Poetry competitions for 2016

Amigos, comrades, friends, companions, chums, mates, partners and pals; as we continue to bring you a multitude of creative insights and discussion points, we thought you fine folk would appreciate the following list of upcoming poetry competitions, which you may wish to submit your work.

We’ve previously brought you a whole host of writing competitions you can enter this year, and while they were – for the most part – prose-based contests, we wanted to make sure you had all the resources you need to get your poetic musings out there.

Included in the list below are details about deadlines, poetry submission length and direct links to each competition.

If you’d like to add a poetry competition to our list then please feel free to contact us!

 

1. Wigtown Poetry Competition 2016

The closing date for submissions is 27^th May 2016.

An international poetry prize, based in Scotland, open to poets of all shapes and sizes.

The main prize is £1500, with £400 awarded to the runner up, £250 awarded to each the winner of the Scottish Gaelic Prize and the Scots Prize, and eight additional entries will receive prizes of £25 each.

There is a £6.50 entry fee for your first poem. Please see the contest’s website for further information.

 

2. The Frogmore Poetry Prize 2016

The closing date for submissions is 31^st May 2016

The Frogmore Press was founded in 1983, since when The Frogmore Papers, its bi-annual magazine, has published hundreds of new, neglected and established writers. For subscription and submission details see the main menu. The Frogmore Poetry Prize has been awarded annually since 1987 and attracts entries from all over the world.

If you’re a fan of old currency, this is the prize for you. The winner of the competition will receive two hundred and fifty guineas and a two year subscription to the Frogmore Papers.

There is an entry fee of £3 per poem. Please see the website for further information.

 

3. The David Burland Poetry Prize 2016

The closing date for submissions is 31^st May 2016

Now in its 10th year, the competition continues to attract writers from many countries and once again the prize this year is open to both English and French Writers.

The prize is open internationally to poets aged 16 years or older.

First prize is £500, second prize is £200 and third prize is £100. Prizes are presented for poems in both French and English languages.

There is an entry fee of £9 for your first poem, and £5 for each subsequent entry.

See the website for more information.

 

4. Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition

The closing date for submissions is 31^st May 2016

Poems may be on any subject or style and must not have been previously published, or posted on a website or blog. Poems posted on members-only writing groups for workshop purposes as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published. Poems must also not be under consideration for publication or accepted for publication elsewhere. Poets of all nationalities living anywhere in the world are eligible to enter.

The winning poet will receive £200, with the next two runners up receiving £100 and £50, respectively. All winning entries will be published in the Sentinel Literary Quarterly magazine.

The entry fee changes depending on the number of poems you enter. It looks like this: £4/1, £7/2, £9/3, £11/4, £12/5, £16/7, £22/10.

 

5. The Bridport Prize

The closing date for submissions is 31^st May 2016

A big name prize. The Bridport Prize was founded by Bridport Arts Centre in 1973 and has steadily grown in stature and prestige. Right from the start the competition attracted entries from all parts of the UK and from overseas.

The winning poet will receive £5000, with the second prize winner receiving £1000, third prize £500 and ten further runners up receiving £50 each.

There is an entry fee of £9 per entry. Further information about the prize available here.

 

6. Women’s Poetry Competition 2016

The closing date for submissions is 13th June 2016

First prize is £2,000, 2nd prize £400, 3rd prize £200, and 17 other finalists each win £25, plus a retreat at the beautiful Cove Park and a mentoring session with The Poetry Review editor. There is also have a special prize for unpublished poets, to make this a brilliant opportunity for both new and experienced writers.

There is an entry fee of £7 for up to three poems.

 

7. South Bank Poetry Competition

The closing date for submissions is 15^th June 2016

This competition is for London poems. Poems should have a London focus or context – any explicit London connection, past, present or future, is acceptable.

There are five prizes: First prize is £300, second prize is £150, third prize is South Bank Poetry Membership (worth £50), fourth prize is a two year subscription to South Bank Poetry magazine, fifth prize is a one year SBP magazine subscription. Additionally, five commended poets will have their poems published in SBP Issue 24, along with the prize winners. There will be a reading at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden, London. All those included in Issue 24 will be invited to read at the subsequent launch readings at the Poetry Society’s Cafe in The Poetry Place at 22 Betterton Street with extended readings for the prize-winning and commended poets.

There is an entry fee of £4 for the first poem, £3 for the second and £2 for the third and each subsequent poem.

 

8. The Elmet Poetry Prize 2016

The closing date for submissions is 8^th July 2016

The judges would like to read poems written in response to Ravens; The City. These can be found in Ted Hughes’s Collected Poems (Faber & Faber). Poems must be written in English and unpublished elsewhere.

Poets may enter up to three poems, at a fee of £5 per poem.

The winner receives £400, with the two runners up receiving £100 and £50, respectively.

 

9. PENfro Open Poetry Competition 2016

The closing date for submissions is 31^st July 2016

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over. Poems should be in English, they must not have been previously published, nor be currently submitted for publication or competition elsewhere.
Poems must be the original work of the entrant, they must be typed single spaced on A4 paper and be no longer than 40 lines. See RULES for full details.

There is a maximum length of 40 lines per poem.

First prize is £300, second prize is £125 and third prize is £75.

There is an entry fee of £4 per poem.

 

10. Winchester Poetry Prize 2016

The closing date for submissions is 31^st July

The Winchester Poetry Prize aims to surprise and delight, and strives to give serious recognition to the winning poets.

First prize is £1000, second prize is £500 and third prize is £250.

There is an entry fee of £5 for the first poem and £4 for subsequent entries.

Please view the rules for more information about this competition.

 

11. Poetry and Politics competition

The closing date for submissions is 31^st August 2016

Poets are invited to write a political poem. The theme of this poetry competition is poetry and politics, so in order to enter your poem it must be about any aspect of politics. Your poem can be about international politics or instead be about something political much more closer to home.

So, you can express a vision on world politics, or indeed about a decision made by your local council. For example, you can address politics and religion, or the political aspects of war. The poem can be about civil liberties or threats against them, about social injustices, or even about the politics of the use of certain words or language. The opportunities of this theme are endless.

The judges don’t have to agree with your opinions, but they do want to be touched in some way by your poem, inspired by its imagery and, of course, look for a beautiful use of language.

First prize is £200 and publication. The competition welcomes entries written in English by poets aged over 18. The maximum line length is 50.

There is no entry fee.

 

12. The Manchester Poetry Prize

The closing date for submissions is 23^rd September 2016

The prize is open internationally to new and established writers aged 16 or over.

The winner of the competition will receive £10,000 for the best portfolio of three to five poems (with a maximum combined length of 120 lines).

There is an entry fee of £17.50

 

13. The Bedford International Poetry Competition

The closing date for submissions is 30^th September 2016

The competition is open to international submissions to those poets aged over 18 years.

First prize is £200, second prize is £100 and third prize is £50.

There is an entry fee of £5 per poem (with a discounted rate of £3 for students).

 

14. Annual Gival Press Poetry Award

The closing date for submissions is 15^th December 2016

This competition is open to all poets from across the world. Poetry must be original; but there are no restrictions on any form or style.

The winner will receive US$1,000 and their poetry will be published by Gival Press.

There is a reading fee of US$20.00