National Poetry Competition 2016
The Poetry SocietyLively and well-presented UK site supporting poetry with 4,000 members internationally and some thoughtful content. www.poetrysociety.org.uk's annual National Poetry CompetitionAnnual poetry prize run by the UK-based Poetry Society established in 1978; accepts entries from all over the world; over 10,000 poems submitted each year is for previously unpublished single poems and has a first prize of £5,000.
Ten prizes
First prize: £5000
Second prize: £2000
Third prize: £1000
Seven commendations: £200 each
Winning poems are published on The Poetry Society website, and the top three in The Poetry Review. Winners are invited to read at events and festivals all around the country, including Ledbury Poetry Festival. Up to 150 longlisted entrants will also be offered discount on selected activities from The Poetry Society, and one of our competition partners the Poetry School.
Judges
Moniza Alvi, Gerry Cambridge and Jack Underwood.
Closing date 31 October 2016
The National Poetry Competition has been one of Britain's top single poem competitions since 1978. It is judged by a new set of judges each year, and all poems are made anonymous before they are judged. All the first prize winners are listed below, and you can explore their poems using the links on the right-hand side of the page.
Open to anyone aged 17 or over at the time of entering
The first poem submitted costs £6.50. Subsequent entries in the same submission cost £3.50 per poem. Poetry Society members (including those joining at time of submission) get a free second entry, with subsequent poems at £3.50.
