The National Poetry Competition, run by The Poetry Society, stands as one of the most highly regarded international prizes for a single, previously unpublished poem. Each year, it attracts entries from poets worldwide, seeking recognition for their work. The announcement of the results for the poetry competition 2024 marks a significant moment in the literary calendar, celebrating new voices and exceptional poetic craft.
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The poetry competition 2024 has now revealed its list of winners, commended poets, and the extensive longlist, highlighting the diverse and vibrant landscape of contemporary poetry.
National Poetry Competition 2024 Results
The results for the poetry competition 2024 were eagerly anticipated. The judges faced the challenging task of selecting the strongest poems from a vast number of submissions, ultimately identifying those that stood out for their originality, emotional depth, and technical skill.
The Winners
The top prizes in the poetry competition 2024 recognize outstanding achievements in crafting a single poem:
- 1st prize: Fiona Larkin for ‘Absence has a grammar’
- 2nd prize: Matt Barnard for ‘Two boys at midnight’
- 3rd prize: Sorrel Briggs for ‘Heaven Down’
These winning poems are celebrated for their unique perspectives and compelling execution.
Explore the world of evocative themes in poetry, from grand narratives to the intimacy of a [reindeer poem].
Commended Poets
In addition to the top three, the poetry competition 2024 also commended several other poets for their notable entries:
- Andrew Dennison
- Kit Buchan
- Chris Beckett
- Yong-Yu Huang
- Lesley Sharpe
- Lee Knapper
- Hannah Perrin King
The 2024 Longlist
The longlist for the poetry competition 2024 features a broad spectrum of poets whose work impressed the judges. Inclusion on this list is a significant achievement, reflecting the high quality of submissions received. The longlisted poets for 2024 are:
Vasiliki Albedo Liapi, Bruce Alexander, Sarah Al-Hajj, Jeremy Audet, Andy Austin-Davies, Tate Bailey, Tom Bailey, Edward Barker, Mike Barlow, Flora Beagley, Lily Blacksell, Laurie Bolger, Colin Bramwell, Emily Breeds, Jessica Brown, Georgia Cabrera-Gutierrez, Finola Cahill, James Canavan, Maya Caspari, Ellie Cauvain, Duncan Chambers, Heather Chapman, Audrey Colasanti, Lauren Colley, Jack Cooper, Sarah-Clare Conlon, Katharine Craik, Carol Dalton, Patrick Davidson Roberts, Olga Dermott-Bond, Kathryn Dorfman, Charlotte Dormandy, Nick Drake, Stephen Duncan, Christina Dunhill, Christopher Edwards, Jonathan Edwards, Mark Fiddes, Dean Gessie, Ross Gillett, george graves, Arabella Green, Dila T. Gunay, Paul Gurton, Joshua Hallam, Allis Hamilton, Chris Hardy, Jack Haworth, A.R. Darland, Beverly Hughes, Frost Hughes, Talia Jacobs, Chris Jones, Gregory Kearns, David Keplinger, Tim Kiely, Anna Kisby, Houley Koundourou, Carolene Kurien, Vanessa Lampert, Bianca Layog, Wes Lee, Róisín Leggett Bohan, Emery Lipow, Nasim Luczaj, Gill Macdonald, Johanna Magin, Greg Mahrer, Martin Malone, Barbara Marsh, Robert Maslen, Anne McCulloch, Jim McElroy, John McKay, Paul McMahon, Kristen Mears, Olga Mexina, Jon Miller, Katrina Moinet, Sadhbh Moriarty, Jon Naskrent, Patrick Nathan, Eleonora Natilii, Mia Nelson, Sara Pensalfini, Stephen Poch, Robert Powell, Estelle Price, Victoria Pugh, Amanda Quaid, Maurice Quirke, Zen Ren, George Roberts, Peter Ross, Graeme Ryan, Nicholas Samaras, Jacqueline Saphra, Lesley Sharpe, Julie Sheridan, Maxine Sinclair, William Skelton, Copland Smith, Elizabeth Speller, Sandra Tan, Molly Underwood, Brett Van Toen, Imogen Wade, Kate Wakeling, Dolores Walshe, Seán Watmore, Hana Widerman, Maria Woodford, Luke Wright.
Meet the 2024 Judges
The judging panel plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the poetry competition 2024. This year’s judges brought a wealth of experience and critical insight to the task.
Judge Biographies
The judges for the poetry competition 2024 were:
- Romalyn Ante: A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Filipino-British poet, essayist, and editor. Her debut collection Antiemetic for Homesickness was critically acclaimed. She is co-founding editor of harana poetry and has received numerous accolades, with a new collection AGIMAT forthcoming.
- John McAuliffe: Professor of Poetry at the University of Manchester and Associate Publisher at Carcanet Press. He is the author of several poetry collections, including a Selected Poems and The Kabul Olympics. His new book National Theatre is expected in Winter 2024.
- Stephen Sexton: Winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the National Poetry Competition in 2016. His books include If All the World and Love Were Young and Cheryl’s Destinies. He teaches at the Seamus Heaney Centre.
Judges’ Perspectives
The judges shared their thoughts on the experience of reading for the poetry competition 2024:
- John McAuliffe: Noted that the competition “tests the temperature of poetry every year” and expressed anticipation for finding “suitably brilliant poems”.
- Romalyn Ante: Highlighted poetry’s “remarkable capacity to depict and enhance our fragile yet beautiful existence and experiences,” looking forward to engaging with “brilliant writing and unforgettable voices”.
- Stephen Sexton: Spoke of the competition’s transformative impact on his own writing life, providing “encouragement and confidence” and “a sense of permission to experiment”. He looked forward to witnessing the “richnesses and complexities, moods, manners and matters of our language in the contemporary poem”.
Past National Poetry Competition Winners (Context)
Understanding the history of the National Poetry Competition provides valuable context for the 2024 results. Looking back at previous years shows the calibre of poets who have been recognized and the evolving trends in contemporary poetry.
2023 Results
The National Poetry Competition 2023 winners were announced on 25th March at Art Workers’ Guild, London. The judges for 2023 were Jane Draycott, Will Harris, and Clare Pollard.
- 1st Prize: Imogen Wade for ‘The Time I Was Mugged In New York City’
- 2nd Prize: Fawzia Muradali Kane for ‘Eric’
- 3rd Prize: Rency Jumaoas Raquid for ‘Like Her’
Commended poets in 2023 included Anna Selby, A.V. Bridgwood, george graves, Harriet Jae, Katie O’Pray, Jack Nicholls, and Madeleine Wurzburger.
Headshots of the 2023 National Poetry Competition judges. From left to right: Jane Draycott (a woman with short gray hair and distinctive earrings), Will Harris (a man with bright blond hair, glasses, and a leather jacket), and Clare Pollard (a woman with dark hair and bangs wearing a navy top).
The 2023 longlist featured a large number of poets, including Matt Abbott, Nicole Adabunu, Sanah Ahsan, Polly Atkin, Emily Barker, Ayomide Bayowa, Sharon Black, Leo Boix, Claire Booker, Izzy Brittain, Kizziah Burton, Michael Chang, Kate Clanchy, Geraldine Clarkson, Courtney Conrad, Ishan Costello, Jenny Danes, Annie Davison, Hélène Demetriades, Jack Dunlop, Ruby Eastwood, Shakeema Edwards, Richard Evans, Victoria Gatehouse, Hannah Godden, Rich Goodson, Katie Griffiths, Susannah Hart, Emily Harrison, Jack Haworth, Erica Hesketh, Sam Hickford, Helen Ivory, James Bradley, Emma Jeremy, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa, Vanessa Lampert, Clara-Laeila Laudette, Emma Lee, Marilyn Longstaff, lisa luxx, Paul McMahon, Hannah Morrison, JLM Morton, Oluwaseun Olayiwola, Rebecca O’Connor, Ann Pilling, Felicity Plunkett, Victoria Pugh, Amanda Quaid, Helen Quah, Dave Robertson, Rosie Rockel, Sharon Rockman, Stevie Ronnie, Laura Scott, Tim Scott, Michael Naghten Shanks, Hannah Silva, Tracey Slaughter, Caroline Smith, Brian Sneeden, Sue Spiers, Mark Stewart, Christina Thatcher, Jane Talbot, Royston Tester, Marvin Thompson, Pam Thompson, Basil du Toit, Eliza O’Toole, Harriet Torr, Aileen La Tourette, Cat Turhan, Suzannah V Evans, Jack Walters, Christian Ward, Rishika Williams, Olivia Wilson, Carson Wolfe, and many others.
2022 Results
The 2022 competition results were announced on 29 March 2023, judged by Greta Stoddart, Jason Allen-Paisant, and Michael Symmons Roberts. Over 17,800 poems were submitted from 8,112 poets across 103 countries.
- 1st prize: Lee Stockdale for ‘My Dead Father’s General Store in the Middle of a Desert’
- 2nd prize: Tife Kusoro for ‘the only other dark-skinned girl’
- 3rd prize: Freya Bantiff for ‘God the Whale’
Commended poets in 2022 included Mike Barlow, Elena Croitoru, Caroline Druitt, Susannah Hart, Rosie Jackson, Jennifer Nadel, and Jeri Onitskansky. These poems demonstrate the breadth of themes and styles celebrated in this prestigious competition, much like the variety you might find browsing a collection covering everything from urban life to a fantastical [reindeer poem].
The 2022 longlist also featured numerous poets, including Nicole Adabunu, Arthur Allen, Polly Atkin, Chaun Ballard, Joan Baxter, Sarah Bitter, Joshua Blackman, Laura Bonang, Melanie Branton, Dean Browne, Kizziah Burton, Jane Burn, John Challis, Kate Clanchy, Victoria Clarke, Michael Conley, Hannah Connors, Courtney Conrad, Frances Corkey Thompson, Claire Cox, Katharine Craik, Aviva Dautch, Sarah Doyle, James Driver, Larissa Dunn, Eve Ellis, Katy Evans-Bush, Mark Farley, Toby Fitch, Abigail Francis, Anna Frearson, Ann Giard-Chase, Jason Gray, Mish Green, Katie Hale, Susannah Hart, Emily Harrison, Jo Haslam, Hannah Hodgson, Lindsey Holland, Mary-Jane Holmes, Eleanor Hooker, Christopher Horton, Jack Houston, Kit Ingram, Yasmin Inkersole, Emma Jeremy, Mabel Joshua-Amadi, Mark Joseph, Vishvantara Julia, Gaynor Kane, Michael Kealy, Lydia Kennaway, Jukka Koskelainen, Zosia Kuczyńska, Harry Laventure, Ian Lavery, Bryony Leeson, Debbie Lim, Theresa Lola, Amelia Loulli, Bernadette Lynch, Katharyn Machan, Wendy Manning, Barbara Marsh, Charlotte Marsh, Jenny Martin, Jane Wilkinson, Alison McCrossan, Jim McElroy, Paul McMahon, Audrey Molloy, Karen Morash, Jarrett Moseley, Cheryl Moskowitz, Mary Mulholland, Andrew Musgrave, Eve Naden, Iain Napier, Serge Neptune, C.P. Nield, Joanna Nissel, Christopher North, Damen O’Brien, Laurence O’Dwyer, Judy O’Kane, Idman Omar, William Perryman, Kristal Phillips, Andrew Pidoux, Ann Pilling, Kathy Pimlott, Helen Pletts, Estelle Price, Helen Quah, Brenda Read-Brown, Richard Robbins, Sue Robbins, Julie Runacres, Georgio Russell, James Sapsard, Anna Selby, Jane Simmons, Sandy Solomon, Elizabeth Speller, Ella Standage, S.F. Stewart, Romany Stott, Jeffery Sugarman, Peter Thickner, Michael W. Thomas, Susan Thomas, Cathryn Turhan, Samuel Ugbechie, Molly Underwood, Polly Walshe, Alan Weadick, Julia Webb, Roger West, John White, Petra White, Meesha Williams, Heidi Williamson, Maria Woodford, Susan Anne Wood, Luke Samuel Yates, Annina Zheng-Hardy.
2021 Results
The National Poetry Competition 2021 winners were announced on 31 March 2022. Judges were Fiona Benson, David Constantine, and Rachel Long, who selected winners from 16,729 poems by 7,012 poets from 100 countries.
- 1st prize: Eric Yip for ‘Fricatives’
- 2nd prize: Jed Myers for ‘I Picture Him Driving’
- 3rd prize: Emma Purshouse for ‘Catherine Eddowes’ tin box as a key witness’
Commended poets in 2021 included Jo Haslam, Lindsey Holland, Martin Reed, J.C. Todd, Kizziah Burton, HLR, and M.R. Peacocke.
The 2021 Longlist
The 2021 longlist included poets such as Aileen Ballantyne, Amy Wolstenholme, Andrea Witzke Slot, Anita Ngai, Anna Whyatt, Anne Bailie, Anne Macaulay, Ayokunle Falomo, Blair Bourassa, Brian Herdman, Bridget O’Bernstein, Bunmi Ogunsiji, Caleb Leow, Carla Grosch-Miller, Carol Woods, Caroline Stancer, Catherine Edmunds, Catriona Wright, Charlie Druce, Charlotte Shevchenko Knight, Christine Webb, Christopher Wellings, Conor Cleary, Cory Ingram, Damen O’Brien, David Bleiman, David McLoghlin, David Robertson, David Swann, Denise O’Hagan, Dolores Walshe, Donald Futers, Elena Croitoru, Elizabeth Oxley, Ellen McAteer, Emily Harrison, Etan Kerr-Finell, Ewan Mackinnon, Fiona Bennett, Frank Jones, Geraldine Clarkson, Harriet Torr, Helen Mort, Hilary Taylor, Hugh Holme, I. Patterson, Inua Ellams, Jane Draycott, Jane Houston, Jane Warren, Jeanette Burton, Jennifer Hall, Jenny Martin, Jenny Mitchell, Jestyn Portugill, John Hussey, Jonathan Bates, Jonathan Edwards, Julie McNeely-Kirwan, Kate Segriff, Kathryn Bevis, Kirsten Irving, Lance Larsen, Laura Theis, Lauren Garland, Leonardo Boix, Lindy Barbour, Lynn Foote, Lynne Burnett, Lynne Jones, Maeve Cullen, Mark Fiddes, Maxine Backus, Mel Elberger, Merrie Joy Williams, Michael Forester, Midnight Dean, Mike Pullman, Miranda Peake, Moss Selkin, Neal Hoskins, Neil Fleming, Nicholas Samaras, Nick Drake, Nick Hawker, Oli Isaac, Oluwaseun Olayiwola, Partridge Boswell, Patch Fusi, Peter Krumbach, Rachel Burns, Robert Maxwell Duncan, Roger West, Ros Woolner, Sanah Ahsan, Scott McKendry, Simon Costello, Steph Morris, Tabitha Hayward, Tanvi Roberts, Tyler Jones, Valentina Rindunica, Vanessa Lampert, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Vijaya Venkatesan, Wendy Manning, William Stephenson and Zelda Chappel.
The National Poetry Competition continues to be a vital platform for poets globally. The poetry competition 2024 has once again highlighted the enduring power and artistry of the single poem, celebrating both established and emerging voices in the world of poetry.