National Poetry Competition 2024
The 2024 National Poetry Competition is now open for entries. The competition, run by The Poetry Society, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem.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, and the judges read all entries via an anonymised judging process, only discovering the identity of the winner after making their final decision. The competition has recognised previously unpublished newcomers, established names, and emerging talents.
The National Poetry Competition offers to winners a first prize of £5,000, a second prize of £2,000, a third prize of £1,000 and commendations of £500 each. The top three winners are also published in The Poetry Society’s journal The Poetry Review.
The Poetry Society
Notes
- There is no word limit, but there is a limit of 40 lines per poem.
- You must be eighteen or over when you enter.
- More than one poem can be entered in one submission. The first poem costs £8; subsequent poems cost £5 each.
- You may wish to check whether midnight on means the start of that day () or the end () in this context.
If you don't fancy this competition, have a look at some other competitions.
Good luck! Let us know how you get on?
Warnings and disclaimers
Make sure you enter the right competition for you.
- The details given are, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of publication. We accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the information.
- Always check the details of competitions closely. Make sure you and your entry match any stipulated criteria.
- Watch out for fees and prize amounts. Avoid competitions with fees that don't offer a cash prize.
- Check the closing date. Try to enter earlier rather than later to give the judges time to read and appreciate your entry.
- Some competitions may refuse entries that have been entered in other competitions. They may ask you to withdraw that entry from those other competitions.
- Some competitions may refuse entries that have already been published, including publication online.
- Some publishers may refuse to publish writing that has already been published, even in competition results.
- Inclusion here is not an endorsement.
More advice on entering writing competitions can be found here: