Adult (16+) poetry competitions, listed by deadline. Inclusion in this list should not be seen as an endorsement of a competition. Always check deadline and submission guidelines and terms before entering. (For younger poets, The Poetry Society provides competition news on their young poetry network page).
2026
October 2026
1 Oct Poetry London Pamphlet Prize. Max 24 pages. £20 per pamphlet (£10 for current subscribers).1 Oct Brexit 10 years on: A Europhile Perspective. Theme: pro-European poems, relevant to Brexit. Poems/songs. Max 20 lines. £4 (£3 for futher entries).4 Oct The New Cockney Poets and Cable Street competition. Themes (2): (1) Modern Cockney identities & Cockney Diaspora and (2) Unity & Comradeship of East End Communities (in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street). Max 40 lines. Free (?)- 9 Oct Worlds into Words Poetry Competition. Theme: ‘worlds into words’. Max 40 lines. £5 (£1 for under 18s; free for those with lived experience as a refugee)
- 19 Oct Waltham Forest Poetry Competition. Theme: music. Max 40 lines. Max 6 poems. There are also categories for poets living or studying in the Waltham Forest area and “funniest poem”, and a children’s category. £3 for adult entries (subsequent poems in same submission £1).
- 26 Oct Candlestick Press competition. Theme: moon. Max 35 lines including title and stanza breaks. To enter, purchase a pamphlet from the website (£6.95 plus postage). Purchases made during the competition entry period will qualify for entry. Purchasing one pamphlet entitles you to enter two poems. If you purchase two pamphlets, you can enter five poems.
- 30 Oct The Happiful Poetry Prize 2027. Theme: mental health and wellbeing. Max 25 lines. Entry includes an online poetry workshop. Free.
- 31 Oct Bedford Writing Competition Open. Max 40 lines. More info here. Additional prize for Bedford residents. £8.50 (3 for £17)
- 31 Oct Poetry Society National Poetry Competition. Open. Max 40 lines. £9 (£6 for subsequent poems. Poetry Society members get a free second submission with their first submission).
- 31 Oct Wildfire/Frosted Fire Seventh International Single Poem Competition. Prizes for audio and text submissions. Theme: ‘Free speech’. Max 50 lines. Until 31 Aug fee is £4 (5 for £16). 1 Sep onwards fee is £5 (5 for £20).
- 31 Oct Edward Thomas Fellowship Poetry Competition 2027. Max 40 lines. Max 3 poems. £5.
- 31 Oct One Hand Clapping Young Person’s Poetry Competition. Open. Entrants must be aged 17-25 years. Free.
November 2026
- 15 Nov Cafe Writers Competition. Open. Max 40 lines. Additional prize for Norfolk resident. £5 (£13 for 3). Free entry for low income (Household income under £16000/yr. See website for details).
- 29 Nov – 6 Dec The Booby Prize for Poetry (See also here). Write up to 40 lines in 7 days. The competition will run from 23:00 hrs UK time on a Sunday night for 7 days, to 23:00 hrs UK Time the following Sunday night. All entrants will receive an email at the competition start time. There will be a selection of 3 prompts to choose from in three categories. £10 entry.
- 30 Nov Wildfire Words 2026 Audio book International Competition. For collections of 6+ poems. Max 300 words/60 lines including stanza breaks per poem. At least 2 must be entered as audio recordings. £9 per collection until 31 Oct. £12 per collection from 1 Nov.
- 30 Nov Verve Poem of the Festival. Theme: Belonging. Max 80 lines. £6 (£14 for 3; £20 for 5). There is also a youth category (free)
December 2026
- 1 Dec After The End 2026 Poetry Competition Theme: Poems engaging with ‘the concept of “after the end,” exploring the temporal, ethical, social, or emotional dimensions of endings.’ Max 40 lines. Or Video performance up to 3 minutes. 1 entry only per poet. Free.
- 7 Dec Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition. Open. Any length. Up to 3 poems. £12 for 3 poems.
- 7 Dec Mslexia Women’s Poetry Pamphlet Competition 2026. Collection of 18-20 poems, 20-24 pages, by poets who have never had a full-length collection published. £20
- 20 Dec Verve Poem of the month competition. Monthly competition (**Open from 1 Dec**) Optional theme: Party Tricks (Show us). £3 (£6 for 3)
- 31 Dec The Charles Causley International Poetry Competition. Theme: heritage. Max 40 lines. £7.50 (£5 for subsequent entries).
2027
January 2027
- 15 Jan Guernsey International Poetry Competition (Poems on the move). There is an additional category for residents of the Channel Islands. Open. Max 14 lines. £5 (£12 for 3).
- 15 Jan Arts Richmond Poetry Prize. Theme: An open window. Max 40 lines. £6 (3 for £14).
- 20 Jan Verve Poem of the month competition. Monthly competition (**Open from 1 Jan**) Optional theme: Verba (Words that do something). £3 (£6 for 3)
February 2027
- 20 Feb Verve Poem of the month competition. Monthly competition (**Open from 1 Feb **) Optional theme: Verve (Try and define it). £3 (£6 for 3).
- 24 Feb Hive Young Writers Competition. (For writers aged 14-30 years and living, from, based or with a home (or term) address in the north/midlands). Open. Poetry (up to 50 lines), flash fiction and stories. Max 2 pieces. Free.
March 2027
- 20 Mar Verve Poem of the month competition. Monthly competition (**Open from 1 Mar**) Optional theme: No Verve (When nothing catches). £3 (£6 for 3).
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