The National Poetry Competition for English Unpublished Poem by The Poetry Society

Rules: General:

1. The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering. International entries are welcome.
2. The closing date of the competition is midnight (GMT UK time), 31 October 2023.
3. There is no limit on the number of entries a single entrant can make. All entries will be considered anonymously by the judges.
4. Entries will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
5. Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered.
6. Online entries made via the website will receive automatic confirmation at the time of submission.
7. Telephone or email confirmation of receipt is not available. Poetry Society staff are unable to confirm the content of documents submitted online, so please ensure you send the correct version.
8. The competition organisers reserve the right to change the judging panel without notice and not to award prizes if, in the judges’ opinion, such an action is justified.
9. The judges read all the entries; their decision is final. Neither the judges nor Poetry Society staff will enter into any correspondence.
10. No current employee or Trustee of The Poetry Society is eligible to enter the National Poetry Competition.

Rules: Poems:

1. All entries are judged anonymously and the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself.
2. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length (excluding title). Entries can be on any subject.
3. Poems must be written in English.
4. Poems must be the entrant’s original work. AI-generated work is prohibited.
5. 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 2024.

Rules: Fees:

1. The first poem submitted costs £8. Subsequent entries in the same submission cost £5 per poem. Poetry Society members (including those joining at time of submission) get one free second poem, with subsequent poems at £5.

About The Poetry Society:

The Poetry Society was founded in 1909 to promote “a more general recognition and appreciation of poetry”. Since then, it has grown into one of Britain’s most dynamic arts organisations, representing British poetry both nationally and internationally. Today it has more than 4000 members worldwide and publishes the leading poetry magazine, The Poetry Review.

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