The National Poetry Competition, run annually by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the most prestigious poetry competitions for a single unpublished poem. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18 or over. With a top prize of £5,000, this year’s judges are Greta Stoddart, Jason Allen-Paisant and Michael Symmons Roberts. Entrants from NW England are also eligible for the Peggy Poole Award to win a year’s mentorship. Enter online by midnight on 31 October 2022 here.

You can download writing resources by some of the competition's past prize winners and judges on The Poetry Society's resources page. The most recent is by National Poetry Competition and established poetic voice Philip Gross. His guide addresses how style can lead a poem to the place it needs to go. The guides offer writing prompts and discussion points based on previous winning poems. 

more about the competition