The Poetry Business has announced that the 4th New Poets Prize is now open for entry, this year judged by Mary Jean Chan.
The New Poets Prize is a short collection competition for writers between the ages of 17 and 24 (inclusive). This prize is run alongside the renowned International Book & Pamphlet Competition organised by The Poetry Business, which has now been established for 33 years.
You have five weeks to get your entries in! Details here.
This poetry challenge by The Poetry Society’s Young Poets’ Network is for young poets everywhere to write about trees! It is for writers aged up to 25 based anywhere in the world. The deadline is midnight, Sunday 20 January 2019. So you need to get writing now – you can send as many poems as you like, written down, or a recording as a video, or as an audio file.
Selected poets will be published on Young Poets Network and sent an exclusive Young Poets Network notebook as well as poetry goodies. The Woodland Trust have also kindly contributed a special print of Robert Macfarlane’s poem ‘Heartwood’ for the top three winners.
There are 7 prompts on the website, details here.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of one of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilfred Owen, remembered as part of a group of war poets, The Royal Society of Literature has published an anthology, Peace Poetry, which you can read on their website.
They would like you write a poem about peace and what it means to you in response to the anthology.
Details here.
Roger Stevens is asking for Christmas poems on PoetryZone – “It can be a funny poem about reindeer on the roof, Grandad hanging up his socks for Santa or Mum dropping the Christmas pud. It can be sad. (Not everyone has a happy Christmas. Think about the homeless or refugees.) Or it could be serious. How about writing a prayer for peace? Your poem might be religious – Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus – or about other aspects of the festive season. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, send us a poem about the holidays or all about winter.”
For young people between the ages of 3-18. Details on how to enter here.
Young Poets Network are challenging young poets everywhere to write about trees! They have seven exciting prompts to help inspire your tree-writing.
This challenge is for writers aged up to 25 based anywhere in the world. The deadline is midnight, Sunday 20 January 2019. You can send a poem written down, or a recording as a video or as an audio file, and you can send as many poems as you like.
Details here.
Young Poets Network have set another poetry competition!
Could you be one of the Bletchley set? Poet So Mayer takes goes into the Bletchley Park archives and invites young poets everywhere to try a number of cleverly coded writing exercises. Write in response to one or more of these, or simply write a poem inspired by the work at Bletchley Park and email Young Poets Network with your work for the chance to be published in an anthology!
Details here.
This award of £200 is for a young writer aged 12–18. The young person can write in any creative form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.
There is one award in this category, although up to two writers may also be highly commended.
Applications are accepted in two ways:
Through nomination from an adult working with the young person, or by application directly from the young person.
You can find out more, including submission guidelines and information on eligibility criteria, by visiting the Northern Writers’ Awards site, here.
There’s only a week left to do so!
Timothy Corsellis was a young poet and pilot killed in 1941. The Prize was set up in his name, with the support of his family, to encourage more people to read the powerful but lesser-known poets of the Second World War.
Choose one or more poet/s and write a poem in response to their life and/or poetry. It can be anything about their life or work, whatever inspires you.
The deadline for entries is Sunday 16 September 2018.
All the details are here.
Young Muslim Writers’ Awards have tweeted: If you’re looking for some inspiration for your entry to this year’s Young Muslim Writers Awards, look no further than last year’s anthology to see what made the 2017 shortlist! Don’t forget, competition closes at midnight this Sunday!
Here’s the link to enter your poem, here.
If you’re aged 5 to 16, The Young Muslim Writer Awards wants to hear from you! Their judges are looking forward to reading your entries, so submit your story, poem, screenplay, play script or article before 31st July.
Details here.
To celebrate W.S. Graham’s centenary, The Poetry Society are searching for poems inspired by his enigmatic and inviting work. Poet Rachael Boast introduces WSG and offers prompts to kick-start your writing in this new challenge.
This challenge is open to all poets up to the age of 25, based anywhere in the world. You can send a poem written down, or a performance poem as a video or as an audio file. Send as many poems as you like. The deadline for all entries is midnight, Sunday 15th July 2018.
Details here.
Why not enter the Forward/emagazine student critics competition, with separate categories for 14-16 year olds, 16-19 year-olds and teachers? Write a critical or creative response to one of the poems on the Forward Prizes for Poetry shortlist 2018.
Details and list of poems here.
Livecannon are an ensemble performing poetry (from memory) at theatres, festivals and events throughout the UK; recording poetry for radio and CDs; creating poetry installations and digital projects; publishing poetry; and working with young people to create, explore and enjoy poems.
They are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s children’s poetry competition here.
The competition is open to any writer aged 11-17 on the deadline of midnight (BST) 31 July 2018. Entries must be written in English and it is completely FREE to enter.
More details here:
For any queries on how to enter this year’s Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award please contact fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk or call 020 7420 9880
