News

January 2012
The winners of the 2011 National Poetry Competition have now been notified but are yet to be announced publicly. Check back here on 29 March to read their prize-winning poems.Above: the judges of the NPC 2011 meet to decide the winners.

December 2011
Paul Adrian (winner, NPC 2010) has produced three new poems as part of a commission for the Crafts Council.

November 2011
The 2011 competition is no longer accepting submissions. Thank you to all those that entered - keep checking back for updates.

October 2011
Flex your writing muscle. Poetry News editor Mike Sims talks to Simon Barraclough, Tim Turnbull, Helen Mort, Caroline Carver and Stephen Knight about poetical epiphanies and competition success.

August 2011
"I’m now more comfortable with just being myself on the page..." says NPC 2010 winner Paul Adrian. We caught up with him about how winning has kick started his career.

June 2011
"We don’t need punch lines" says experienced competition judge George Szirtes in a new download 'On Poetry Competitions' created by The Poetry School in association with the National Poetry Competition. Visit The Poetry School website and click on the link on the home page to read the whole download.


Sponsorship

If you or your organisation is interested in sponsoring the National Poetry Competition, please click here.


 

Thank you for your interest in the National Poetry Competition. The winners of the 2011 competition have now been notified and will be announced publicly in March 2012. Keep checking back for more information (the winning poems will be available to view from this page from 29 March 2012), or Like the Poetry Society on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest developments. The 2012 competition will open in April, with a closing date of 31 October.

Prizes

First Prize: £5000
Second Prize: £2000
Third Prize: £1000
Seven Commendations: £100

The top three winning poems will be published in Poetry Review and, along with the commended poems, on the Poetry Society website. The winner will also be invited to read at the Ledbury Poetry Festival. Up to 150 entrants will also be offered a discount on selected activities from the Poetry School.

 


Judges

Poems are judged anonymously, the judges for the National Poetry Competition 2011 are: Colette Bryce, John Glenday and Jackie Kay.

Colette Bryce, Photo Credit: Phyllis Christopher John Glenday Jackie Kay


About the National Poetry Competition

Established in 1978, the Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious poetry competitions. Winners include both established and emerging poets, and for many the prize has proved an important milestone in their careers. Win, and add your name to a roll-call of winners that includes the current UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Tony Harrison, Ruth Padel, Philip Gross and Jo Shapcott.