please include yourpayment confirmation with your mailed entry form.

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This form can accompany up to three poems.Please fill out an additional form for every threepoems you submit. Find copies of this form orsubmit at www.openmindsquarterly.com name: ______________________________

phone: ______________________________

address: _____________________________

___________________________________email: ______________________________ title(s) of poems (up to three)

1.

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3. I have read the contest rules and regulations. Iunderstand that I must be a person with livedexperience of mental health challenges to enterthis contest. By entering this contest, I giveNISA and Open Minds Quarterly permission topublish my entry and name if my poetry wins. Signed, _______________________ __________(your name) (date) Mail form with your poems and entry fee to: BrainStorm Poetry Contestc/o Northern Initiative for Social Action36 Elgin Street, Second FloorSudbury, ON, P3C 5B4, Canada Make sure cheques are made out to NISA!

18th Annual BrainStorm Poetry Contest Rules & Regulations

BPCMail Entry Form