Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 2026
Introduction
The Pius Oleghe Poetry Prize ("POPALS," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and participate in our poetry competitions.
Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using our website and services, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
Information We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:
- Submit an entry to our poetry competition
- Register for an account
- Contact us with inquiries
- Subscribe to our newsletter
Personal Information: This may include your name, email address, date of birth, nationality, state of origin, and biographical information.
Identity Verification: For competition submissions, we collect identity documents to verify your age and eligibility. These documents are stored securely and used solely for verification purposes.
Submitted Works: We collect the poetry submissions you provide as part of the competition entry process.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Process and evaluate competition submissions
- Verify your identity and eligibility for the competition
- Communicate with you about your submission and competition results
- Publish winning and selected works in the POPALS anthology (with your consent)
- Improve our website and services
- Comply with legal obligations
Submission & Publication Release
By submitting your work to the POPALS poetry competition, you agree to the following terms:
Grant of Rights (Consent to Publish)
By submitting your poem(s), you grant the organizers of the POPALS anthology a non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish, distribute, and display your submitted poem(s) in the forthcoming POPALS anthology (the "Anthology") in both print and digital formats.
Copyright
You retain the full copyright to your work. The license granted is non-exclusive, meaning you are free to publish your work elsewhere, submit it to other competitions, or use it in any way you see fit.
Compensation
You understand that you will not receive monetary compensation for the publication rights granted herein, apart from any prize money awarded to competition winners as specified in the competition rules.
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Secure, encrypted storage of personal data
- Limited access to personal information by authorized personnel only
- Regular security assessments and updates
Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Competition submissions and related data are retained for the duration of the competition cycle and for a reasonable period thereafter for archival and administrative purposes.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
- Withdraw consent for publication (prior to publication)
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority
Third-Party Services
We may use third-party services for hosting, analytics, and communication purposes. These services have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@popals.org
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.