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Last updated 27th March 2023
Below you will find details of many national and international poetry competitions, contests, awards and prizes from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, England (and the rest of the UK), Ireland and the USA. There are competitions suitable for poets of all ages and levels of capability. I recommend that you read and make sure you fully understand the rules and the terms & conditions of each competition listed before entering.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the poetry competitions listed on this page accept entries from writers living anywhere in the world. The country each publication is run from is listed so you know which global market you are submitting to.
If you run a poetry competition and would like your contest to be included in the lists below, please contact me providing all of the following information (please don't just send me a link - give the full details requested below in an email):
If you spot any mistakes, incorrect information or broken links on this page, please feel free to contact me - I do my best to fix any problems quickly.
This page is updated regularly throughout the year. I add new competitions as I become aware of them and update mistakes users point out. I undertake a full update, checking every link, during December / January each year.
Do you run a poetry competition? Would you like it featured on this page? If so, please get in touch. This page attracts thousands of visits a month.
At FanStory new poetry contests are available.
You'll Enjoy
Poetry Contest Highlights
Rhyming Poem: Share a poem that has a clear rhyme scheme. Cash Prize!
8 Words or Less Poem: Can you write a poem with only 8 words? Now is your chance to try this and have a chance at the cash prize.
5-7-5 Poetry: Write a 5-7-5! What's that. It's a poem with three lines. The first line has five syllables. The second line has seven. The third line has five again.
Free Verse Poem: Write a poem that is free form. Free verse does not follow any structure or style. Enter for your chance at the cash prize.
Two Line Poem: Share a poem with two lines. Each line must have exactly six syllables. There should be an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme. View the announcement for an example. Cash prize to the winner.
Haiku: A Haiku is often about nature. It's a short poem. Cash Prize!
2-4-2 Poetry Contest: Share a poem that only has three lines and eight syllables. Cash Prize!
Children's Poetry Contest: Write a poem for a child. Share a poem that your child or grandchild would enjoy. Cash Prize!
View the full list of poetry contests.
This list contains information about poem competitions run on a regular basis; daily, weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, tri-annually etc. If you're new to poetry and have not yet been published, this is a good place to start.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Anansi Archive Poetry Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 words | £1 | £20 |
| Notes on Anansi Archive Competition: Any style / genre - they also run quarterly flash fiction and short fiction competitions | ||||||
| Cinnamon Press Poetry Prizes | Wales | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Cinnamon Press Poetry Prizes: They run a variety of literary awards that change regularly - check website for more details |
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| Dandy Writers' Writing Contests | USA | Monthly | Monthly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Dandy Writers' Contest: Any style, subject or theme - they run a variety of regular contests for short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
| FanStory Poetry Contests | USA | Weekly | Weekly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on FanStory Contests: FanStory run a variety of contests including Haiku, Sonnet, 3 Line Poem and many more - they add new competitions on a weekly basis | ||||||
| Fiction Factory Poetry Competition | UK | Biannually | Biannually | 40 lines | £4 | £100 |
| Notes on Fiction Factory Competition: Any style, subject or theme - they offer additional prizes in the form of critiques and mentoring - short-listed poems published on website | ||||||
| F(r)iction Lit Poetry Competition | USA | Tri-annually | Tri-annually | 3 pages | $10 | $300 |
| Notes on F(r)iction Competition: Any style, subject or theme - they also have short story and flash fiction categories - winners published in F(r)iction | ||||||
| Friedrich Naumann Foundation Poems of Liberty | Belgium | Biannually | Biannually | no limit | FREE | €250 |
| Notes on Friedrich Naumann Foundation Poems of Liberty: Any style or subject but check website for current topics - winning poems published in Poems of Liberty - all selected poems will receive a 250 EUR - to find competition page, put "Poems of Liberty" followed by the current year into the website seach box | ||||||
| Letter Review Prize for Poetry | Australia | Bi-Monthly | Bi-Monthly | 70 lines | $15 | $400 |
| Notes on Letter Review Prize: Any style / genre - winners published at Letter Review | ||||||
| New Millennium Awards | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on New Millennium Awards: Any style, subject or theme - they've been running a variety of awards since 1996, so best to check website for current details |
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| Sentinel Literary Poetry Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 50 lines | £5 | £250 |
Notes on Sentinel Literary Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Sentinel Literary Magazine |
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| Templar Poetry Awards | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Templar Poetry Awards: They run lots of different competitions - most offer publication and prize money, but check website for current opportunities - contests include poetry collections, pamphlets and more |
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| The League of Poets Weekly Contest | Nigeria | Weekly | Weekly | 40 lines | FREE | Varies |
Notes on League of Poets Contest: Any style or subject, but each week there is a different topic / theme, so check website for current details - prizes vary, but winners always receive certificates of writing distinction - they also accept flash fiction |
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| Wax Poetry and Art Magazine's Poetry Contests | Canada | Varies | Varies | No max stated | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Wax Poetry and Art Contest: Any style or subject, but themes vary, so check website for full details - top prize has been up to CAD $1,000 in the past - winners published via Wax Poetry and Art Network | ||||||
| Writers' Forum Poetry Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 40 lines | £7 | £100 |
Notes on Writers' Forum Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Writers' Forum magazine |
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This list contains details of prestigious poetry contests offering large monetary prizes in excess of £1,000 ($, € or other currency). Competition will be high - big prizes tend to attract more entries.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Aesthetica Creative Writing Award | UK | August | December | 40 lines | £12 | £2,500 |
Notes on Aesthetica Competition: Any style / genre - winning poems published in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual - winners also receives poetry society membership, books and magazine subscriptions - they also accept short stories |
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| Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Alpine Fellowship Prize: Any style but themed, so check website for this year's details - winner and two runners up invited to attend the next symposium - top prize has been up to £10,000 in the past | ||||||
| Anthology Magazine Poetry Award | Ireland | October | December | 40 lines | €18 | €1,000 |
| Notes on Anthology Magazine Award: Any style, subject - winner published in Anthology Magazine and on the AM website | ||||||
| Arran Theatre and Arts Trust McLellan Poetry Prize | Scotland | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on McLellan Poetry Prize: Any style, subject or theme - top prize has been up to £1,500 in the past - usually closes around June / July |
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| Arrowsmith Press Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry | USA | February | October | no max | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on Arrowsmith Press Prize: Any style, subject or theme -
for full-length books of poems, hence no max wordcount - winner also receives other perks, so check website for full details |
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| Bayou Magazine’s 'Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry' | USA | Varies | Varies | no max stated | $20 | $1,000 |
| Notes on Bayou Magazine Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winner published in and receives a free subscription to Bayou Magazine - all entries are considered for publication | ||||||
| Breakwater Review Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | no max stated | $10 | $1,000 |
| Notes on Breakwater Review Contest: Any style, subject or theme - all finalists considered for publication in the Breakwater Review - $10 fee allows you to submit up to 3 poems | ||||||
| Bridport Prize for Poems | UK | May | November | 42 lines | £10 | £5,000 |
Notes on Bridport Prize Poem Competition: Any style, subject or theme -
winners published in the Bridport Prize anthology |
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| Brighton & Hove Arts Council Sussex Poetry Competition | UK | October | November | 40 lines | £6 | £1,000 |
| Notes on B&HAC Sussex Poetry Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - all prizewinners invited to read at the festival - to find the competition details, put "competition" into their website's search box - also run a competition for children | ||||||
| Caterpillar Poetry Prize | Ireland | March | June | no max stated | €14 | €1,000 |
Notes on Caterpillar Prize: Any style, subject or theme but written for children aged 7 to 11 years of age - winner published in The Caterpillar |
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| Christopher Tower Poetry Prize Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 48 lines | FREE | £3,000 |
Notes on Christopher Tower Competition: Themed, so check website for current details - for 16 to 18 year olds in full time education - winners published on website |
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| Coffee-House Poetry 'Troubadour Poetry Prize' | UK | Varies | Varies | 45 lines | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Troubadour Prize: Any style, subject or theme - top prize varies, but is always thousands of pounds + goodies - highest I've seen top prize is £5,000 - entry fee is usually around the £5/£6 mark but does vary |
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| Creative Writing Ink Poetry Prize | Ireland | May | July | 42 lines | €6 | €1,000 |
| Notes on Creative Writing Ink Prize: Any style, subject or theme - in addition to cash, winner recieves a free creative writing course and is published on their website - to find the competition page, look in the "Resources" section of their website | ||||||
| Forward Arts Foundation Prizes For Poetry | UK | Varies | October | NA | FREE | £10,000 |
Notes on Forward Arts Foundation Prize: Prizes: 10K for best collection, 5K for best 1st collection, 1K for best single poem |
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| Fresno State College of Arts Philip Levine Prize for Poetry | USA | Varies | Varies | 80 pages | Varies | $2,000 |
| Notes on Philip Levine Prize: Any style, subject or theme - in addition to cash prize, winner is published by Anhinga Press - to find the current competition page, put 'levine' into their website's search function - entry fee is usually around the $25 to $30 mark | ||||||
| Globe Soup Autumn Poetry Competition | UK | August | November | 50 lines | £8 | £1,000 |
| Notes on Globe Soup Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details | ||||||
| Kent & Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
| Notes on Kent & Sussex Poetry Society Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in the society’s annual Poetry Folio | ||||||
| Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition | UK | July | ? | 40 lines | £5.75 | £1,000 |
Notes on Ledbury Poetry Competition: Any style, subject or theme -
winners are offered the chance of reading at the Ledbury Poetry Festival - also run comps for children |
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| Live Canon International Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | no max stated | Varies | £1,000 |
| Notes on Live Canon Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in anthology | ||||||
| Manchester Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 120 lines | £18 | £10,000 |
Notes on Manchester Prize: Any style, subject or theme - for best collection of 3 to 5 poems with a collective maximum of 12o lines |
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| Mairtín Crawford Award for Poetry and Short Stories | UK (Belfast) | May | Varies | 3 to 5 poems | £6 | £1,000 |
| Notes on Mairtín Crawford Award: Any style, subject or theme - winners also receive a place on a writing retreat | ||||||
| Moth Magazine Nature Writing Prize | Ireland | Varies | Varies | no max stated | €15 | €1,000 |
Notes on Moth Magazine Nature Prize: Any style / genre but themed around nature: check website for full details - in addition to cash, winner receives a week's stay at The Moth Retreat - winning story published in The Moth - also accept fiction and non-fiction |
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| Moth Poetry Prize | Ireland | December | March | no line limit | €15 | €6,000 |
Notes on The Moth Poetry Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Moth Magazine - they also offer generous prizes for runners up |
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| Munster Literature Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition | Ireland | Varies | Varies | 16 to 24 pages | €25 | €1,000 |
| Notes on Munster Lit F4P Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winner will have a chapbook published and be given 25 free copies - winner offered the chance to read at the Cork International Poetry Festival | ||||||
| Munster Literature Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition | Ireland | November | Varies | 40 lines | €7 | €2,000 |
| Notes on Munster Lit G O'D Literature Competition: Any style, subject or theme - published in winter edition of Southword Literary Journal - winner also receives a trip to the Cork International Poetry Festival and place on a writer’s retreat | ||||||
| New Writers Poetry Competition | UK | July | October | 40 lines | £10 | £1,000 |
| Notes on New Writers Competition: Any style, subject or theme - three winning poems published on website - £1 from each entry will be donated to First Story (England's leading creative writing charity for young people) | ||||||
| Omnidawn Poetry Contests | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | Varies | Varies | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Notes on Omnidawn Contest: Any style or genre - 4 contests run every year with different requirements - 2 have a $1,000 prize, 2 have a $3,000 prize - winners published professionally in a chapbook | ||||||
| Poetry London Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 80 lines | £8 | £5,000 |
| Notes on Poetry London Prize: Any style, subject or theme - generous cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place poets - winners published in Poetry London magazine | ||||||
| Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize | UK | June | Varies | 3,000 | £10 | £1,000 |
Notes on Wasafiri Prize: Any style / genre - winners published in Wasafiri's print magazine, shortlisted writers published on Wasafiri's website - a single poetry entry can include up to three poems, which together total no more than 3,000 words - they also accept short stories and life writing |
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| Robert Graves Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
Notes on
Robert Graves Prize: Any style, subject or theme - run by
University of Roehampton and Wimbledon BookFest
- winners published in
Poem Magazine - if there's no obvious link to the current competition, look in the 'News' section of their website - usually closes around July / August time |
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| Room Magazine Poetry Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | C$1,000 |
Notes on Room Magazine Poetry Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Room Magazine - entry includes subsciption to Room Magazine |
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| Singapore Unbound Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize | Singapore / USA | May | July | 70 to 120 pages | $10 | $1,000 |
| Notes on Singapore Unbound Gaudy Boy Prize: Any style, subject or theme - entrants must be of Asian heritage - look in the 'opportunities' section of the website to find the current competition details - winner also earns book publication in the USA and Singapore | ||||||
| TCK Publishing Poetry Awards | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | $1,000 |
| Notes on the TCK Publishing Awards: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - no dedicated award page, so type 'award' into the search function at the top of the homepage and all the current award details will come up | ||||||
| The Bedford Competition | UK | October | December / January | 40 lines | £7.50 | £1,000 |
Notes on The Bedford Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winning and shortlisted entries published in anthology - after winners have been paid, excess money is donated to charity |
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| The Brain Charity's Liverpool Poetry Prize | UK | March | June | 40 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
| Notes on The Brain Charity's Prize: Any style, subject or theme - £5 entry fee is a donation to The Brain Charity - to find the competition details, put "poetry prize" into the website search box | ||||||
| The New Guard Knightville Poetry Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 150 lines | $22 | $1,500 |
| Notes on The New Guard Award: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in The New Guard | ||||||
| The Plough's Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award | USA | March | Summer | 50 lines | $5 | $2,000 |
| Notes on The Plough's Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award: Any style, subject or theme -
winners published in Plough Quarterly - free entry for subscribers - to find the competition details, click 'About Us' at the bottom of the homepage, then 'Submit Poetry' |
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| TNQ Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Award | Canada | February | September | no limit | C$40 | C$1,000 |
Notes on The New Quarterly Occasional Verse Award: Any style, subject or theme, but poems should be inspired by a specific occasion - entry includes a subscription to TNQ magazine - winner published in The New Quarterly - short-listed winners are considered for publication in TNQ (paid at $50) |
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| The Poetry Society National Poetry Competition | UK | October | February | 40 lines | £7 | £5,000 |
Notes on Poetry Society Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winning poems maybe published - there are details of other prizes in the competition section of their website |
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| Virginia Commonwealth University 'Levis Reading Prize' | USA | Varies | Autumn / Fall | no max / min 48 pages | FREE | $5,000 |
| Notes on VCU Prize: Any style, subject or theme - for poetry collections (books) - winner invited on all expenses paid trip to give a public reading - to find the current competition details, put 'levis' into their website search function - usually closes January / February | ||||||
| Wells Festival of Literature Poetry Competition | UK | June | October | 35 lines | £6 | £1,000 |
Notes on Wells Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - they also run a competition for young poets |
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| Wigtown Poetry Competition | Scotland | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £6.50 | £1,500 |
| Notes on Wigtown Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Southlight Magazine |
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| Winchester Poetry Prize | UK | July | September | 40 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
| Notes on Winchester Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winning poems will be published in the Winners' Anthology | ||||||
| Winning Writers Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest | USA | September | April | 250 lines | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Contest: 2 top prizes of $3,000: one for a poem in any style and one for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style - winners published online |
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| Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Humour Poetry Contest | USA | April | August | 250 lines | FREE | $2,000 |
Notes on WW Wergle Flomp Contest: Any style, subject or theme but must be humorous - winners published online |
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This table lists details of poetry competitions run yearly.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Artemesia Arts Poetry Competition | France | March | July | 40 lines | €5 | €100 |
Notes on Artemesia Arts Competition: Any style, subject or theme -
up to 25 selected poems will be published, including the winning poem and 2 runners-up |
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| Australasian Association of Writing Programs Prizes | Australia | July | September | See notes | $20 | See notes |
Notes on AAWP Prize: They run a variety of writing competitions, please see below Emerging Writers' prize: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - 30 lines max - winner receives entry to Ubud festival, accommodation, AU$500 towards flights, membership to Australasian Association of Writing Programs and invited to attend the AAWP conference - winners considered for publication in Meniscus - also open to prose Translators' Prize: For translations of 30 lines (poetry) or 3000 words (prose) of entrant's own work translated into English - entries must be accompanied by a 'Translator's Statement of Intention' (up to 400 words) addressing the aims of the translation - winner receives entry to Ubud festival, accommodation, AU$1,000 towards flights, membership to Australasian Association of Writing Programs and invited to attend the AAWP conference - winners considered for publication in Meniscus |
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| Beaver Trust Nature and the Ecological Emergency International Poetry Competition | UK | May | September | 40 lines | £4 | £150 |
| Notes on Beaver Trust Competition: Any style, subject but themed, so check website for current details - there are also a variety of runner up prizes - winners announced at an awards ceremony in Bradford on Avon | ||||||
| Better Than Starbucks Contests | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Better Than Starbucks Contest: Any style, subject or theme - they run a variety of contests, including sonnet and haiku, so check website for current details - winners published in print and online - prizes up to $350 in the past | ||||||
| Blandford Rotary Short Story & Poetry Competition | UK | September | November | 40 lines | £3.50 | £100 |
| Notes on Blandford Rotary Competition: Any style, subject or theme - in addition to cash prizes, there is an award ceremony, cups, certificates, readings and other goodies - there are also categories for flash fiction, short stories and young writers - to find the current details put "competition" into their website's search box | ||||||
| Blue Mesa Review Poetry Contest | USA | August | October | 3 poems | $12 | $500 |
| Notes on Blue Mesa Review Contest: Any style, subject or theme -winning poems published in the Blue Mesa Review | ||||||
| Boston Review Poetry Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | see notes | $20 | Varies |
Notes on Boston Review Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winner published in the Boston Review -
enter up to 5 poems, 10 pages max in total
- top prize has been up to $1,000 in the past |
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| Burnham Book Festival Writing Competition | UK | February | May | no max | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Burnham Book Festival Competition: Any style / genre - entry is free for residents of Somerset & North Somerset - winners published in anthology - they also accept short stories and have categories for children |
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| Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Canterbury Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - all shortlisted and longlisted entries published in an anthology - no dedicated page on website, so check 'News' section |
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| Cheshire Prize for Literature | UK | January | June | 100 lines | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Cheshire Prize: Any style, subject or theme - entrants must have lived, worked or studied in Cheshire, Wirral, Warrington or Halton (UK) - winners published in anthology by the University of Chester Press - competition is usually run in 4 year cycle: short stories, poetry, children’s literature and then scriptwriting - on occasion they run all 4 categories at once - prizes vary; top prize has been up to £500 in the past | ||||||
| Creative Future Writers' Award | UK | Varies | Varies | 42 lines | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Creative Future Competition: Any style / genre except children's or erotica and themed, so check website for full details - winners published in anthology - cash prize has been up to £100 in the past - deadline for submissions is usually around May / June - look in the 'what we do' section of their website to find competition details | ||||||
| Cultural Daily's Jack Grapes Poetry Prize | USA | August | October | no max stated | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Cultural Daily Prize: Any style or subject or theme - winner's published in Cultural Weekly - multiple cash prizes, top prize has been up to $500 in the past - no dedicated page on website, so put 'jack grapes' into their website's search function to see latest posts | ||||||
| Cyberworld Publishing 'The Good Life in Galicia' Competition | Galicia, Spain | August | Varies | 60 lines | FREE | €15 |
| Notes on Cyberworld Publishing Competition: Any style, subject or theme but must be about Galicia in a significant way - winners published in anthology | ||||||
| Fosseway Writers Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | £50 |
| Notes on Fosseway Writers Competition: Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - winners published on website - also run short story and flash fiction comps | ||||||
| Grey Hen Press Poetry Competition | UK | April | June | 40 lines | £3 | £100 |
| Notes on Grey Hen Press Competition: Any style, subject or theme - entrants must be female and over 60 years old - winners published on the website | ||||||
| Hammond House International Literary Awards | UK | September | December | 40 lines | £10 | £100 |
| Notes on Hammond House Awards: Any style / subject but themed so check website for current details - winning poems published by HH | ||||||
| Hastings Literary Festival Poetry Competition | UK | June | August | 40 lines | £5 | £100 |
| Notes on Hastings Literary Festival Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winners published in anthology | ||||||
| Indigo Dreams Publishing Poetry Prize | UK | March | May | 40 lines | £5 | £250 |
| Notes on Indigo Dreams Publishing Prize: Any style, subject or theme - cash prizes for runners up - winners published in magazine | ||||||
| Ironbridge Festival of the Imagination Open Poetry Competition | UK | July | September | 40 lines | £4 | £300 |
| Notes on Ironbridge Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners invited to read their poems at the festival | ||||||
| Live Canon Poetry Collection Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | See notes | Varies | See notes |
| Notes on Live Canon Collection Competition: Any style, subject or theme - for full poetry collections - winners offered a publication contract by Live Canon Poetry Press | ||||||
| Live Canon Poetry Pamphlet Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | See notes | Varies | See notes |
| Notes on Live Canon Pamphlet Competition: Any style, subject or theme - for pamphlets of between 18 and 35 poems - winners offered a publication contract by Live Canon Poetry Press | ||||||
| London Independent Short Story Prize (LISP) | UK | July | October | 40 lines | see notes | £100 |
| Notes on London Independent Story Prize: Any style, subject or theme - entry fee varies depending on how close to the deadline you submit, so best to check website for current details - they have multiple categories, including flash fiction, poetry, short story and screenplay - winners published in anthology | ||||||
| Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary Poetry Competition | UK | May | August | 40 lines | £5 | 30% of total entry fees |
| Notes on Lord Whisky Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - top prize is usually around £250 - 50% of entry fees will be used for the care of the animals at the sanctuary - to find competition details, go to the 'News and Events' section of the website | ||||||
| Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Manchester Cathedral Competition: Any style but theme varies, so check website for current details - top prize has been up to £500 in the past - type 'competition' into their website's search function to find the latest details | ||||||
| Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival Competition | Ireland | March | April | 40 lines | €5 | Varies |
| Notes on Maria Edgeworth Festival Competition: Any style / genre - also accept short stories - top prize has been up to €250 in the past - the link takes you to the 'Literary Festival' section of their website, where the competition details can usually be found | ||||||
| MONO. Poetry Prize | UK | August | September | No max | £6 | £500 |
| Notes on
MONO. Prize:
Any style, subject or theme - first prize winner published in Mono's journal - 3 x highly commended published on their blog |
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| Mslexia Women's Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Mslexia Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in magazine and on website - doesn't run every year as they run loads of different writing contests so check website for current details |
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| Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition | UK | March | May | 40 lines | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Never Such Innocence Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - for 9 to 18 year olds - winners may be published | ||||||
| Ó Bhéal Five Words Poetry Competition | Ireland | January | March | 50 lines | €5 | €750 |
| Notes on Ó Bhéal Competition: Any style or subject but themed around 5 words, so see website for current details - winning and short listed entries published in anthology | ||||||
| Poetry Book Awards | Wales, UK | Varies | Varies | no max | £30 | Varies |
| Notes on Poetry Book Awards: Any style, subject or theme - for book length collections of poetry - cash prize has been up to £200 in the past - winner also receives PN Review subscription and their book is sent to Carcanet Press for consideration | ||||||
| Poetry on the Lake International Competition for the Silver Wyvern | Italy | Varies | Varies | 42 lines | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Poetry on the Lake Competition: Any style but themed, so check website for current details - they are based on an island in Lake Orta, Italy - winner receives cash and a silver wyvern - top prize has been up to €500 in the past - Poetry on the Lake run other poetry contests with varying line limits, fees and prizes, so check out their website - winners published on website and in anthology | ||||||
| Poetry Quarterly Annual Poetry Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | no max stated | $10 | $300 |
Notes on Poetry Quarterly Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Poetry Quarterly |
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| Poets and Players Competition | UK | March | May | 40 lines | £4 | £600 |
| Notes on Poets and Players Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website and invited to read at prize giving ceremony | ||||||
| Prole Poetry Pamphlet Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | no max stated | £12 | Varies |
| Notes on Prole Poetry Pamphlet Competition: Any style, subject or theme - top prize has been up to £400 in the past - in addition to cash, winner also receives 25 copies of their book which will be sold through Prole’s website - copies of the book will be sent out for review - they also run a poetry comp for single poems with a prize that has been up to £300 in the past | ||||||
| SaveAs Writers Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on SaveAs Writers Competition: Any style or subject, but themed, so check website for current details - winners published in anthology - top prize has been up to £500 in the past |
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| Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival Poetry Competition | UK | January | February | 30 lines | See notes | £200 |
| Notes on Snowdrop Festival Competition: Any style or subject, but themed so check website for full details - 3 classes: up to 11 years old, 12–17 years old and above 18 years old - free entry for children, £4 for 18 and over category |
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| Shooter Literary Magazine Poetry Competition | UK | November | December | 100 lines | £3.50 | £150 |
| Notes on Shooter Literary Magazine Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winner published in print & online - all entrants receive an e-copy of the magazine which the winning poem appears in | ||||||
| SMK Contests | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | $100 |
| Notes on SMK Contests: Any style or subject - they have multiple categories for flash fiction, poetry, short story, non-fiction, novel and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
| Soldiers' Arts Academy International Poetry Competition | UK | September | October | 40 lines | £4 | £50 |
| Notes on SAA Competition: Any style, subject or theme - open to members of the military community (i.e. serving personnel, veterans and their families) - in addition to cash, winner also receives a selection of poetry books - winners published on website - to find the competition details, look in the 'Projects' section of their website | ||||||
| Suffolk Poetry Society Crabbe Poetry Competition | UK | June | October | 50 lines | £3 | £600 |
| Notes on Suffolk Poetry Society Competition: Any style, subject or theme - generous prizes for runners up - winners' poems read at a celebratory awards event and published in anthology | ||||||
| The Heartland Review Press Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize | USA | December | February | no max | $10 | $750 |
| Notes on The Heartland Review Prize: Any style, subject or theme - entry fee allows you to submit up to 3 poems - winners are published in The Heartland Review and receive a free copy | ||||||
| The Latin Programme Poetry Competition | UK | December | February | 40 lines | £12 | £200 |
| Notes on The Latin Programme Competition: Any style, subject but themed, so check website for current details - all proceeds from entry fees go towards the delivery of Latin lessons in London state schools | ||||||
| The League of Poets Anthology of Contemporary Writers Competition | Nigeria | September | ? | 14 lines | $2 | See notes |
Notes on League of Poets Contest: Any style or subject, but themed, so check website for current details - prize is publication for top 100 winners, certificates of participation and a free digital copy of the anthology - they also accept flash fiction |
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| The London Magazine Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £10 | £500 |
Notes on London Magazine Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in London Magazine and online |
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| The Phare WriteWords Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £6 | £100 |
| Notes on The Phare WriteWords Competition: Any style or genre - also has flash fiction and short story categories - winners published in anthology | ||||||
| Tom Neill's E. H. P. Barnard Poetry Prize | UK | March | June | 400 words | £2 | £100 |
| Notes on E. H. P. Barnard Poetry Prize: Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - winner also receives a poem video, professionally performed, produced and promoted - the prize is hosted on Tom Neill's website | ||||||
| Tree2MyDoor Valentines Day Poetry Competition | UK | Valentine's Day | February | 150 words | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Tree2MyDoor Competition: Any style or subject but theme is Valentine's Day (love and romance) - open to UK residents only - winner receives £100 Tree2MyDoor gift voucher |
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| Urban Tree Festival Poetry Competition | UK / Belgium | March | May | 250 words | €6 | €200 |
| Notes on Urban Tree Festival Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - winner becomes writer in residence for the next Urban Tree festival - winners published in illustrated anthology and each author included receives complementary copies - also accept flash fiction and non-fiction | ||||||
| Victorina Press Poetry Contest | UK | February | ? | 40 lines | £5 | £500 |
| Notes on Victorina Press Award: Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - doesn't always run every year, but is an ongoing contest - run in collaboration with Voces-Voices Festival - winners published by Victorina Press - entries accepted in English, Spanish or Spanglish | ||||||
| Welsh Poetry Competition | Wales | Varies | Varies | 50 lines | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Welsh Poetry Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners and 17 runners up published on website and in anthology - top prize has been up to £500 in the past | ||||||
| Wirral Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition | UK | May | July | 40 lines | £4 | £250 |
| Notes on Wirral Poetry Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winner's published on the Wirral Poetry Festival website for a period of approximately 12 months | ||||||
| Wolverhampton Literary Festival Poetry Competition | UK | December | February | 40 lines | £4 | £400 |
| Notes on Wolves Lit Fest Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - winning and shortlisted poems may be published on the festival website and in an accompanying anthology | ||||||
| Write by the Sea Literary Festival Writing Competition (Poetry) | Ireland | June | September | 40 lines | €10 | €500 |
| Notes on Write by the Sea Literary Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - they also have categories for memoir, short stories and flash fiction | ||||||
| Writers Bureau Limerick Competition | UK | April | June | no max stated | £5 | £300 |
Notes on Writers Bureau Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Freelance Market News - £5 entry is for up to 4 Limericks - they run other competitions throughout the year, so the focus of the competition page changes, depending on what is currently running |
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| Writer's Relief WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 48 page book | $20 | $500 |
| Notes on Writer's Relief Competition: Any style, subject or theme - entrants must reside in the USA - for books up to 48 pages in length with 1 poem per page - winner's chapbook published in print and eBook format | ||||||
| Writing East Midlands Aurora Prize for Writing | UK | June | October | 60 lines | £9 | £500 |
| Notes on Writing East Midlands Aurora Prize: Any style / genre - run in partnership with the Society of Authors - winners receive feedback on a piece of work of their choice from a literary agent (or Editor as appropriate) OR they can choose to receive a full pass to The Writers’ Conference 2023 instead - to find the prize details, look in the "For Writers" section of their website or put "aurora" into their website's search box - also accept short stories | ||||||
This list has now been moved to its own dedicated page to improve usability. You can see the young writer competitions page here. This resource lists writing and poetry competitions specifically for young adults and children.
There are sometimes other poetry opportunities for young writers listed in the one-off competitions lists, or on the Flash Fiction competitions page. You can also find details of scholarships on my non-fiction contest page.
This table will list one-off poetry contests.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Poetry on the Lake Haiku Competition | Italy | 31st May 2023 | 15th July 2023 | no max | €4 | €100 |
| Notes on Poetry on the Lake Haiku Competition: Any style, subject or theme - one entry can include up to 5 haiku - up to 10 winners published in HQ Poetry Magazine (if author gives permission), edited by Kevin Bailey who is also the judge | ||||||
There are other websites that supply poetry competition calendars. They are listed below (if you run one on your site, please get in touch):
This table will contain a history of previously listed poetry contests that have closed.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| A Poem For Europe | UK | 31st July 2019 | October | 32 lines | £6 | £500 |
| Notes on A Peom For Europe: Themed around Europe - winners published online and in print - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Academy Press Poetry Chap Book Contest | USA | 30th July 2021 | To be confirmed | 80 pages | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Academy Press Contest: Any style, subject or theme - three divisions: under 18s, collegiate any undergraduate, and emerging MFA students and poets with no prior books published - one winner per devision - prize is publication and 80% royalties - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Against the Grain Poetry Press Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | £5 | £100 |
| Notes on Against the Grain Competition: Any style, subject or theme - deadline for submissions is usually around November / December - CLOSED 2020 | ||||||
| Ageless Authors Writing Contest | USA | July | September | No limit | $20 | $500 |
Notes on Ageless Authors Contest: Any style or subject but sometimes themed, so check website for current contest details - entrants must be aged 50 years or older - winning poems published in anthology - CLOSED 2020 |
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| Anglica's Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Anglica's Poetry Competition: Any style, subject or theme - the best poems will be published in Anglica's Journal - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| Artificium Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | Varies |
Notes on Artificium Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Artificium - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 |
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| Association of Christian Writers Writing Competitions | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | £3 | See notes |
| Notes on ACW Competitions: They run a variety of competitions (flash fiction, short story and poetry), so check website for current details - winners published in Christian Writers (circulation 700) - top prize: £25 book voucher - CLOSED, but they still run the odd one-off comp | ||||||
| Battered Moons Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | £5 | £700 |
Notes on Battered Moons Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Battered Moons Poetry Pamphlet - run as part of the Poetry Swindon Festival - usually closes around May/June/July - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 |
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| Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival Poetry Competition | UK | 31st July 2017 | September | 600 words | FREE | £1,000 |
| Notes on Budleigh Salterton Competition: Any style or genre but competition is themed, so check website for details - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Caerphilly Scribes Free Verse Competition | Wales | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 30 lines | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Caerphilly Scribes Competition: Any style, subject or theme, but no purple prose or schmaltz - winners published in
Caerphilly Scribes Poetry Collection - each entry receives a short commentary from the judges - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Cafe Aphra Poem of the Month | UK | Varies | Varies | 25 lines | FREE | None |
| Notes on Cafe Aphra: Any style / genre - they feature at least one new poem on the first Monday of every month - always open to submissions - CLOSED 2019 | ||||||
| Cariad Marketing Living Well Poetry Competition | UK | 30th September 2019 | 6th December 2019 | 30 lines | £5 | £100 |
| Notes on Cariad Marketing Competition: Any style, subject but themed around 'living well' - winning and shortlisted poems will be printed in ‘Living Well Poetry’ which will be sold in aid of the Isabel Hospice - winner and finalists receive a copy of the book and be invited to read their work at an awards evening - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Charroux Poetry Prize | France | August | October | 40 lines | £5 | £200 |
| Notes on Charroux Poetry Prize: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on website - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Clochoderick Poetry Competition | UK | January | March | 35 lines | £5 | £500 |
| Notes on Clochoderick Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Clochoderick bi-annual literary journal - WEBSITE NOT updated in ages and social media profiles gone, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
| Cozy Cat Press Poetry Contest | USA | 1st July 2019 | 1st August 2019 | 2 pages | FREE | $100 |
| Notes on Cozy Cat Press Contest: Any style or subject but themed so check website for full details - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Craigleigh Press Poetry Contest | Canada | 30th April 2016 | ? | 40 lines | $5 | $50 |
Notes on Craigleigh Press Competition: Any or subject but the theme - 3 categories:
A. Free Verse, B. Traditional Verse, C. Haiku - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Creagan Writers Circle 'The Layer Deeper' Poetry Contest | N. Ireland, UK | July | Autumn | 40 lines | FREE | £250 |
| Notes on CWC The Layer Deeper Contest: Any style / genre, but for poems inspired by ancient Sanskrit texts and the work of Seamus Heaney so check website for full details - run in two rounds, second round is for poems of 70 lines max, again see website for full details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 | ||||||
| Creative Future Spotlight Books Competition | UK | 24th February 2019 | 1st April 2019 | 40-45pp. at 20 lines per page | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Creative Future Competition: Any style or genre except erotica or children's - open to writers from under-represented backgrounds (those who face barriers due to mental health, disability, identity or social circumstance) so see website for full guidelines - six writers will begiven 1:1 editorial support to shape their manuscripts and will be published in individual small books with international distribution - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Creative Writing Life Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 38 lines | FREE | £20 |
| Notes on CWL Competition: Any style / genre - winner's published in CWL magazine - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
| Crooked Quill Magazine Poetry Competition | England | 15th February 2015 | March | 20 lines | FREE | £20 |
Notes on Crooked Quill Competition: Any or subject but the theme is 'beginnings and time' - 1st prize is a £20 Amazon voucher - winners published in The Crooked Quill literary magazine -CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Crowvus Poetry Prize | UK | March | April | 50 lines | £3 | See notes |
| Notes on Crowvus Prize: Any style, subject but themed or inspired by pictures, so see website for full details - 25 shortlisted poems published in an anthology - top prize is 40% of the total entry fees - they run short story comps too - NO LONGER MENTIONED on website, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
| David Burland Poetry Prize | UK | July | August | 40 lines | £8 | £200 |
| Notes on David Burland Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in anthology Poetic Art / L’Art Poétique - didn't run in 2018, but plan to run 2019, so check website for updates - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
| Ekphrastic Review 'Bird Watching' Poetry and Flash Fiction Contest | Canada | 1st May 2021 | 1st June 2021 | 1,000 words | $10 | $100 |
| Notes on Ekphrastic Review Contest: Themed: entry $10 CAD for ebook of prompts (poems must be sparked by one of the artworks in the ebook) - selected works published on website, one winner announced from each category - also open to flash fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Enchanted Forest Publishing Love Comes Quickly Poetry Competition | UK | 31st March 2021 | 16th June 2021 | 500 words | £5 | £10 |
| Notes on Enchanted Forest Publishing Competition: Any style but theme is love - winners published in anthology and receive a free eBook copy - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Enizagam Literary Contest for Poetry | USA | Varies | Varies | 10 pages | $20 | $1,000 |
| Notes on Enizagam Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in and receive 2 free copies of Enizagam Journal, winners also nominated for Pushcart Prize - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED SINCE MARCH 2019, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| Europe Tutorial Academy 'Poetry for Our Times' | Germany | 30th June 2021 | July 2021 | Two pages max | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Europe Tutorial Academy Competition: For collections of one to three poems on the theme of Poetry for Our Times - entrants must be aged bewteen 16 and 19 - winners published on website and receive a 1 year subscription to Poetry Magazine (Poetry Foundation) and a Poetry Book Society Gift Card for £50 - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Fire River Poets Open Poetry Competition | UK | October | January | 40 lines | £4 | £200 |
| Notes on Fire River Poets Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners invited to take part in a reading event held in Taunton- WESBITE DISAPPEARED 2017 | ||||||
| First Writer International Poetry Competition | England | October | ? | 30 lines | £3 | £200 |
Notes on First Writer Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in First Writer Magazine - CLOSED 2016 after running for 15 years |
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| Five Aspects Poetry Competition | UK | December | February | 40 lines | £4 | £150 |
| Notes on Five Aspects Competition: Any style or subject bu themed, so check website for current details - many cash prizes, including awards for younger writers - all winners invited to attend workshops with young people, to share their creative processes - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
| Fly on the Wall Press 'Planet in Peril' Poetry, Photography and Art Competition | UK | 28th April 2019 | May | See notes | See notes | £50 |
| Notes on Fly on the Wall Competition: Any style or subject - no max, but 40 lines recommended - entry: adult £5, student £3, free sponsored entries for anyone under 18 or unwaged - winners published in the anthology Planet in Peril which will support charity - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Fun Palaces: WriteScience Poem Competition | UK | July | September | 250 | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Fun Palaces Poem Competition: Any style / genre but themed around science - open to residents of the UK only - winners published on website and performed at reading events - competition is judged by a very prestigious panel - they also accept short stories - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Geraldine Taylor's 'Words of Inspiration' Poetry Contest | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 40 lines | £4.99 | £250 |
| Notes on Words of Inspiration Contest: Any style / subject but themed around inspiration - winners published on website and in Creative Collective Anthology Series - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Girton College Jane Martin Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
Notes on Jane Martin Prize: Any style, subject or theme - for those aged between 18 and 30 years of age, living in the UK - no dedictaed competition page, so look in the 'events' section of their website to find details of the current competition - top prize has been up to £700 in the past - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2023 update |
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| Giving Them Wings Prize | South Africa | Bi-Annual | Bi-Annual | 30 lines | $3 | $400 |
| Notes on Giving Them Wings Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners featured in anthology - they also accept short stories - to find details of the competition, go to the 'Donate' section of their website - PRIZE NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Graffiti Writing Magazine Poetry Competition | UK | Bi-Annual | Bi-Annual | Varies | £4 | £100 |
| Notes on Graffiti Writing Magazine Competition: Any style or subject but themes vary - winners published in Graffiti Magazine - they don't have a website, so I have linked to their Facebook page where you can find details of how to enter - they also run a prose competition - NOT PUBLISHED SINCE 2021, so removed listing during 2023 update | ||||||
| Grindstone International Poetry Prize | UK | August | November | 40 lines | £10 | £500 |
| Notes on Grindstone Competition: Any style / subject or theme - every entrant receives editorial feedback - all shortlisted poets published in Grindstone's year-end anthology and they also receive an invite to participate in the Atmos Collections - POETRY COMP NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update - they do still run prose comps | ||||||
| Grindstone Poetry Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 40 lines | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Grindstone Competition: Any style / subject but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on website CLOSED, replaced by annual competition - see lists above | ||||||
| Gulf Stream Summer Contest | USA | August | September | 5 poems | $7 | $100 |
| Notes on Gulf Stream Contest: Any style / subject or theme - winners published in Gulf Stream Lit Mag - also accept fiction and non-fiction - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2023 update | ||||||
| Horse Rider Poetry International Poetry Competition | Republic of Serbia | Varies | Varies | 26 lines | $8 | Varies |
| Notes on Horse Rider Competition: Any style, subject or theme - prizes vary from cash to cameras to T-shirts and more - winners published in printed anthology and receive a free copy - run on Facebook rather than a website, so link takes you to their FB page - PAGE INACTIVE, so removed listing during 2020 update | ||||||
| Hourglass Literary Magazine Best Poem Award | Bosnia | April | September | 3,500 words | $15 | $1,000 |
Notes on Hourglass Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in
Hourglass Literary Magazine - entry fee covers up to 3 poems - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2019 |
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| Humanaagerie Anthology from Eibonvale Press | UK | 31st May 2018 | September | 60 lines | FREE | £5 |
| Notes on Humanaagerie Anthology: For 'liminal' work; pieces that would be classed as 'Slipstream'; work that has a speculative or surreal element - edited by Sarah Doyle and Allen Ashley - selected works will be published in the Humanaagerie anthology CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Iceland Writers Retreat Writing Contest | Iceland | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Iceland Writers Retreat Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - prize is usually a place on a writing retreat - comps are sometimes for fiction, sometimes poetry and sometimes non-fiction - look at 'News & Events' at bottom or homepage or in 'About IWR' section of website then 'News' to find latest competition details - CONTEST NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Inexsilio (The Exiles) - The Lost Country Poetry Competition | USA | Varies | Varies | 150 lines* | FREE | $50 |
Notes on The Exiles Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in The Lost Country Journal - sometimes run annually, sometimes bi-annually - 150 lines is a soft limit, if the editors receive an excellent 200 line poem (for example), they will consider publishing it - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED FOR 2 YEARS, so removed from lists 2018 |
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| Info 4 Writers Poetry Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 125 lines | FREE | £15 |
| Notes on Info 4 Writers Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - winners published on website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
| Into the Void Poetry Competition | Canada | Varies | Varies | 60 lines | $6 | $500 |
| Notes on Into The Void Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - founded in Ireland, moved to Canada in 2017 - NOT RUN IN 3 YEARS, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| Irish Arts & Writers Festival Writing Competition | USA | September | October | 50 lines | $10 | $600 |
| Notes on Irish Arts & Writers Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
| La Piccioletta Barca Competition | UK | September | October | No limit | $10 | $400 |
| Notes on La Piccioletta Barca: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - also open to short stories - winners published in competition issue of the La Piccioletta Barca journal - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Legacy of Love Celebrating Animals and Nature Poetry Competition | UK | 31st July 2021 | 20th August 2021 | 40 lines | £8 | See notes |
| Notes on Legacy of Love Animals and Nature Poetry Competition : Any style, subject or theme - prize is publication in a coffee style book called Legacy of Love alongside poems by Virginia Mckenna and Pam Ayres - winners also receive a copy of the book (worth £40) - look in the Poetry section of the website to find the competition details - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Letter Review Prize for Poetry | Australia | 31st October 2022 | December 2022 | 70 lines | $20 | $1,000 |
| Notes on Letter Review Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Letter Review - longlisted poets will have the opportunity to discuss publication too - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Lichfield Cathedral Poetry Competition, 'The Word' | UK | October | November | 24 lines | FREE | £100 |
| Notes on Lichfield Cathedral Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - to find the competition page, go to the 'What's On' section of the website in the main navigation - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| Link Age Southwark Writing Competition | UK | 31st August 2018 | October | 40 lines | See notes | £200 |
Notes on Link Age Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - free entry for ages 11 to 17, £5 for adults - winners published on blog and invited to award ceremony in London CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Littoral Press Nature Poetry Collection Competition | UK | November | February | 50 page min / 100 page max |
£20 | See notes |
| Notes on Littoral Press Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winner's collection published in print - winner receives 50 copies of their book - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Magic Oxygen Poetry Prize | UK | December | February | 50 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
Notes on Magic Oxygen Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners publsihed in anthology - CLOSED 2019 |
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| MK LitFest Green Spaces in the City: Flash Fiction and Poetry Competition | UK | 10th February 2023 | 17th March 2023 | 500 words | FREE | £25 |
| Notes on MK LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed around green spaces in cities - two age categories: 14–19 and over 20 - winning stories will be published as a printed magazine and e-book - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| MK LitFest Poetry Competition | UK | 31st May 2020 | 31st August 2020 | 14 lines | FREE | £25 |
| Notes on MK LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for details - entrants must live in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire or Bedfordshire UK - two age categories: 14 to 19 and over 20 - also open to flash fiction - at least 20 poems and 20 stories published in anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Momaya Poetry Competition | UK & USA | October | November | 1,500 words | £7 | £70 ($100) |
| Notes on Momaya Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - winners published in the Momaya Poetry Review - CLOSED 2020 | ||||||
| Mono Fiction 'Sanity' Poetry Competition | UK | 1st September 2021 | September | 40 lines | £6 | £250 |
| Notes on Mono Competition : Any style, subject or theme - winners published in April edition of Mono - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Morrab Library's Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry | UK | 30th September 2022 | 31st October 2022 | 40 lines | FREE | £1,000 |
| Notes on Morrab Library Patricia Eschen Prize: Any style, subject or theme - two categories: adult (aged 16 and over) and children (under 16s) - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Newcastle Univerity International Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | Varies | £1,000 |
| Notes on Basil Bunting Prize: Any style, subject or theme - large cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place winners - prizewinners invited to award ceremony at Newcastle Poetry Festival - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
| Nothing in the Rulebook's 'Haikus for the NHS' | UK | 20th February 2017 | 28th February 2017 | Haiku | FREE | £25 |
| Notes on Nothing in the Rulebook Competition: Any style or subject but the
theme is the UK's National Health Service and the tradition of poetry as protest - long and shortlisted haikus published on website -
winning haikus will also be printed and distributed at NHS demonstration in London on 4 March - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Nowhere.Ink's $100 Weekly Writing Contest | USA | Weekly | Weekly | 500 words | $2 | $100 |
| Notes on Nowhere.Ink Contest: Any style / subject but themed, so check website for current details - winner published on website - winner also receives a copy of The Literary Hack, a quarterly magazine, and considered for publication in mag - WEBSITE not updated since June 2018, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
| Overton Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 300 lines | £12 | See notes |
Notes on Overton Prize: Any style, subject or theme - run through Loughborough University in memory of professor Bill Overton -
first place published in chapbook, runners up receive book tokens - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update |
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| Oxford Festival of the Arts Poetry Live | UK | Varies | Varies | no max stated | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Oxford Festival of the Arts Prize: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - no permanent link, so go to the 'Become a Sponsor' section of the website and look in the 'Participation Projects' section - deadline for subs is usually around April / May - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update |
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| Pangolin Review Poetry Prize | Mauritius | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Pangolin Prize: Any style / subject or theme - winners published in a special Winners’ Corner - top prize has been up to $400 in the past - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Parkinson's Art Charity Poetry Competition | UK | October | ? | 40 lines | £8 | £500 |
| Notes on Parkinson's Art Charity Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - proceeds go to Parkinson's research - competition details can be found under 'events' on the homepage - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition | USA | May | September | 750 words | Varies | See notes |
| Notes on Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners might be published - top prize has been up to $1,000 in past but does vary - entry fee usually between $15 and $25 - sometimes run a poetry collection prize too - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 | ||||||
| Poetic Republic Poetry Competition | England | April | ? | 42 lines | £7 | £2,000 |
Notes on Poetic Republic Competition: Any style, subject or theme - participants read each other's work and effectively judge the competition, see link for details - winners and published in eBook containing 48 poems and most interesting comments from website - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing Jan 2018 |
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| Poetry Book Society Poetry Prizes | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Poetry Book Society Prizes: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - free entry to club members - check prizes section of the website for current prize on offer - PRIZE SECTION NO LONGER ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| Poetry Pulse Annual Poetry Competition | UK | June | August | 42 lines | £5 | £300 |
Notes on Poetry Pulse Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website and in Poetry Pulse Annual Review - they also run monthly comps - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 |
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| Poets & Players Reemergence Prize | UK | 16th November 2020 | 18th December 2020 | 40 lines | £2 | £300 |
| Notes on Poets & Players Reemergence Prize: Any sty;e but theme is REEMERGENCE (reemerge/reemerging) winning poet invited to read their poem at a Poets & Players event in 2021 (date to be confirmed) - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Published Fantasy Authors Poetry/Song Competition | USA | 20th December 2019 | 20th February 2020 | 40 lines | FREE | $250 |
| Notes on Published Fantasy Authors Poetry/Song Competition: This competition is a unique opportunity to have your literary work set to music and released on a professional album, including a cash prize and a royalty arrangement - open to published authors in the fantasy genre, whose works include original song lyrics - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Radix Media Own Voices Chapbook Prize | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Radix Media Prize: Competition is different each year - top prize has been up to $500 in the past - the link takes you to the 'Blog' section of their website, where you can usually find the current competition details - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| READ Foundation Writing Competition | UK | 10th October 2018 | 13th October 2018 | 500 | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on READ Foundation Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winner publicly displayed across hundreds of schools and read by tens of thousands of children, plus feedback from writer Qaisra Shahraz - also accept flash fiction and non-fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Renard Press New Beginnings Poetry Competition | UK | 21st May 2021 (Diversity Day) | 25th June 2021 | 100 lines / 750 words | FREE | £200 |
| Notes on Renard Press Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in anthology due to be released in September - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Renard Press - Spectrum: Poetry Celebrating Identity | UK | 21st May 2022 | ? | 100 lines / 750 words | FREE | £200 |
| Notes on Renard Press Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in anthology due to be released in October - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Segora Poetry Competition | UK | June | July | 50 lines | £5 | £300 |
Notes on Segora Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - CLOSED 2022 |
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| Sentinel Annual Poetry Competition | England | January | March | 60 lines | £5 | £700 |
Notes on Sentinel Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners pubished in anthology - lots of runner-up cash prizes - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED SINCE 2015, so listing removed 2017 |
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| Sin Young Park's Call for Poem for Choral Piece | USA | 26th March 2022 | April 2022 | 32 lines | FREE | $150 |
| Notes on Sin Young Park's Call: Any style, subject but theme should be related to women, justice, human rights, empowerment, social issues, or similar - poems must be less than 10 words per line - Sin is a composer looking for a poem to be the cornerstone of a choral piece, which will be premiered by a respectable choral ensemble next spring in Boston, MA, USA - send entries to: happymarienjohn@gmail.com - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Soldier's Arts Academy International Poetry Competition | UK | September | October | 40 lines | See notes | £50 |
| Notes on Soldier's Arts Academy Competition: Any style, subject or theme but entrants must have some connection with the military - 2 categories: adults and young people aged 12 to 17 - adult entry fee £4, young people enter free - adult prize is cash plus poetry books, young people's prize is just poetry books - winners published on website - to find the competition details, look in the 'Projects' section of the website - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Spilling Cocoa Over Martin Amis Humorous Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | no max stated | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Spilling Cocoa Competition: Any style, subject or theme but dedicated to the serious art of writing funny poems - no monetary prize, but winners published on the website - NO NEW POSTS SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
| Stafford LitFest Writing Competition | UK | February | March | 40 lines | £5 | £50 |
| Notes on Stafford LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - prize paid in vouchers - also accept flash fiction and run children's comp for 11 to 15 year-olds with free entry and 3 x £10 voucher prizes - look in the 'Events/Blog' section of their website to find competition details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 | ||||||
| Streetcake Experimental Writing Prize | UK | 14th June 2019 | Summer 2019 | 3 x A4 pages | £1 | See notes |
| Notes on Streetcake Prize: Any style or subject - two age bands (18-21 and 22-26) - winners receive personalised mentoring sessions - other prizes include personalised feedback and book bundles - winners published online and in a hardcopy anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Stroud Book Festival Poetry Competition | UK | September | October | 40 lines | £5 | £500 |
| Notes on Stroud Book Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners announced at the festival - did not run in 2020 or 2021 due to pandemic, hopeing to launch again in 2022 - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2023 update | ||||||
| Sydney Gardens Tree Weekender Writing Competition | UK | 1st November 2021 | November 2021 | 250 | FREE | £50 book token |
| Notes on Sydney Gardens Competition: Any style or genre but themed around trees in parks and public gardens - winners published on website and as geo-located audio stories located in Bath, UK, and within Sydney Gardens - lots of other perks, so check website for more details - they also accept flash fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Thapasvi Manoharam Publications Contest | India | 1st September 2022 | September 2022 | 25 lines | FREE | ₹500 |
| Notes on Thapasvi Manoharam Publications Contest : Any style or subject, but themed, so check website for full details - they accept entries in English - site is not presented in English, so use Google Translate to view it - they also accept short stories, up to 1,500 words - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| The Enfield Poets’ Poetry Competition | UK | 7th March 2020 | by 31st March 2020 | 50 lines | £4 | £500 |
| Notes on Enfield Poets' Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website and invited to read their poems at prize giving ceremony - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| The Plough Poetry Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | £1,000 |
Notes on Room Magazine Poetry Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - WEBISTE DISAPPEARED 2020 |
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| The University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's International Poetry Prize | Australia | June | October | 50 lines | $25 | $15,000 |
| Notes on University of Canberra Prize: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in the annual Prize Anthology in print and online, for which every contributor is paid $50 - PRIZE NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| The Woolf Poetry Competition | Switzerland | September | December | 500 words | 10 CHF | 150 CHF |
| Notes on The Woolf Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - 150 CHF is about £115 or $150 - three winning poems published in The Woolf - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
| These Fragile Lilacs 2018 Chapbook Competition | USA | 1st April 2018 | 14th April 2018 | 16 pages | $12 | $100 |
| Notes on Fragile Lilacs Competition: Any style or subject - winner also receives 20 free printed copies of their chapbook - good prizes for 2nd and 3rd place entries too - CLOSED was a one off | ||||||
| Thinkerbeat 'Reels' and 'Spinners' Awards | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | Varies | FREE | $25 |
Notes on Thinkerbeat Awards: For song lyrics and animations (poets encouraged to enter, hence it's listed here) - winning lyrics will be recorded as a song, and winning scripts annimated - CLOSED 2015 |
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| Those That Breathe Environmental Writing Competition | UK | Monthly during 2021 | Monthly during 2021 | Varies | £4 | See notes |
| Notes on Those That Breathe Competition: Any style or subject, but themed so check website for details - the competition is open from the 1st until the 25th of each month during 2021 - proceeds from entry fees are donated to charities that are trying to make a difference to climate change - winners published on website and in anthology in 2022 - open to poetry, short stories, flash fiction and non-fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Torbay Festival of Poetry Open Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Torbay Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winner also receives free weekend pass for the poetry festival including accommodation - check 'competitions' section of the website for current details as it seems to change every year - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 |
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| Torriano Poetry Competition | England | January | March | 40 lines | £3 | £250 |
Notes on Torriano Competition: Any style, subject or theme - Winning poets will be offered featured readings at
prize-giving ceremony in April - CONTEST NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so listing removed 2017 |
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| Vênoor Living - Poetry in Design Award | UK | 31st August 2018 | 9th September 2018 | 25 lines | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Vênoor Living Award: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - winner receives cash and vouchers - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Voice of the Poet, Africa | Nigeria | November | November | 200 words | FREE | None listed |
| Notes on Voice of the Poet Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in anthology and online - for African poets only, see website for full definition - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
| Walk Listen Create's 'Write About Walking and Listening' Competition | Belgium | 8th August 2021 | September | 250 | €6 | See notes |
| Notes on Walk Listen Create's Competition: Any style or genre but themed about walking and listening - open to poetry and prose - winner becomes Writer in Residence for Walk Listen Create's Sound Walk in September 2022 - winning stories are published in a limited edition illustrated anthology by Sampson Low Publishers, and made available as an audio book - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Walk Listen Create Poetry and Prose Writing Competition "Write About Walking Home" | UK | 31st January 2022 | April / September 2022 | 250 words | €6 | See notes |
| Notes on Walk Listen Create Competition: Any style or subject, but theme is "walking home" - shortlisted writers will be included in an illustrated limited edition chapbook - top prize: Writer in Residence for Walk Listen Create 2022/3, silver membership worth €50, bespoke artwork by Alban Low - they also accept flash fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Wanton Fuckery Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 1 page | FREE | See notes |
Notes on WFP Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - winner receives a packet of Hobnobs and a drawing - winners published on website - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED since 2018, so removed listing 2019 I designed their logo for them. I received a packet of hobnobs as payment. It's below, because:
|
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| Wenlock Poetry Festival Children & Young People's Poetry Competition | UK | March | April | ? | ? | ? |
Notes on Wenlock Festival Competition: Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - winners published on website - 3 age groups; under 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12 - NO LONGER mentioned on website, so removed listing 2019 |
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| Wenlock Poetry Festival Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 40 lines | £5 | £500 |
Notes on Wenlock Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website and invited to perform their poems at the festival - NO LONGER mentioned on website, so removed listing 2019 |
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| Woven Tale Press Poetry Competition | USA | 15th September 2018 | October 2018 | 5 poems | $25 | See notes |
Notes on Woven Tale Press Competition: Any style, subject or theme - top prize is a week long writing retreat in the Hamptons, NY - cash prizes for runners up - winners published in Woven Tale Press magazine CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Writing Maps A3 Review Poetry Contest | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 150 words | $5 | £250 |
Notes on Writing Maps Competition: Any style, subject or theme -
each month, two entries win publication in the magazine - three overall winning entries receive cash prizes - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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| Writing Times Poetry Competition | UK | December | March | 80 lines | £3 | £50 |
Notes on Writers Bureau Competition: Any style, subject but themed, so check website for current theme - winners published in the Writing Times along with an author feature - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2017 |
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| Wundor Editions Poetry Contest | UK | Varies | Varies | no max stated | £5 | £500 |
| Notes on Wundor Editions Contest: Any style or subject - no line limit on poems - winner strongly considered for print publication - usually runs once a year, but dates change and they sometimes run photography competitions too - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
| Year of Listening Competition | Scotland | 28th October 2016 | 11th November 2016 | 40 lines | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Year of Listening Competition: Any style or genre but themed around 'What does listening mean to you?' - top prize is an MP3 player - winner is published on the website and in printed publications - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Beth S
Great info on contests and submissions! Thank you so much. I'm a creative writing teacher at a high school in SC, and I write myself, of course - mostly poetry. I was able to find good places to submit for my son's SciFi work, and I'm going to tell my students about your postings as a good resource! Best of luck to you with your writing.
Chris Fielden
Thanks very much, Beth - I'm glad to hear you find the resources on the website useful :-)
Audrey AJ
Thanks so much for all this... very helpful. I thought you should know that the Troubadour Prize dates have changed - closing date June. Prize winners are contacted in August.
Hope this is helpful!
PS There is an annual Grey Hen poetry competition as well.
Chris Fielden
Thanks very much, Audrey - this is very helpful indeed. Without people telling me when there are mistakes on the list, it's very hard to keep up to date.
I've updated the Troubadour Prize details and added Grey Hen too.
Anjum
I saw that all the contests are for people living in the USA or UK. I am from India... can I participitate?
Chris Fielden
Hi Anjum. Yes, you can participate in most of them.
The country in the listing just tells you where the contest is based/run from. Most will accept entries from writers residing anywhere in the world. Just check the individual competition's submission guidelines and terms and conditions before entering.
Mahlet Z
I wanted to apply for the compilation of writing poems and I was wondering if there is a prize for the winner. And when is the forthcoming competition?
Chris Fielden
Hi Mahlet. This page lists multiple poetry competitions. All of them run at different times and offer different prizes. Please use the links on the page to research the rules for each competition. I hope that answers your question...?
Abigail W
Throughyour site, I entered the Grindstone poetry competition and, although I didn't win, I got into the top 10%. The feedback was also very useful.
Just wanted to say thank you.
Chris Fielden
That’s excellent news, Abigail – congratulations. Getting into the top 10% is a great achievement :-)
Herbert H
Which ones are the best for book-length contests for humorous poetry? I write humor, irony, and satire, and am a professional public speaker through Toastmasters and National Speakers Association. Wergle likes humor, but not book-length entries. Does anybody else at all? Herb
Chris Fielden
Hi Herb. The individual listings mention when the competitions are for book-length poetry collections. And you would have to check each competition's submission guidelines and do some market research (read previous winners books) to see if your style would be suitable.
You might also find my list of book and novel competitions useful. Some of those may also accept poetry. Again, you'd have to research each competition individually.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but I'm not a poet so don't have a huge amount of knowledge on the market.
I wish you the best of luck with your search.
The Shafiullah M
Very nice. Good to read. Iam from Fatickchari Thana, Bangladesh. I like writing poetry. I am a published poet. Just wanted to say thank you.
Chris Fielden
No problem, The Shafiullah.
Thanks you for commenting. Glad you found the lists useful :-)
Easter C
I am quite interested in entering writing competitions, especially poetry and non-fiction (essay). Thank you for these lists.
Chris Fielden
Thanks, Easter. Good luck with your submissions :-)
Easter C
Thank you
–
you too!
Katina S
Hi there, I'm from the Bahamas and I'm wondering if you facilitate competitions that students in my country can participate in?
Chris Fielden
Hi Katina. I list many - most of the competitions listed on my website will accept entries from anywhere in the world. You just need to check their submission guidelines.
I don't know of any based in the Bahamas, so please let me know if you do.
Katina S
Hi Chris. The ones I noted on the website have specific countries they would accept participants from. I'll preview again. I want my students to have some exposure with international competitions to extend their writing craft. Thanks for your response.
Chris Fielden
Hi Katina. No problem :-)
The countries listed on the website are just where the competitions are based. Most are open for international submissions. I just list the country as many writers like to know what global market they are submitting to.
Your students may enjoy my writing challenges. I accept entries from anywhere and every story received is published.
Katina S
Wonderful!
Thanks so much.
Kris P
Could you send me a link of a competition... online... free entry... and a good prize for the winner?
Chris Fielden
Hi Kris. There are loads of competitions listed on this page, some of which are free to enter and some of which offer decent prizes. Please have a look through them and see which appeals to you the most :-)
Cora G
My poem has been accepted to feature in The International Poetry Digest. Could you please let me know if this is a reputable publisher? Thank you!
Chris Fielden
Hi Cora. Congratulations - that's great news! I'm not familiar with this publication, so I don't know I'm afraid. Please let me know how you get on :-)
Yvonne M
Thanks so much, Chris. Your work on our behalf is very much appreciated.
Chris Fielden
No problem, Yvonne :-)
Michael E
Hi. Question: How can I find what poetry contest I won and the name of my poem that I wrote to win a USA poetry contest years ago? It was published in a poetry book also I dont remember the name though. Could you please help me find it? Ty, Michael
Chris Fielden
Hi Michael. If you don't know the name of the contest or your poem, then I'm afraid it's unlikely you'll be able to find it.
You could try doing a Google search for your name and see if that brings anything up? If you remember the year that you won, you could try searching for that alongside your name and words like 'poem' and 'poetry contest'. Just a thought... it might help.
Good luck with finding it.
Chris Fielden
PS - Michael, having done a search I found a page on the Sixfold website, a journal that publishes poetry and short stories. Is this what you were looking for?
Pam M
Do you email out the latest competitions?
Chris Fielden
Hi Pam, thanks for your message.
No, I don't do emails for new comps I'm afraid. I do update this page regularly though :-)
Vusumuzi Casey G
Hello. I'm a poet in Swaziland (Eswatini) and I wish to enter into a competition, but since my country does not have contests and is not featured here I'm not exactly sure if I'm eligible. Can I enter? VCaseyGee
Chris Fielden
Hi VCaseyGee. I list the country the contests are based in so writers know which global markets they are submitting to. Most of the competitions listed accept submissions from writers living anywhere in the world. That said, some do have limitations. You will have to read the submission guidelines for each contest to see if you are eligible, but you will find you can enter most of them.
I wish you the best of luck with your submissions :-)
Katie M
Thank you so much for compiling this information!
I am rather new to this and was wondering if there was any etiquette about entering multiple competitions? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks again.
Chris Fielden
Hi Katie. No problem, glad you're finding the lists helpful.
Many competitions forbid simultaneous submissions, but an ever-increasing number are accepting them. You will have to read the rules and terms and conditions of each contest / publication you want to submit to and see what they stipulate.
Good luck with your submissions :-)
Kiki
W
Hello. I was wondering, can I enter more than one competition with the same poem in the same period of time? Thanks.
Chris Fielden
Hi Kiki. It depends on the competition or poetry publication you are submitting to. Some accept simultaneous submissions, some don't. I'm afraid you will have to do some research on whichever comps you wish to enter. Most publications state that kind of thing in their submission guidelines or terms and conditions.
I would add that an increasing amount of publications now seem to be accepting simultaneous submissions, so it's a lot more common than it used to be, which is good for us writers :-)
Good luck with submitting your poems.
Kiki
W
Thank you.
Chris Fielden
No problem :-)
Kolongs V
Good work per se... But for those poetry contests with an entry fee, how does one go about the payment if one is not living in the organizing country? It's good they simplify everything. Kudos!
Chris Fielden
Thanks for your message. Most of the competitions use PayPal, Worldpay, Google Pay or a similar payment service provider. They deal with currency conversions, allowing the writer to pay in their native currency using credit card, debit card etc. So in most cases, payment is simple no matter where you live :-)
Kolongs V
OK, that is good. I shall make an attempt.
Aravindan SS
Hi.
Please note I write English poetry and want to participate in competitions which do not have any entry fee.
In the above list of poetry competitions, where the entry fee is free, when I happen to browse in such fee free competitions, there is fee. So the above above table of competitions is incorrect with regards to entry fee. Please update the list of competitions whose entry fee is really free. Awaiting for your update.
Chris Fielden
Hi Aravindan. Sorry about that.
This page is overhauled once a year, in January, but some of the details do go out of date over time.
Please can you let me know which competition you clicked on that is marked as free incorrectly? I will then update the listing accordingly. Many thanks.
Aravindan SS
Dear Chris, thanks for your reply. It will take much time to get the list of free competitions which actually charge fees on their websites. It would be better if you can get a sign off from those who conduct such competitions about fees.
Chris Fielden
Hi Aravindan. Well, I’ve had a look and all the listings I’ve checked are correct… I can’t find the incorrect one you were looking at sorry.
Aravindan SS
Hi Chris. If I find time I will check those and will let you know on this. Thanks for your support.
Chris Fielden
No problem. That’s great, thanks Aravindan :-)
Aravindan SS
Great, thanks!
Esther
Very informative. Thank you.
Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Esther :)
Lizzie S
This is amazing. Thanks for collecting the info and constantly updating.
Chris Fielden
No problem, Lizzie. Glad it's useful :-)
Emmanuel KA
My twelve years old boy is a creative writer. Will you permit him to submit his work in order to take part in this content?
Chris Fielden
Hi Emmanuel, thank you for your message.
The competitions listed on my poetry comps page all have different rules and submission guidelines, so you would have to check each competition website.
If you are looking for competitions for you son, my young writers competition list is probably the best one to look at because all the contests are aimed at children and young adults. Your son could also submit to my Amazing Young Writers Challenge, which aimed at children and young adults in fulltime education.
I hope that's of interest and wish your son all the very best with his writing and submissions :)
Ndubuisi K
The site has been helpful. Just can't wait to get involved in some of these competitions.
Chris Fielden
Glad to hear the site has been helpful, Ndubuisi. I wish you the best of luck with your submissions :-)
Michelle RO
I wrote a poem that was published in an anthology but can't remember the name. The poem was called 'Destiny'.
Chris Fielden
That's great news, congratulations Michelle. It's a shame you can't remember the anthology name... :-)
Will
Thanks Chris. Daft as it sounds, I found the "closed" contests as useful as the "open" ones: this will save me so much time checking and/or flogging dead horses. Best,
Will
Chris Fielden
Thanks, Will, great to hear :) All the best.
P.A. B
Thanks. I wrote a 118 line humorous narrative poem only to to find it broke the size rules just about everywhere. The Wergle Flomp competition was just what I was after. I reckon to win it unless they notice my poem rhymes.
Chris Fielden
Glad you found the lists helpful, P.A. Good luck with your Wergle Flomp entry :)
P.A. B
Thanks. Poem is called "The Queen's New Cat". Just so you know when it gets first prize. What, me arrogant? Never!
After checking poetrycircle.com I now know why the competition is free. 15 poems in the genre for the whole of last year.
Humorous poetry is, if not dead, very sick. And I mean that in both ways. After looking at last year's entrants, I have to wonder if mentioning men's dangly bits is mandatory.
Chris Fielden
Arrogance is subjective… I’ll keep an eye out for your winning poem :)
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