"we can not compete
but perhaps we meet somewhere"
from 'Red Rose and a Beggar' by H.D., found in Hermetic Definition (New
Directions,1972)
- This list is compiled monthly from information sent to The Poetry Library by organisers of competitions.
- Each competition has different regulations. In most cases, poems should be in English and not previously published.
- Where regulations and entry forms are available online, a link is provided, but in other cases, competitors should write to each competition, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for an entry form before submitting work. For competitions suitable for children and young people, click here
- The Poetry Library accepts no liability in connection with the information contained in the list.
Words by the Water/Mirehouse Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 10-Feb-12
Details:For poems up to 40 lines. Theme: There is no joy but calm - Tennyson. Judge: Helen Dunmore. First prize, £350. The winning poem and eight highly commended poems will be displayed on the Mirehouse Poetry Walk and on the Mirehouse website. The eight commended poets will receive a box of new books worth £100.
Entry Fee: £4.00
Contact:
Mirehouse Poetry Competition, Droridge Farm, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG
Cheques payable to Words by the Water
Lumen/Camden Poetry Competition 2012 | Closing Date: 14-Feb-12
Details:For poems up to 40 lines. Judge: Carol Ann Duffy. The winner will have a collection of their poems published in a 20 page chapbook and will receive 50 copies of their collection delivered free within the UK and will be invited to read from their work at the Camden and Lumen Open Mic Events and Friday Night Writers in London. All profits from both the competition and pamphlet sales will go to the London Homeless Cold Weather Shelters.
Entry Fee: £2.50 per poem or £10 for six
Contact:
Send your poems and a cheque (payable to Cold Weather Shelter) to Ruth O'Callaghan, 49 Ripley Gardens, Mortlake
London, SW14 8HF.
OR
Take your entry to one of the Camden and Lumen open mic events and hand it to Ruth, who will pass it on to Carol Ann Duffy
OR
Go to the Competitions page of http://www.wardwoodpublishing.co.uk where international entries are welcome
Norwich Writers' Circle 41st Annual Open Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 21-Feb-12
Details:Adjudicator: Helen Ivory. Prizes: Open Category, 1st - £300.00, 2nd - £150.00, 3rd - £75.00. Also sponsored prizes: H G Powell - The Family - £35.00; John Coleridge - Humorous - £15.00; Hilary Mellon - Minimalist - £15.00.
Entry Fee: £3.00
Contact:
All entry cheques and postal orders must be made payable to: Norwich Writers' Circle, Account Payee Only.
(IRC accepted from outside the UK)
Please send all entries to: Open Poetry Competition Secretary, 1 Stannard Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7JD
http://www.norwichwriters.org.uk/poetry/rules.htm
Grace Dieu Writers' Circle Poetry Competition 2012 | Closing Date: 28-Feb-12
Details:Maximum 40 lines. 1st Prize: £500; 2nd Prize: £200; 3rd Prize: £100; 4th Prize: £75; 5th Prize: £50. Judge: Peter Branson.
Entry Fee: £4 for one poem or £12 for 4, £3 for each additional entry over four
Contact:
Full details and entry forms can be found on our website at www.gracedieuwriterscircle.co.uk
Alternatively to receive a competition leaflet, please send a SAE to:
The Competition Organiser, 23 Henson Way, Sharnford, Leicestershire, LE10 3PN
Thynks 'Memories' Poetry Pamphlets Competition | Closing Date: 29-Feb-12
Details:For small poetry collections of up to 25 pages and up to 40 lines per page on the theme of 'memories'. Winner will have the collection published plus £25. Two runners up will receive £25 plus publication in the Bards at Blidworth and Beyond 2012 Anthology.
Entry Fee: £10
Contact: The Competitions Secretary, 18 Hillside Road, Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, NG21 0TR
Website:- http://www.thynkspublications.co.uk/competitions
Email: thynkspublications@yahoo.co.uk
Battered Moons Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 29-Feb-12
Details:Finals judge Michael Symmons Roberts. First prize £300; second £150; third £75. Winners and four commendations will be invited to read at the Swindon Festival of Literature 11th May 2012 and poems will appear in the Battered Moons Pamphlet and website. Supported by the Swindon Festival of Literature and Artswords.
Entry Fee: £3 or £10 for four poem
Contact:
Cristina Newton ( cristina.ne.newton@gmail.com ) or check information online
Website: http://batteredmoons.blogspot.com/
Prole Laureate Poetry Competition 2012 | Closing Date: 01-Mar-12
Details:Prole Magazine is looking for a poet who engages, challenges, entertains and whose work appeals to a wide audience. All poetic forms are acceptable. The winner will receive £130 and will be published in Prole. Two runners up will each receive £25. The judge is Andrew McMillan.
Entry Fee: £3 for first poem, £2 for subsequent poems.
Contact:
Full details at: http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prole/236155444300?v=wall
News blog at: http://prolebooks.blogspot.com/
Reader/writer blog: http://readwriteblog.prolebooks.co.uk/
The Poetry Box International Horror, Gothic-Horror & Dark Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 01-Mar-12
Details:For Horror, Gothic-Horror or Dark-Themed poetry. Maximum length 60 lines. Maximum of 4 Poems per Entrant. All winners will receive a copy of inaugural edition of The Poetry Box Horror & Dark Poetry Scrapbook in which the winning entries will be Published. Judge: L K Robinson. Also, the First Prize Winner will receive The Poetry Box Horror & Dark Poetry Silver Trophy Cup and Certificate. The 2nd and 3rd Place Finalists will receive Certificates and Prize Cheques of £25.00 each. The 4th and 5th Place Finalists will receive Certificates and Prize Cheques of £20.00 each. Highly Commended Entries will also receive Certificates.
Entry Fee: £5 per poem
Contact:
Email: FairyTaleRhymes@aol.com
Cheques payable to LK Robinson
Full details at http://www.thepoetrybox.co.uk/
Bare Hands Poetry and Photography Competition | Closing Date: 01-Mar-12
Details:Theme: Bare hands. For poems up to 20 lines. Two poems will be selected to be published with two photographs as postcards which will be distributed to independent bookshops in Europe, Australia and North America. The postcards will be free.
Entry Fee: £4 euros per entry
Contact:
http://barehandspoetry.tumblr.com/
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition 2012 | Closing Date: 02-Mar-12
Details:For ages 16-18 only. Poems up to 48 lines. The theme is 'Voyages'. First prize is £3,000; second is £1,000; third prize is £500 with commended entries attracting £250. Judges are Christopher Reid, Don Paterson and Peter McDonald.
Entry Fee: £0.00
Contact:
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition, Christ Church, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP
Full details from www.towerpoetry.org.uk
Cardiff International Poetry Competition 2012 | Closing Date: 02-Mar-12
Details:For poems up to 50 lines. Judges, Sinéad Morrissey and Patrick McGuinness. Filter judge, Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch. Ist prize £5000, then £500, £250 and 5 X £50. Full details on website.
Entry Fee: £6.00
Contact:
http://www.literaturewales.org/home/i/140275/desc/cipc12/
Cardiff International Poetry Competition 2012, P.O. Box 438, Cardiff, CF10 5YA, Wales, UK
Girton College Jane Martin Poetry Prize | Closing Date: 16-Mar-12
Details:Judging panel will include Bernard O'Donoghue and Gwyneth Lewis. The winner will receive £1,500 and the opportunity to read at a high-profile poetry event. Maximum of four poems per entrant. See flyer for full details.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact:
Download flyer at: http://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/news/2012/
The Jane Martin Poetry Prize, Girton College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0JG
Queen Mother Memorial Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 30-Mar-12
Details:A candidate may submit any number of poems on any subject. The poem(s) should follow the length and format as 3 verses, 3 lines per verse, 10 words per line. There is also an Under 18's section for stories. Stories can be on any subject. Maximum number of words 250 words. Prize Details 1st prize: £50.00 and a certificate (Both sections) Possible publication in magazines.
Entry Fee: £3 or £10 for 4 poems
Contact:
For more information on how to enter see:
http://sites.google.com/site/royalpoetrycompetition/competitiondetails
Email: kumbi.johnson@googlemail.com
Awel Aman Tawe Poetry Competition on Climate Change | Closing Date: 31-Mar-12
Details:For poems up to 40 lines on theme of Climate Change. Judges: Carol Ann Duffy (English entries) & Elin ap Hywel (Welsh entries). Adults: 1st £500; 2nd £100; 3rd £50. Children: 1st £50; 2nd £30; 3rd £20.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem or 4 for £10 (adults); £1 per poem or 4 for £3 (children)
Contact:
email: ehinshelwood@awelamantawe.co.uk
website: www.awelamantawe.co.uk
Cheques payable to Awel Aman Tawe.
Awel Aman Tawe Poetry Competition, 76-78 Heol Gwilym, Cwmllynfell, Swansea, SA9 2GN
You can also enter online and pay via paypal on the website.
Flash 500 Humour Verse Competition | Closing Date: 31-Mar-12
Details:Up to 30 lines. First: £150 plus publication; second: £100; third: £50. The three winning entries will be published on the website.
Entry Fee: £3 for the first poem, then £2.50 for each poem thereafter
Contact:
Website: http://www.flash500.com/index_files/humourverse.html
Larkin and East Riding Poetry Prize, 2012 | Closing Date: 31-Mar-12
Details:Adjudicator: Penelope Shuttle; length: 45 lines. Prizes: £1,000, £500, £200; £20 x 10; commendations plus special prize of £200 for East Riding resident or worker.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem
Contact:
Entry form and further info at: www.bridlington-poetry-festival.com
Entries to:
The Larkin & East Riding Poetry Prize, Library Offices, Skirlaugh, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU11 5HN
Cheques payable to ERYC (please put name and address on back)
PSSMS Olympics Micropoetry Competition | Closing Date: 31-Mar-12
Details:The Poetry Society of Social Media & SMS Micropoetry contest. Theme is 'The Olympics'. Poems can be no longer than 160 characters. Entrants can submit a maximum of 5 poems. First prize is a Kindle ebook reader. Judge Victor Keegan.
Entry Fee: £0
Contact: http://pssms.com/olympics-2012-micropoetry-competition.html
Buxton Poetry Competition 2011 | Closing Date: 06-Apr-12
Details:Theme this year is 'Welcome to Britain'. Judges are Ann and Peter Sansom. Prizes: Open - £300, £200, £100 plus other prizes. Children and Young People - booktokens. Categories: Open (ages 19 and over), Youth (ages 12 - 18), Children's (11 and unders).
Entry Fee: £5 per poem in the Open Category, Childrens and Youth - FREE
Contact:
All entries must be sent by post with a completed entry form to the address on the form.
For more information and to download an entryform please visit www.derby.ac.uk/buxtonpoetrycompetition.
Poetry-next-the-Sea Competition | Closing Date: 13-Apr-12
Details:For poems up to 40 lines. Maximum of three poems per entrant. Judge: Graham High. First prize, £100; then £75 and £50. Part of the Poetry-next-the-Sea Poetry Festival.
Entry Fee: £2 for 1 poem; £4 for 2 poems and £5 for 3
Contact: Full details at www.poetry-next-the-sea.com
Poetry-next-the-Sea, 93 Queen's Road, Fakenham, NR21 8BU
Cheques payable to: Poetry-next-the-Sea
Mayor of Enfield's Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 30-Apr-12
Details:Judge Mario Petrucci, 1st Prize £500, 2nd £200, 3rd £100. Special £50 for a poem on Enfield & £100 for poem inspired by the Olympic or Paralympic Games 2012.
Entry Fee: £3 per poem for first 3 poems £10 for 4
Contact:
The Mayor's Poetry Competition, Enfield Council, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield EN1 3XA
Email: poetry@chela.co.uk
See www.enfield.gov.uk/poetrycompetition2010 for more details
