Applicant criteria
NationalityNo specific nationality required
Age
- No specific age required
Gender
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
The Poet of the Year Competition is open for 2025.
Submission Guidelines
- Open to adults over the age of 18 on 2nd October 2025.
- Welcoming national and international entries.
- Multiple submissions accepted.
- Any theme, any style not exceeding 60 lines in length excluding title and line breaks.
- Poem must be original and previously unpublished.
Entry fee: £5 per entry.
Judges
- Luigi Marchini (Chair, SaveAs Writers Group)
- Kerry Rawlinson (Joint Winner, Poet of the Year 2024)
- Gary Michael Studley (Joint Winner, Poet of the Year 2024)
Prizes:
The Awards Evening will take place on Thursday 2 October 2025 via Zoom when the winning poems will be announced.
- First place: named Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year and £300.
- Second Place: £150
- Third Place: £75
Deadline: Monday 2 June 2025.
Benefits
- First place: named Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year and £300
- Second Place: £150
- Third Place: £75
Eligibility criteria
Open to adults over 18 on 2 October 2025. Poem must be original, previously unpublished, and not exceed 60 lines.