I’m delighted to tell you that Harrow Times has invited me to run a monthly poetry competition in their printed edition.

Each month I will give a topic and there will be about three weeks to come up with a poem.

So what’s the prize? Nothing as crude as hard cash, I can assure you. In fact it’s something that money can’t buy. The winning poem will be published in the Harrow Times for all of its thousands of readers to enjoy, appear here in the blog and the winner will also receive a Certificate.

This first month’s subject is going to be Shopping. Whatever your religion, it is getting pretty close now to the holiday season and just the thought of looking for the perfect gifts is making me reach for a festive glass of sherry.

Do you do your shopping over the internet or do you brave the local mall? Have you thought about what to buy for Christmas lunch? Kids, what will you be spending your pocket money on? I know full well that Harrow has many talented poets.

You may remember that last year for World Poetry Day, I held a borough-wide competition and received over one hundred entries with the finalists performing their poems at Harrow Arts Centre.

This competition won’t be only for experienced poets. I actively want to encourage new poets and also children to enter.

So why not put any thoughts of shopping in a poem of no more than twenty lines and email it to me at jewishpoetrysociety@yahoo.com. Please submit it by no later than the 31st December and the winning entry should appear in the following week’s issue of the Harrow Times.