The National Poetry Competition 2026 is now open for entries!
The National Poetry Competition 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem, organised by The Poetry Society, has been recently opened for entries inviting anyone interationaly aged 18 or over to participate.
Short description
The National Poetry Competition 2026 is now open for entries. This competition, run by The Poetry Society, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem.
Work from poets at every stage of their writing careers is welcome.
There are 4 categories:
➜ Writing Resources
➜ Poetry writing prompts
➜ video readings and workshops
➜ film poems
Entries can be on any subject.
There is no limit on the number of entries a single entrant can make.
Poems must be the entrant’s original work. AI-generated work is prohibited. Artificial intelligence or AI software, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or similar tools, may not be used in any part of the poem’s creation. Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on a website or made public on social media, broadcast or featured among the winners in another competition before 31 March 2027..
Prizewinners will be notified by the end of February 2025 and invited to an awards event in spring 2025. All winners will be expected to provide a biography and photograph.
Submission requirements
➜ All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length (excluding title)
➜ Entries must be written in English.
Eligibility
The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over. International entries are welcome.
Benefits
The National Poetry Competition offers to winners a first prize of £5,000, a second prize of £3,000, a third prize of £4,000 and commendations of £500 each. The top three winners are also published in The Poetry Society’s journal The Poetry Review.
Entry fees
The first poem submitted costs £9. Subsequent entries in the same submission cost £6 per poem.
