An annual national writing competition and development programme open to all underrepresented writers. Submit one piece of writing in the following categories:

Poetry: maximum 50 lines

Fiction: maximum 2000 words

Creative Non-Fiction: maximum 2000 words


Closing: Sunday 18 May 2025 11.59 pm

Prizes: £20K in cash & professional development

Entry Fee: FREE or Pay What You Can

Comp Page: https://www.creativefuture.org.uk/for-writers/creative-future-writers-award/how-to-enter/

Wirral Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition 2025
Closing date 30 May

Poems on any subject, of not more than 40 lines, in English,
Open prizes adjudicated by Helen Ivory and Martin Figura; Wirral Prizes by Pauline Rowe.

Open prizes:
- 1st prize £250,
- 4 x £25 runner-up prizes.
Wirral prizes (for entrants living/working in Wirral):
- 1st Prize £100,
- 2 x £25 runner-up prizes.

Entry: £4 per poem / £10 for 3 poems

Full details and online entry at www.wirralpoetryfestival.org.uk .

Winners to be notified by 11 July 2025 and invited to a competition celebration during the Wirral Poetry Festival in October. Competition results posted online on 18 July 2025.

Arundel Literary Festival 2025

* Talks, discussions, workshops, evening performances over 3 days, 6-8 March
* 2 Writing Competitions, for Poetry and for Flash Fiction
- A chance to win £200 (first prize) or £100 (second Prize)
- Closing date 9 February 2025
- Each entry £5.00

Winners will be notified on Feb 28 and invited to read their work, should they wish,
at the final evening event of the Arundel Literary Festival on March 8th in the Victoria
Institute, Tarrant St, Arundel, BN18 9DG

This award honors the achievements of the great Dominican-American poet, translator, and public school teacher Rhina Polonia Espaillat

The winning poet will receive a two thousand dollar award and the winning poem will be published in Plough Quarterly. In addition, two finalists will receive two hundred and fifty dollars as well as publication in Plough.

The Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award is free to Plough Quarterly subscribers, and there is a $7.00 fee per poem for non-subscribers.

Submissions deadline: March 30th 2025

Submission guidelines and entry instructions: https://www.plough.com/en/contact-us/rhina-espaillat-poetry-award

Established in 2002

Annual submission window: April 15-October 1

Prizes:

TOM HOWARD PRIZE: $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre

MARGARET REID PRIZE: $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style

Two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value) for the top two winners

10 Honorable Mention awards of $300 each in any style

Top 12 entries published online

Eligibility: International

Entry fee: $22

Established in 2001

Annual submission window: August 15-April 1

Prizes:

First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)

Second Prize: $500

Third Prize: $250

10 Honorable Mention Awards of $100 each

Eligibility: International

Entry fee : No fee

Deadline: 31 May 2024
Entry fee: £4.00 per poem

Prizes:
- First prize 250 guineas (£262.50) and a two-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers;
- first runner-up 75 guineas (£78.75) and a one-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers;
- second runner-up 50 guineas (£52.50) and a one-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers.
- All shortlisted poems published in number 104 of The Frogmore Papers (September 2024).

Word limit: 40 lines
Adjudicator: Graham Mort
http://www.frogmorepress.co.uk/frogmore-poetry-prize/

Sole adjudicator: Carole Baldock, Editor of Orbis magazine.

Closing date: Friday 29th March, 2024

Prizes: 1st - £100, 2nd - £50, Shortlisted poems - £20

Wakefield postcode prize - £25

Entry fee: £3 for the first poem, £2 for subsequent poems.

Enter online or via post.

Subsidised entries available by request. Awards event planned.

TRIO INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION

Deadline: 30th September 2023

Entry Fee: £5 for the first poem £8 for two poems £10 for three poems

Prizes: £1,000 First Prize 2nd £300 3rd £100 4 commended poems £25 each.

All entries will be considered for publication in the next edition of Red Poets


Word Limit: 40 lines excluding title

Judge: Mike Jenkins

Competition Website:

https://www.triouganda.org/poetry-competition

South Downs Poetry Festival 2023 in alliance with Binsted Arts, is holding a poetry competition for the award of The Binsted Prize 2023,
Closing Date: 15-04-2023

Prizes: First: £300, second: £150, third: £50.

Poems on any subject, 50 lines max. 

Judge: Wendy Klein

Poems must be original and unpublished. Simultaneous submissions can be accepted. 

We plan to hold a prize-giving evening on June 10 2023, in Binsted,near Arundel, West Sussex. Winners will have their poems included on the South Downs Poetry Festival website. An anthology of winning and commended poems is planned.

Entry fees: For poets over 25: £5 for first poem, £4.00 each thereafter for any number of poems. For poets 16-25, £3.00 for all poems.

Comp Page: Send 2 copies of each poem with completed entry form. For further details, rules and entry form visit:  www.sdpf.org.uk
also obtainable via https://www.binsted.org/poetry-comp-23

The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Translated work is not in the scope of this competition. Once entered, no alterations can be made to the submission. Simultaneous submissions are accepted but please notify us immediately should your work be accepted elsewhere.

Closing Date: 30th November 2022

Entry fee: 7 Euro

Word Limit: 40 lines

Prizes: 1st prize – €2000 and a featured reading at the 2023 Cork International Poetry Festival; 2nd prize – €500; 3rd prize – €250; ten runners-up – €50. All winners and runners up are published in Southword 44.

Take part in the About Us poetry competition for the chance to books, mentoring, publication and workshops.

About Us is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. The project, which was created by 59 Productions, Stemettes, and The Poetry Society, looks at all the ways we are connected to the universe, nature, and each other.

Get creative!

If you’re aged 4-18, send us your poems exploring how life across the universe is connected. It’s free to enter and the deadline is 31 August 2022. Enter at aboutus.earth/competition

Are you interested in how the cells in our bodies work together? Or the way trees and mushrooms talk to each other underground? Did you know that the iron in our blood began life in a star? Are you passionate about working together to combat the climate crisis? If so, tell us about it in a poem or an animation.

Find lots of resources to inspire you at aboutus.earth/resources.

If you have any questions, please contact aboutus@poetrysociety.org.uk

Deadline: February 28th 2022

Prizes:

1st £300
2nd £150
3rd £75

The best West Sussex entry will also be awarded a separate prize of £50 and the Jim Johnston Chanctonbury Cup

Entry Fees:

£5.00 for initial poem
£3.50 for each additional poem

Adjudicator: Roger Elkin

Summary:

Entries may be made by post or online

Winners will be notified individually by March 31st.

All results and the winning poems will be published on the Slipstream Poets web site www.slipstream-poets.co.uk

Full details may be seen here: Competition – Slipstream Poets (https://www.slipstream-poets.co.uk/competition/)

Deadline: 23 February 2022 (midnight GMT)

First Prize: £600, Second Prize: £200, Third Prize: £100, entrance fee is £4 for 1 poem, or £10 for 3 poems

Judge: Kim Moore

Summary: The 10th annual poetry competition run by Poets & Players, one of Manchester’s leading organisers of poetry and music events. Judged by Kim Moore, with a first prize of £600, second prize of £200, and third prize of £100, plus the opportunity to read alongside Kim at the prize giving ceremony scheduled for Saturday 23 April. Winning poems will be published on our website. For full details, and entry form please visit: https://wp.me/P1O6so-UO