The Poetry Society

What will Luke Kennard, one of our judges for the 2026 National Poetry Competition, be looking for when making his selections? Find out more at poetrysociety.org.uk

Only one week left to enter the National Poetry Competition 2026! Closing, midnight, 31 October 2026. Judges: Malika Booker, Niall Campbell & Luke Kennard. First prize £5,000. Second prize £3,000. Third prize £2,000. Seven commendations £500 each. Enter now! npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

And next up, congratulations to Nur Turkmani, winner of Best First Collection with October ( @hajarpress.bsky.social )!

The @forwardprizes.bsky.social ceremony is well underway and the first winners have been announced. Congratulations to Biff Smith, winner of Best Single Poem (performed) with 'Dumbarton East' (Loud Poets), and to Tara Bergin, winner of Best Single Poem (written) with 'The Fear' (Stinging Fly)! 🎉

We're hiring! Could you be our new Marketing & Communications Manager? Visit poetrysociety.org.uk to find out more. Download the job pack at bit.ly/PoSocJobs

To help inspire your entries for the National Poetry Competition, we have been gathering a host of prompts and resources, find them at bit.ly/NPC26Resources Enter by 31 October 2026, all details npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

Calling all young writers! Join us on Friday 6 November for a free online writing session: bit.ly/4BnwNoM You’ll be guided through a series of exciting creative writing prompts to inspire your entries to the Museum of You challenge (in partnership with the National Museum of Scotland).

Want to enter the National Poetry Competition, but need inspiration? To get your ideas flowing, watch Matthew Caley (2nd prize, 2004) read his poem ‘L.Z.’, alongside other past winners in our ‘Then & Now’ series bit.ly/NPC26videos Competition closes at midnight on 31 Oct npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

We've invited a host of poets to share discussion points about their favourite poems in the competition's history. Read Kit Buchan’s exclusive guide, ‘Writing on the weather’, bit.ly/NPC26Resources Competition closes at midnight on 31 October 2026! Find all details at npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

Fingers crossed for Fiona Larkin, whose National Poetry Competition winning poem 'Absence has a grammar' is shortlisted in this year's Forward Prizes for Poetry. (The deadline for this year's National Poetry Competition is close: head to our website to enter before midnight on 31 October)

Today, the new autumn set of Poems on the Underground goes up on London Underground and Overground trains! Featuring poems by Bernard O’Donoghue, Jaan Kaplinski, Emily Bronte, Langston Hughes, Grace Nichols and Valerie Bloom. Discover the new set: poetrysociety.org.uk/projects/poe...

Want to enter the National Poetry Competition 2026, but need inspiration? To get your ideas flowing, we have invited Jonathan Edwards to make an exclusive video workshop bit.ly/NPC26videos ENTER NOW! All details at npc.poetrysociety.org.uk Competition closes at midnight on 31 October 2026

To help inspire your entries for the National Poetry Competition, we have been gathering a host of prompts and resources. Find more FREE prompts, writing tips and resources at bit.ly/NPC26Resources. Competition closes 31 October 2026, for details visit npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

Very sorry to report that Douglas Dunn has passed away. He was the finest Scottish poet of the post-war period. Dougie was also someone we knew and loved as a dear friend, mentor and teacher, and he will be deeply missed.

Watch Anna Selby’s video workshop, bit.ly/NPC26videos And remember, the National Poetry Competition closes at midnight on 31 October 2026! ENTER NOW! npc.poetrysociety.org.uk

Waste land news

Read Kate Wakeling’s writing guide, ‘No ideas but in things’, bit.ly/NPC26Resources And remember, the National Poetry Competition closes at midnight on 31 October 2026!

Congratulations to Danny Pandolfi and the Raise the Bar team for winning the Sky Arts Award for poetry tonight! www.instagram.com/p/DecrOgBjJR3/

Announcing our next online workshop! October 22nd, 6:30 - 8:30 pm BST It's Personal - Constructing the Self with Ralf Webb Tickets are £17 for Poetry Society members or £27 for non-members. Book at poetrysociety.org.uk/event/online...

Congratulations, Foyle Young Poets 2026! Our flagship talent development scheme, the award recognises 15 top & 85 commended poets aged 11-17 each year. This year's award, judged by John McAuliffe & Rachel Long, received entries from 10,598 poets from 153 countries. Read the winners 🔗 buff.ly/OnEVdHD

Want to discuss the latest Poetry Review with fellow poetry fans? Come to our reading groups! Hosted by Julia Bird, there's an online group (19 Oct) & an in-person group (Poetry Cafe, 21 Oct) 6.30-8pm. Free for Poetry Society members/£5 non-members. Book at poetrysociety.org.uk/events (links in bio)

Congratulations to Anne Carson, winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Literature! www.theguardian.com/books/live/2...

i'm running a couple of reading groups for @poetrysociety.org.uk - digging into the latest issue of 'the poetry review'. online on 19th, covent garden on 21st. come along, i give good chat. search 'events' on the poetry society website

So good to get that sparkling journal of cultural record The Poetry Review from @poetrysociety.org.uk in the post; such a lot of exciting new writing to take in!

Arrived today, from @poetrysociety.org.uk - yippee.

Young poets: new writing challenge alert! We're thrilled to be teaming up with the National Museum of Scotland on this one... Find prompts and enter by 4 October on Young Poets Network: bit.ly/MuseumYPN

Congratulations to the ten poets shortlist for this year's T.S. Eliot Prize! Find out more: poetrysociety.org.uk/uncategorize...

In celebration of National Poetry Day, our brilliant team of Poets in Schools are leading writing workshops and assemblies in schools across England. Find out more about our Poets in Schools service at bit.ly/PoetsinSchools

Happy #NationalPoetryDay! 'Orpheus in Spring' by Jenny George celebrates this year's theme "wonder," describing the human impulse to collect treasures, and the opposite action of admiring the world without taking. The poem is from The Poetry Review, official publication of @poetrysociety.org.uk.

Announcing the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation Longlist 2026! The list of 13 titles from 12 languages includes novels, poetry, short fiction, and memoir. The prize is judged in 2026 by Arifa Akbar, Véronique Tadjo, Boyd Tonkin. For the full list and announcement: tinyurl.com/394cypw6

Happy #NationalPoetryDay! The theme is 'Wonder' and it's a busy day for us - we've poets visiting schools across the country, a Young Poets Takeover online & National Poetry Day Unplugged in the Poetry Cafe tonight. Plus, the announcement of our Stanza competition winners... Have a WONDERful day!

Part of the extraordinary A Humument by Tom Phillips on the cover of an old Poetry Review from @poetrysociety.org.uk

Congratulations to the new Young Poet Laureates, celebrated at @bbccontains last week! Our Education Officer was in Salford to cheer them on at the beginning of their writing journeys. We'll be looking out for their names on the poetry scene in the future.

Yes, the rumours are true! Poetry Unplugged is returning to the Poetry Cafe this National Poetry Day and there are just a handful of tickets left. We're so excited to work with @rustyniall.bsky.social on this NPD open mic special. Grab your ticket at poetrysociety.org.uk/event/poetry...

Congratulations to Fiona Benson, winner of this year's Laurel Prize with Midden Witch @jonathancape.bsky.social ! 🌿

The Autumn 2026 issue of The Poetry Review (116:3) is out now featuring new poetry from Grace Nichols, Fiona Benson, Nick Laird, Selima Hill, Jack Underwood, Rashed Aqrabawi, Oli Hazzard and many others. Check out the full contents at the link in ou bio.

Congratulations to the PEN Heaney Prize 2026 shortlist! Egrets, While War (Tishani Doshi) Mer de Glace (Małgorzata Lebda, trans. Mira Rosenthal) Dwelling (Máighréad Medbh) plastic (Matthew Rice) Pain Songs (Daniel Sluman) October (Nur Turkmani)

Congratulations to everyone shortlisted for the Booker Prize, including poets Rebecca Perry and Luke Kennard! And of course, Luke is one of the judges of this year's National Poetry Competition (alongside the fab Malika Booker and Niall Campbell), which is open until 31 October...

Teachers! Getting ready for National Poetry Day (1 Oct)? This year's theme is 'Wonder' and we've released a new resource, created by poet Rachel Plummer, to help you explore it with your students. Free to download at bit.ly/NPDResource26

After a six-year hiatus, Poetry Unplugged is returning to Covent Garden's Poetry Cafe one more time for NATIONAL POETRY DAY UNPLUGGED!!! Thursday 1st October, 7.30pm (doors 7pm) for details and booking please visit the Poetry Society website. poetrysociety.org.uk/event/poetry...

Poetry, prose and the in-between. Join Emily Berry and Maurice Riordan in the Poetry Cafe next Tuesday, 22 September, for an evening of readings and discussion. 7-8.30pm. Tickets £6-8 at poetrysociety.org.uk/event/poetry...

Congratulations to all the poets Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes for Best Single Poem - Written! We're especially proud of Nicky Kippax and Matt Barnard, whose commended poems were originally published by The Poetry Society 🥳

Congratulations Theo! Longlisted for Singapore Literature Prize for his latest collection - once upon a time Theophilus Kwek was a Poetry Society Foyle Young Poet of the Year!

Tickets are still available for our open mic tomorrow! Grab them at the link at our bio for your chance to read at our iconic London venue.