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Please Note The information given here is for GUIDANCE ONLY. While every effort is made to ensure that it is accurate, before entering any listed competition you should obtain full rules and an entry form from the organisers. Information is provided by the organisers of the competitions and we cannot accept any liability for its accuracy.
* TO GET COMPETITION INFORMATION MONTHLT BY EMAIL |
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| 20th April 2026 |
1st £110 entry 3.50 |
POETRY KIT EASTER
COMPETITION 2026
Enter by
midnight on 15th April 2024 1st prize £110. Entry fees are
as follows; 1 poem £3.50 3 Poems £8.00 5 poems £10 Competition
Judge; Lucy Turnbull. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ENTER
ONLINE SEE |
| 8th March 2026 |
1st ABA entry £5 |
Words for Ada is a poetry competition looking for submissions on the theme of change, protest, and freedom in honour of the Crewe-based suffragist Aa Nield Chew. Entrants may submit previously unpublished poems of no more than 20 lines each. There will be a separate category for under and over 18 years of age. The competition is free for those under 18 years old. Judge: Kate Blakemore, Hazel Reeves and Jules Gibb |
| 11th March 2026 |
1st £500 entry £10 |
Mairtín Crawford Poetry Award 2026 Judging the 10th Mairtín Crawford
Poetry Award will be: Kathleen McCracken and Dawn Watson. With
support from Milena Williamson. Winners and placed writers will be
announced on Thursday 4 June 2026 at a special event as part of
the Belfast Book Festival. Winners will be invited to read their
winning poems at the Festival event. Winning poems will be
published on the Festival website. The Winner of each Award will receive
a £500 cash Prize. In addition, each Winner can take up time a
‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at a Hotel
in Belfast, and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The
Crescent. Two Runners Up for each Category will receive a £250
cash prize. |
| 15th March 2025 |
1st Publication entry free |
The Inspiring Voices Poetry Festival invites
young poets aged 11-25 to submit poems exploring England’s
heritage sites, and how they can be used to create an original
piece of writing, as part of the online part of the festival. Entrants may only submit one piece of writing. Written poems must have a maximum of 40 lines. Spoken/performed and multimedia poems must have a time limit of 3 minutes. Experimental and hybrid poems must be accompanied with a clear description of intent and required playback conditions e.g., interactive elements or digital platforms needed. Winners in the 11-14 Category, 15-17 Category and 18-25 Category will receive: Invitation to attend and perform their piece at the Schwarzman centre in Oxford in June 2026. Travel and accommodation costs covered for winner and one other (must be an adult if entrant is under 18). English Heritage Membership for 1 year Collection of Literary works Branded poetry anthology containing their creative response Mentoring from an industry expert Certificate Other prizes that are to be determined Runners-up across all categories will receive a certificate and selection of prizes. Those marked as Highly Commended will receive a certificate. See Inspiring Voices | English Heritage |
| 27th March 2026 |
1st £100 entry £3 |
The Red Shed Poetry Competition Closing date: Fri 27 Mar 2026 Sole adjudicator: Anne Caldwell Prizes: 1st— £100 2nd—£50 short listed poems – £20 Wakefield Postcode prize—£25 Entry fee: £3 for the first poem | £2 for subsequent poems See the Red Shed Poetry Comp 2026 - Currock Press |
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31st March 2026 |
1st £250 entry £5 |
South Downs Poetry Festival – The Binsted Prize Adjudicator: Joanna Linley. Entry: e-mail only Prize-giving will be on Saturday 23rd May in
Chichester. First Prize £250 Second £150, Third £50. Winners and
highly commended published in the Binsted Prize Anthology. For further details, rules & entry form visit South Downs Poetry Festival Competition |
| 31st March 2026 |
1st Publication entry £10 |
Dithering Chaps is now open for submissions for their poetry chapbook competition. Entrants are invited to submit a ten-page sample of poems alongside a 200-word treatment explaining the vision behind their collection manuscript (roughly 30-60 pages in total). The shortlist will be announced by mid-April 2026, and the winning poet will be chosen by the end of that month. Poets who have not had a previous poetry collection published will also automatically be considered for a separate publication slot. |
| 31st March 2026 |
1st E1000 entry E16 |
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2026 is now open
for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7-11. Entrants from anywhere in the world are welcome to submit. Judge: Robert Schechter The first prize winner will receive a cash prize of €1,000 plus a week at The Moth Retreat in Ireland. The second and third prize will receive cash prizes of €500 and €250, respectively. The winning poems will also be published in the Irish Times online. See https://www.themothmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=9454&page=60 |
| 31st March 2026 |
1st £250 entry £5 |
The Binsted Prize : South Downs Poetry Festival Closing date: Tue 31 Mar 2026 The South Downs Poetry Festival, an ongoing programme of events taking place in Sussex, is now open for submissions for The Binsted Prize. Poems must be previously unpublished and not exceed 40 lines. Simultaneous submissions are accepted subject to withdrawal if another prize is awarded before the winners in this competition are notified. Entries from any country are welcome. Judge: Joanna Lilley Prizes will be: Overall winner: Binsted Prize and £250 2nd £150 and 3rd £50 Publication in the Binsted Prize Anthology for winning and highly commended poems There will be a reading event and prizegiving in Chichester on 23rd May. See » 2026 Poetry Competition |
| 1st April 2026 |
1st £1000 entry £7 |
Nature and Place Poetry
competition 2026. The RSPB and The Rialto are
additionally working with BirdLife International, the Cambridge
Conservation Initiative and the University of Leeds Poetry
Centre. r entries close at midnight on 1st
April 2026. Prizes Our judge is
celebrated poet, Mona
Arshi. The entry fee is £7 for the first
poem and £4 for each subsequent poem. Full details and the facility to
enter online can be found on The Rialto website:
https://www.therialto.co.uk/pages/nature-poetry-competition/
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| 4th April 2026 |
1st £200 entry £5 |
The Artemesia Arts international poetry competition 2026 Entrants from anywhere in the world are welcome, writing on any subject or theme, in any style or form. Maximum line length 40 lines. First prize £200 Two runners-up receive £80 A number of highly commended poems will also be selected. Judge: Malika Booker FRSL Fifty poems will be shortlisted and named on their website. The winners, highly commended and a further 25 poems will be chosen for inclusion in an anthology to be published by Mosaïque Press. All winners and commended poets will be invited to read at a selected poetry weekend retreat in South West France. They are looking for poems that please the eye, delight the ear and make heart beat faster. |
| 8th April 2026 |
1st £1000 entry £16 |
The Brotherton Poetry Prize 2026 celebrates and
promotes poetry and supports new poets. The Prize is organised
by Poetry@Leeds at the the University of Leeds. The Prize is
open to anyone in the world over the age of 18 who hasn’t yet
published a full collection of poems. The winner receives £1,000. Four runners-up each receive £200. The poems of the five shortlisted poets are published as an anthology by Carcanet Press. This year’s judges are Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Kimberly Campanello, Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Helen Mort, Zaffar Kunial, Matthew Treherne, Emma Trott, and John Whale. See https://poetry.leeds.ac.uk/brotherton-prize/ |
| 12th April 2026 |
1st £100 entry £4 |
FEDERATION OF WRITERS (SCOTLAND) POETRY COMPETITION Five categories, poetry,
short stories, flash fiction/mini-story, Scottish Gaelic and
Scots poetry 1st prize in
each category £100. Entry fees are as follows; 1 entry £4,
3 entries £10.00 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ENTER ONLINE
SEE
https://www.federationofwriters.scot/annual-competition-2026 |
| 18th April 2026 |
1st £50 entry £5 |
Fosseway Writers Poetry Competition 2026 The 2026 poetry competition is now open and this year the theme is “Ghost”. From spooky and fun or maybe potentially more sombre entries, as always the context and interpretation is entirely up to the entrant. The competition is open to all, anywhere in the world and the entry fee is £5. The judge for this competition is Alex Davis. Top prize is £50 with £30 for second and £20 for third place. See - 2026 Poetry Competition – Fosseway Writers |
| 20th April 2026 |
1st £110 entry 3.50 |
POETRY KIT EASTER
COMPETITION 2026
Enter by
midnight on 15th April 2024 1st prize £110. Entry fees are
as follows; 1 poem £3.50 3 Poems £8.00 5 poems £10 Competition
Judge; Lucy Turnbull. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ENTER
ONLINE SEE |
| 26th April 2026 |
1st £100 entry £5 |
Charm Poetry Competition Closing date: Sun 26 Apr 2026 A competition for the lighter side of poetry. Upon noticing that prize-winning poems are usually on serious subjects, that free-form poems are more common than traditional structures, and that rhyme is rare, Charm Poetry would like to change some of that. They are looking for poems that entertain them and brighten their day. They like warmth, wit and whimsy. They believe it is possible to write a good poem that conforms to these guidelines, and they would like entrants to prove them right. Judge: Vanessa Lampert First prize – £100 Second prize – £50 Third prize – £25 see Charm Poetry Competition: Charm Poetry Competition details |
| 30th April 2026 |
1st £1000 entry £5 |
The 28th Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is
now open. Entries from across the UK and internationally are
welcome. Prizes will be awarded for the best poems and the best
sonnet. There is also a Local prize for the best poem by a
writer living in Hertfordshire or Essex. Poems must be in
English, your own original work and no longer than 50 lines. Any
number of poems can be submitted. First prize: £1,000 Second
prize: £500 Third prize: £200 Sonnet prize: £200 Local prize: £200 for a poem by a resident of Hertfordshire or Essex. Judge: Keith Jarret. All winning and commended poems will be published in the 2026 Anthology. The prize-winning poems will also be published on the website, and the poem awarded first prize will be entered for the Forward Prize. see Competition 2026 — Ware Poets |
| 30th April 2026 |
1st 600 entry |
Ver Poets Open Competition 2026 for poems of up
to 30 lines on any theme and in any form. There will be three
prizes of £600 (1st), £300 (2nd) and £100 (3rd). Judge: Vanessa
Lampert Winning and selected poems will be published in the
competition anthology. It is open to anyone aged 16 or over.
There is no initial sifting process. see COMPETITIONS | Ver Poets |
| 30th April 2026 |
1st £250 entry £5 |
The Indigo Dreams annual Spring Poetry Prize 2026
is now open for submissions of previously unpublished
poems. Entrants are welcome to submit poems on any theme or subject but must be 40 lines max from the first line including stanza breaks. There are three prizes of £50 (3rd), £100 (2nd), and £250 (1st), plus magazine publication. Judge: Victoria Gatehouse See Poetry Competitions |
| 25th May 2026 |
1st £500 entry free |
The Matthew Lanyon Archive is delighted to
announce a new national poetry prize, celebrating the life and
creative legacy of Cornish artist Matthew Lanyon (1951-2016). Poets are invited to submit up to two poems that respond to Matthew’s work in new and intriguing ways. The theme for this year’s competition is ‘The Archaeology of Tomorrow’. A cash prize of £500 will be awarded to the overall winner. The winner and 5 highly commended poets will have their poems published on the Matthew Lanyon website. An additional prize is available for a poet from or living in Cornwall. Judges: Luke Thompson, Judith Lanyon and Zelda Cahill-Patten. The competition opens for entries on 30th March 2026. see Matthew Lanyon Poetry Prize 2026 — Matthew Lanyon |
| 29th May 2026 |
1st £250 entry £4 |
Wirral Poetry Festival Open
Poetry Competition 2026 Poems on any subject, of not more
than 40 lines, in English, Open prizes:1st prize £250, 4 £25
runner-up prizes. LCR prizes (for entrants living/working in
the Liverpool City Region): 1st Prize £100, 2 £25
runner-up prizes. Entry: £4 per poem / £10 for 3
poems Full details and online entry at
www.wirralpoetryfestival.org.uk . |
| 31st May 2026 |
1st £250 entry £5 |
The Whispering Wisdom Prize Poetry Competition 2026
is now open for submissions. Entrants are welcome to submit
previously unpublished poems on any theme. Poems must be up to
40 lines (excluding title and line breaks), and written in the
English language. Judges: Chris Allen and Peter Devonald There will be cash prizes of £250 (1st) and £50 (2nd and 3rd). see Poetry | Whispering Wisdom |
| 31st May 2026 |
1st 250 guineas entry £4 |
The Frogmore Poetry Prize Open for Poems must be in English, unpublished and not currently submitted elsewhere or accepted for future publication. They must not previously have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be typed and no longer than forty lines. Judge: Mike Barlow The winner of the Frogmore Poetry Prize (founded 1987) will receive two hundred and fifty guineas and a two-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers. The first and second runners-up will receive seventy-five and fifty guineas respectively and a year’s subscription to The Frogmore Papers. Shortlisted poets will receive copies of selected Frogmore Press publications. see Frogmore Poetry Prize 2026 – submission guidelines – The Frogmore Press |
| 28 June 2026 |
1st £500 entry £6 |
Welsh Poetry Competition 2026 Closing date: Sun 28 June 2026 Judge – Mick Evans The 20th international English-language contest is now open and accepting entries! The biggest poetry contest in Wales, based in Pontypridd. This year is the final one and will be offering the following prizes: 1st Prize – £500 2nd Prize – £250 3rd Prize – £100 plus 17 runners-up, specially commended entries and publication in a future anthology. see https://welshpoetry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-wpc_logo2.png |
| 30th June 2026 |
1st share of £5000 entry £8 |
Wells Festival of Literature's International Open Poetry
Competition Closing date: Tue 30 Jun 2026 The Open Poetry Competition has no theme. No more than 40 lines. Judge: Clare Shaw All shortlisted poets will be invited to read their poem or send a video of themselves reading their poem in Cedars Hall, Wells on 19th October during the Competitions’ special event when the winners will be announced and receive prizes totalling £5,000 between them. All the shortlisted poems will be included in the Poetry Booklet.. see Open Poetry | Wells Festival of Literature |
