The Scottish Poetry Library

Published Spring, Summer and Autumn, Poetry London is a leading international magazine where new names share pages with acclaimed contemporary poets.

First prize £1,000; second prize £500; third prize £200; four commendations £75

Judge: Kathleen Jamie

Closing date: 2 June 2008

For more information: Poetry London Competition, 81 Lambeth Walk, London, SE11 6DX

Open Poetry Competition

The best poems selected will be posted on our website and the public votes for their favourite. The three poems with the most votes wins the top prizes.

Prizes: £1000, £500, £250

Judge: Linda Lee Welch

Closing date: 8 June 2008

For more information: www.chapteronepromotions.com / info@chapteronepromotions.com

The Welsh Poetry Competition 2008

The aim of the competition is to encourage and reward the wealth of creative writing talent that exists in Wales. The organisers wish to inspire people to capture life in the present day and to give a voice to a new generation of poets and writers.

First prize, £200, second prize, £100, third prize £50

Judge: John Evans

Closing date: 22 June 2008

For more information: www.welshpoetry.co.uk

The Writers' Bureau Poetry & Shorty Story Competition 2008

The winning short stories and poems will be published in Freelance Market News and on the internet.

Stories: first prize £1000, second prize £400, third prize £200, fourth prize £100, fifth prize 6 x £50
Poems: first prize £1000, second prize £400, third prize £200, fourth prize £100, fifth prize 6 x £50

Short Story Judge: Iain Pattison
Poetry Judge:Alison Chisholm

Closing date: 30 June 2008

For more information: www.writersbureau.com/competition
tel: 0161 228 2362
email: student services@writersbureau.com

The Bridport Prize 2008

The Bridport Prize is one of the top open writing prizes worldwide - in both prestige and prize money. Anyone can enter and winning has been a first step in the careers of now-established poets and novelists.

Stories: first prize £5000, second prize £1000, third prize £500, 10 supplemetary prizes
Poems: first prize £5000, second prize £1000, third prize £500, 10 supplemetary prizes

Short Story Judge: Helen Simpson
Poetry Judge: David Harsent

Closing date: 30 June 2008

For more information: www.bridportprize.org.uk

Keats-Shelley Prize 2008

Two competitions, open to all: an essay - a poem
The essay can be on any aspect of the lives and works of John Keats, P B Shelley, Mary Shelley or Lord Byron, and should be of 2,000-3,000 words, including quotations. The poem must be original, unpublished and not a parody. It should focus on the theme 'Lost'. It may be of any length up to 50 lines.

£3,000 in prizes. The winners' work will be published.

Judges panel:
Matthew Sweeney, John Hartley Williams, Professor Peter Kitson, Dr Seamus Perry. Chair: Ann Wroe

Closing date: 30 June 2008

For more information: www.keats-shelley.co.uk

Winterwitch Nightmares and Dreams Competition

Choosing Nightmare, Dream or both, create a short story or poem that will rivet your reader and make them fortget the real world for a time. All winning entries will be displayed on the website....and will be included in any suitable anthologies or themed works published between the end of the competition and December 2010.

Adults: first prize £100, 3 runners-up prizes of £25
Under 16s: first prize £50, 3 runners-up prizes of £15

Closing date: 31 July 2008

For more information: www.winterwitch.co.uk

The Manchester Poetry Prize 2008

The Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University is launching The Manchester Poetry Prize - a new literary competition celebrating excellence in creative writing.

First prize: £10,000

Judges include: Gillian Clarke, Imtiaz Dharker, Carol Ann Duffy

Closing date: 1 August 2008

For more information: www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk

The Arvon International Poetry Competition 2008

Classic FM First Prize: £5,000
Second Prize: £2,500
Third Prize: £1,000
Three commendation prizes: £500 each.
The Ted Hughes Environmental Poetry Prize: £1,000 plus Ted Hughes publications and will go to the best poem that deals with the environment, in the broadest sense.

Judges: Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, Moniza Alvi and Alice Oswald.

Closing date: 5pm on 15 August 2008

For full details and entry form: http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p88.html

The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition

The national arts magazine, Aesthetica, is looking for undiscovered talent. We are running a creative works competition and are looking for entries from three categories: fiction, poetry, artwork. There will be three winners, one from each category, each receiving £500.

Closing date: 31 August 2008

For more information visit: www.aestheticamagazine.com

The Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition 2008

Now in its 31st year, the Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition is one of the leading poetry prizes. It offers to anyone who enters the opportunity to discover their own potential as a writer. Past winners, include Michael Hulse, Carol Ann Duffy, Jo Shapcott, Ruth Padel, Ian Duhig and current winner Sinead Morrisey.

First prize £5,000, second prize £1,000, third prize £500 plus ten commendations of £50.

Judges: Frieda Hughes, Jack Mapanje, Brian Patten

Closing date: 31 October 2008

Full details and entry form on: www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/

Hastings International Poetry Competition 2008

The Competition will be adjudicated by Josephine Austin LCSM, editor of First Time and recipient of the Dorothy Tutin Award for Services to Poetry 1986

Cash prizes of £150, £75, £50 & £25

Closing date: 25 October 2008

For more information: Josephine Austin, "The Snoring Cat", 194 Downs Road, Hastings TN34 2DZ
josephinepoetry@btinternet.com

The Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition 2008

First prize £5,000, second prize £1,000, third prize £500 plus ten commendations of £50.

Judges: Frieda Hughes, Jack Mapanje, Brian Patten

Closing date: 31 October 2008

Full details and entry form on: www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/

Poetry and Prose Prizes 2008 from The New Writer magazine

Major annual international competition for short stories, novellas, single poems, poetry collections, essays and articles; offers cash prizes from a total fund above £2,000 as well as publication for the prize-winning writers in The Collection, special edition of The New Writer magazine each July.

Closing date: 30 November 2008

For full details and entry forms visit: www.thenewwriter.com/prizes.htm

The Poetry Competition Organised by Understanding Literary Magazine 2008

Prizes: £700 for the best poem

Judges: Dr Thom Nairn, Dr Susanna Roxman, Denise Smith.

Closing date: 15 December 2008

For further details contact: Understanding, 127 Milton Road West, Edinburgh, EH15 1JG

For further information see the competition list published by the Poetry Library, London, available on their website at: www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/enquiry/compset.html

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