Poetry Map
Poetry Map is the place to look for poetry opportunities for young writers – for competitions you can enter, magazines you can submit poems, writing groups you can join, poetry treasures you can find online and poetry organisations.
The information here has been supplied by each of the organisations involved. If you would like more details, click on the title of each entry.
If you’d like to add an entry to this section, we’d be glad to hear from you.
Contact the Education team: educationadmin@poetrysociety.org.uk
Competitions
For more advice on entering poetry competitions or poetry contests, check out The Secret of Poetry Competitions.
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Alsager Summer Festival Competition For poets aged 14-18. Prizes: First £30 book token Second £20 book token Third: £10 book token Judge: Roger McGough . Entry Fee: £2/ £1 for additional poems. Closes 10 May 2013 |
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Amnesty International Protest Song Competition Amnesty International UK have launched two new creative competitions designed to help young people explore human rights and their own freedom of expression. Write your own protest song with help from writer and rapper Kate Tempest, then enter your lyrics or performance for a chance to win! There is also a prize for the Young Human Rights Journalist/ Photojournalist of 2013. Closed |
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The Anne Pierson Award for Young Writers in Cumbria The Anne Pierson Award encourages Cumbria’s emerging writers aged 15-18 to develop skills and confidence, and of course, offers them the opportunity to win a share of prizes worth £1100. It has a categories for poems, short stories and monologues on a set theme. Reopens 2013 |
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Anthologise is a competition for school students aged 11-18 to create their own anthologies of poetry. The winning anthology will then be published by Picador, one of the most prestigious poetry publishers, in 2013. The competition allows for any size of group from a couple of friends working together to a whole class or even school anthology. You are asked to select and order the poems you would include and write a foreword. Closed |
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Awel Aman Tawe Poetry Competition Awel Aman Tawe Poetry Competition invites poems on the theme of Climate Change. The competition invites English and Welsh poems. The competition has both an adult and an under 18s (children’s) category. There is a small entry fee for this competition, which for under 18s is £1 per poem or 4 poems for £3. Closed |
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Barnet Open Poetry Competition Barnet Borough Arts Council invites poems on any topic in two junior categories: ages 7-12 & 12-16. If you are over 16 you can enter as an adult. There is a small entry fee of £1 for junior entrants. Reopens 2013 |
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Bridgewater Hall ‘Writing About Music’ Poetry Competition Write a poem for or about music and you could win Waterstones vouchers and goodie bags. Free to enter, with categories for 12-15 year-olds and 16-18 year-olds. Closed |
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A national competition hosted by Buxton Festival and the University of Derby. The competition opens in October each year and closes on 6 April, and there is a set theme. It has three categories: poets aged 19 and over, 12-18, and up to 11. Shortlisted poem are displayed during the Buxton Festival in the summer. Winners are announced at the annual awards ceremony in July. Reopens 2014 |
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Charles Causley Poetry Competition The competition is open to children and young people aged 5-16 living in Cornwall. There are three categories (5-7, 8-11 and 12-16) and each has a choice of themes based on poems by Charles Causley. Prizes include a two-hour poetry workshop and book tokens. Free to enter. Closes 19 July 2013 |
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A competition for budding poets under twelve, to celebrate the Bookshow’s tenth birthday. Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen has written the first line of a poem – “The water is burning” – for you to finish, any way you like. Michael will select the winner, who will receive signed books from the Bookshow 2012 stars and also books for their class. Three runners-up will get signed Michael Rosen books. Closed |
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The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition The UK’s most valuable prize for young poets is open to students aged between 16-18 years who are challenged to write a poem on the theme – this year’s is “The Details”. The first prize is £3,000, with £1,000 and £500 going to the second and third prizewinners. Winners also receive places on the prestigious Tower Summer School in Oxford. Reopens 2014 |
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Cool it Schools is an organisation calling on young people worldwide to do something positive about climate change. They use creative arts to get their message across including writing projects and an annual young people’s poetry competition with categories from age 5-18. This year’s theme is “Out of the Blue”, celebrating the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. There is a small entry fee of £2 per poem. Closes 30 September 2013 |
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David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is a conservation charity which has annual art and poetry competitions for adults and young people. The DSWF School’s Global Canvas Poetry Competition has categories for young people aged 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16. The theme for 2014 will be ‘It’s Our World’. Reopens 2014 |
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Deddington Writing Competition The Competition is open to children and young people who live or attend school in Oxfordshire, South East Warwickshire and South West Northants and who are in the following age groups ages (as at September 1st 2012): 5-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-16 years. Closes 27 April |
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This year’s theme for the Divine Chocolate and Christian Aid poetry competition is “Chocolate is something to cherish”. There are three categories, 7-11, 12-16 and 17+. Winners in each category receive £30 book tokens and a goody bag, and there is plenty of chocolate for the runners up! Closes 30 April 2013 |
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Dylan Down the Ups Creative Writing Competition To celebrate the 2014 centenary of Dylan’s birth, submissions are invited in response to the poem ‘The Hunchback in the Park’. Poetry, prose poetry, prose, diary and letter form are all welcome; entries can be written in the writer’s mother tongue (whatever the language is) or in the writer’s dialect together with (if possible) an English translation. Ages 10-100; entry is free. Closes 27 April 2014 |
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The Elizabeth Bishop Prize is run by Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Winners receive a $3,000 full summer school scholarship and books. It takes international submissions from young people in equivalent of USA school grades 8-11 (grade 8 is 13-14, grade 11 is 16-17). Winners are selected from submissions to The Blue Pencil Magazine made before Noon EST, 1 Feburary each academic year. The prize doesn’t cover transport, however Walnut Hill may be able to help winners find alternative funding if they cannot afford flights. Closes 1 February 2014 |
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Enfield’s Young People’s Poetry Competition 2012 Enfield Council is running a water-themed competition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the New River, which connects Enfield to Central London. Awards for groups, classes and individuals. Reopens 2013 |
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The Eric Gregory Awards, for a collection by poets under the age of 30, are administered by the Society of Authors. Awards are given annually, for submissions of up to 30 poems, with prize money totalling up to £24,000. Closes 31 October 2013 |
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The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is the UK’s largest and most popular poetry competition for young people, with over 7,000 poets entering from the UK and beyond each year. Prizes include a week long residential writing course at a prestigious Arvon centre and school poet residencies – plus an invite to an exciting awards ceremony in London. Open to 11-17 year olds. Closes 31 July 2013 |
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Gardener’s World Poetry Competition Calling all budding poets – write a garden-inspired poem, on the theme of the seasons, and you could win publication in the magazine and a selection of poetry books.There are categories for 15-17; 11-14; and 10 & under. Entry is free; one poem each. If you are over 17 you can enter the adult category also free of charge. Closed |
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Highland Lit Saloon Writing Competition The Salon’s first-ever writing competition welcomes submissions of poetry and prose, with categories in both for under-18s. There is a small fee of £1 per entry for under-18s. Reopens 2013 |
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Ilkley Festival Young People’s Poetry and Short Story Competition Ilkley Festival Young People’s Poetry and Short Story Competition is open to anyone in School Years 7–13 inclusive. Schools and individual young people are welcome to enter. There are three categories: years 7, 8 and 9; years 10 and 11; and years 12 and 13. Short stories shouldn’t be longer that 2,000 words and can be much shorter. Poems shouldn’t be longer than 28 lines including the title and can be much shorter. Closes 1 August 2013 |
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A competition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, a hugely influential South Asian poet. There are 2 categories: one for writers aged between 8 and 15, one for writers aged 16 and over. Entries can be poetry, short stories or reportage, and writers can submit up to 6 pieces of work, maximum length 400 words, using Tagore’s poetry and writing as a starting point. Closed |
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Write a poem or piece of prose inspired by one of the works in the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland. The work may be selected from any of the NGS galleries and images of many of the works can be accessed through the NGS website www.nationalgalleries.org in the section ‘Online Collections’. Winning poems will be published in the Scotsman, read at public events and will receive books and free entry for two to all National Galleries of Scotland exhibitions for a year. Categories for under 12s, 12-14, 15-18 and adult. Reopens 2013 |
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IT Itch invites entries for its inaugural prize in web poetry. The prize is open to everyone and submissions will be accepted from any country. Submitted poems must be about this year’s theme – Search Engines – but poets are free to use whatever style they choose. Closes 1 December 2013 |
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John Betjeman Poetry Competition The John Betjeman Poetry Competition is open to 10-13 year-olds. The first prize is £1000 (£500 to the winner and £500 to their school’s English department). There are also Eurostar tickets and book tokens for winning entries. Closes 31 July 2013 |
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The John Clare Trust invites participants from three age categories: Under 12’s; 12 to 17’s; 18 and over, to write a themed poem. Finalists from each age range will be invited to read their poems at a prize giving, coinciding The John Clare Cottage’s Poetry Festival, We Love Words. There is a range of cash prizes – from £10 to £500 – and both winners and highly commended poems will be included in a resulting anthology. Closes 31 July 2013 |
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Open to any Year 12 students in the UK, with categories in Criticism, Fiction and Poetry. First prize £100 and publication in Cake Magazine, plus prizes for second and third place. Reopens 2013 |
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The Ledbury Poetry Festival Competition The Ledbury Poetry Festival Competition has two categories for young people: 12-17s (first prize £100) and 11 and under (first prize £25 book token). First entry is free and subsequent poems are £1.50. Winners are invited to read at the prestigious Ledbury Poetry Festival in July. Closes 9 July 2013 |
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Live Canon & Greenwich Theatre Children’s Poetry Competition This competition is for young poets who love rhythms, rhymes, words and stories. Shortlisted poems will be published in an anthology, recorded on CD and performed at a prize giving ceremony, and category winners will receive book tokens and poetry books for the runners up. There are three categories: ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-15. Closed |
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Miracle Ezine Poetry Competition A competition from Miracle Ezine – send in one poem free of charge and the top 20 winners will be published in an anthology. Closed |
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Newcastle Literary Arts invites you to think about water in all its aspects and submit poems which use it as a theme. The competition has two categories, one of which is a free North East Young Adult category open to under 19 year olds resident in the North East of England. The second category is for adults and has an entry fee. The competition will be judged by John Burnside and W N Herbert. Closed |
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PBS Student Poetry Competition Free competition with the chance to win £100, publication on the website and full membership of the Poetry Book Society, which includes four free poetry books especially chosen and sent every three months. The judge is George Szirtes. You have to be a student member to enter – join up for free on the PBS website. Reopens 2013 |
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Print Express Winter Poems competition Write a poem about winter which will create some warmth and comfort for those who read it. Entry is free to everyone worldwide. Closed |
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The Pushkin Prizes are awarded to young people in Scotland studying S1 or S2 (or equivalents). Entrants are invited to submit a portfolio of three pieces of writing, these might be poetry but they could also be fiction, drama, non-fiction or journalism. Ten winners receive places on a five-day residential creative writing course at the Arvon Foundation Writers’ Centre near Inverness. Reopens 2013 |
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Rewrite Young People’s Creative Writing Competition Poetry, spoken word, prose and playwriting submissions invited on the theme ‘A United Kingdom’. There are two categories – for 11-17 year olds and 18-21 year olds. It’s free to enter, but you must be a resident of inner or Greater London. Reopens 2013 |
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Right Words is an annual competition run by the Human Rights Watch. It encourages students in years 10 and 11 in England and Wales (Key Stage 4), and all Secondary 3 and 4 students in Scotland, to produce a piece of writing inspired by the issue of freedom of expression. There are five categories, each for a different type of writing, one of which is poetry. Closed |
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River of Words Young Poets Contest International competition for young poets aged 5-19. River of Words is a North American-based organisation which promotes an innovative blend of arts and science, and the art and poetry of place. Closes 1 December 2013 (US entries) or 1 February 2014 (International entries) |
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Save the Frogs! Poetry Competition Save the Frogs! is a charity dedicated to amphibian conservation, and to support this work they are inviting poets to write on the theme of frogs! There are three categories: under 13, 13-17, and 18+, and prizes include cash and vouchers for the charity’s online gift shop. Closes 15 October 2013 |
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Free to enter for poets under 18; the theme is ‘Childhood. Culture. Education’. An award ceremony will be held on June 6th 2013 at 7.30pm at the Rose Theatre Kingston, featuring music, dance and readings from Christopher Reid, Anne-Marie Fyfe, Claire Crowther and prize winners. An anthology will be published. Closes 30 April 2013 |
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The Poetry Society’s Slam Championship for 12-18 year olds aims to involve as many young people as possible in reading, writing, and performing poetry. Young poets are asked to write a poem on a theme and film themselves performing their poem. Champions are then selected to receive workshops, mentoring and the chance to perform to a live audience. Reopens 2013 |
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Southwark Cathedral Poetry Competition The theme of this year’s Lancelot Andrewes Award is ‘Journeys Through Fire’, commemorating the anniversary of the fire that destroyed much of the borough and the Priory that is now the Cathedral. The theme can be interpreted freely. There is a category for under-16s; if older you can enter the adult category. Entry is free; only one poem permitted. Reopens 2013 |
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StAnza Children’s Poetry Competition StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews has an annual poetry competition for young people in Fife or attending schools in Fife. Participants are invited to submit one poem only on a theme which changes each year. Books prizes are awarded to winners and runners during a special prize giving ceremony at the Festival. There are two age categories, primary school: Junior (P4-5) & Intermediate (P6-7). Secondary school: Senior (S1/2). Reopens 2014 |
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The Stephen Spender Prize promotes literature in translation with an annual prize for translated poems. There are categories for under 18s and under 14s and winners receive a cash prize and have their poems printed in a pamphlet and on the Stephen Spender Trust website. A selection of the winning poems will also be printed in The Times newspaper. Closes 24 May 2013 |
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The Suffolk Young Poets Competition This annual competition, run by The Poetry Trust, is open to young poets aged 4-18 years old who live in Suffolk or attend a Suffolk school. Poets can enter up to three poems and winning poets are invited to the prestigious Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. Reopens in 2013 |
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Surrey National Libraries Day Poetry Competition Open to children aged 4-11 in two categories; write and illustrate a poem about ‘My Library’. Hand in entries to local library. Closed |
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The Ted Hughes Young Poets Award is run by Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire. It has three categories 6 – 10 years, 11-14 years, 15-18 years. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines and on a set theme. 2012′s theme was ‘Stages’. The first prize of £100 and runner up prize of £50 are awarded at the Ted Hughes Festival. Reopens 2013 |
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The Times is launching a competition to find “the most creative young poets”. There are three age categories, 6 and under, 7-12 and 13-16. One winner, plus two runners up, will be chosen in each category. The judges are James Harding, Editor of The Times, Michael Rosen, Children’s Laureate, poet and author, and Erica Wagner, The Times Literary Editor. All entries, subject to moderation, will be displayed on The Times website. Closed |
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TS Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme The TS Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme allows anyone to read a selection of poems from the shortlisted TS Eliot Prize collections. 16-19 year olds are invited to submit a 500 word rationale arguing who they think should receive the TS Eliot Prize and the winner will have their rationale published in the English Media Centre’s Emagazine. They will also receive two tickets to both the TS Eliot Prize Readings and Award Ceremony in January 2013, a full set of all 10 shortlisted collections and a year’s membership to the Poetry Book Society plus a year’s education membership for their school. Reopens 2013 |
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Wenlock Poetry Festival Children and Young People’s Competition The theme for the competition is ‘Words and Pictures’. There are three categories for those aged 7-9, 10-12 and 13-16. Prizes include book tokens and a signed copy of ‘The Magic Box’ by Kit Wright. Closed |
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Wirral Festival of Firsts Poetry Competition The Wirral Festival of Firsts has three poetry competitions, one of which is the Under 16’s Poetry Competition; this is free to enter and invites poems on any theme. Make sure you get the right one, as there is also an Open Poetry Competition and a Humorous Poetry Competition, both for adults. The Under 16s Poetry Competition invites poems in English of no more than 40 lines. The winner and four runners up will receive book vouchers. Closed |
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A competition inviting young people to write about their favourite place in Devon, from their garden to their attic, to the wild moors or sandy beaches. The age categories are 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16 years. Prizes will include book tokens and the winning poems will be read on Soundart Radio and appear on Wordquest Devon and Devon Libraries websites. Closed |
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Magazines
The magazines featured here have a particular focus on young or emerging poets. For information on other poetry magazines visit PoetryMagazines.org.uk.
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Founded in November 2010, The Adroit Journal is a literary magazine with a teenage focus. From its inception, the journal has often accepted the work of teenagers for publication, and the journal’s staff has been comprised of high school students and college undergraduates from around the world. At present, there are 33 teenagers on the staff of the journal, including three Young Poets Network members. |
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The Blue Pencil is edited by the students at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, in Natick, Massachusetts. The magazine seeks to publish the best of literary work in English by young writers (12–18) around the world. The magazine began as a print journal in the 1920s and its most famous writing alumna, Elizabeth Bishop, was its editor in 1929. Submissions between the start of the academic year and noon EST, 1 February are also entered into The Elizabeth Bishop Prize, winners of which receive a $3,000 Summer School Scholarship (see competitions). |
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Brittle Star is an international literary magazine that for a decade has been dedicated to publishing new poetry and short fiction. It has earned a reputation for providing a platform for writers at the beginning of their careers, many of whom have seen their work in print for the first time. |
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Cadaverine Magazine publishes new poetry, prose and non-fiction by writers under 30. The editors’ aim is to showcase contemporary, innovative and original new writing; editors work with young people to help them achieve the fullest potential in their work. Cadaverine Magazine also provides internship opportunities and helps young people perform throughout the country. |
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Cake magazine is a high quality, print based magazine publishing new poetry, flash fiction, comment and reviews. The magazine places new writers alongside established names and promotes the work of young writers. Submit up to six poems or 500 words of flash fiction via the Cake website. |
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New ezine, run online by “a group of strange, unhealthy young poets from round the world who met through the Foyle Young Poets Award”. The Crocodile likes its poetry fresh and tangy, with a hint of lunacy. Send your words, no line limits – read up and get writing! |
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The newly hatched Cuckoo Quarterly is an online literary magazine designed, written and edited for young writers under 19 years of age. It’s a haven from the trials of school or college where you can let your creative juices flow…and in turn sample the creative outpourings of other like-minded individuals. We also want to show you what other young writers have created––and to see what you’ve been writing too. |
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Publishes work by featured writers, as well as high quality reviews, essays and occasional illustrations. Editor Joshua Jones has broad tastes, embracing philosophically informed and non-mainstream styles as well as robust critical writing. |
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Fur-Lined Ghettos publishes poetry, prose and short-fiction by new and established writers. We enjoy the surreal, the absurd, the nonsensical, the complicated, the simple, the truth, the lies, the complexity of words, the ecstasy of genius, the delightful power we find in the spaces between and dancing at the discothèque. |
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Half magazine, half collaborative art project, Fuselit is a London-based journal of poetry, short fiction, art and sounds. The contents of every issue are dictated by a spur word, with contributions supplied by an international array of writers and artists, both new and established. |
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Map is a quarterly poetry zine focused upon unearthing young talent in and around the London area. Formatted on a single folded A2 sheet, the zine also features the work of various photographers/artists and each issue doubles up as a poster. The magazine can be bought from our website or from the London Review of Books and costs just £2 per issue. |
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Miracle e-zine is a bi-monthly literary and art magazine by and for writers, founded in June 2012. It publishes works by emerging and established writers from around the world and seeks submissions in poetry, short-fiction, prose, non-fiction, author interviews, book reviews and art/photography. It aims mainly to promote works by young writers and artists. |
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The e-magazine of NAWE Young Writer’ Hub, published in association with DEAD INK. Myths of the Near Future is a literary e-magazine devoted to young writers aged 16-25. We want your poetry, short stories, reviews and writing about writing, because we want to publish what deserves to be read. Quality is our watchword, but don’t worry, we are friendly! |
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Poetry Digest is a compact biodegradable and/or edible literary magazine of new and existing poems, edited by Chrissy Williams and Swithun Cooper. Selected poems are published as small cakes. Given the limitations of the format, short poems are given preference over longer works. There is then a launch event and reading. Payment is made to poets in cake. |
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Pomegranate poets, bloggers and writers are all under 30. It’s not active now, but the zine has some great material and is a good example of the possibilities of online magazines. |
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Popshot champions contemporary poetry and illustration. Popshot looks to celebrate the poetry of today and tomorrow with the whimsical arms of illustration wrapped tightly round it. Each issue of Popshot contains a collection of poems written to a theme. These selected poems are sent out to illustrators who illustrate the poems according to their interpretation of the piece. These illustrations are then bound together with the poems to create a beautiful volume of literary and artistic goodness. Popshot is published twice a year in April and October. |
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Poetry magazine for and by young people, featuring work from all age ranges with the aim of respecting the voices of all. The Scrumbler also welcomes submissions of illustrations. |
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[Slippage] Literary Magazine is a bi-annual, online publication seeking to bridge the “two worlds” (in the worlds of C.P. Snow) of art and science. In particular, we advocate the Scifaiku form (science fiction haiku – not an oxymoron!), as well as experimental and traditional poetry with a scientific element. |
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Launched in 2012, Spilt inc. is a platform for young writers to showcase their talents, with four sections: Feature, Film/TV, Music and ‘Of the Week’. They publish a weekly poem on Wednesdays and invite submissions from young poets. Spilt inc. is for older students. |
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YM: Poetry is an online magazine for new readers and writers of poetry, showcasing poetry written by Poetry Society Youth Members, alongside articles by a mixture of established poets and young writers. Each issue has a different guest editor and a challenge to help you start writing material for the next issue. |
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Writing Groups
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Barbican Young Poets offers 20 budding young writers aged 14-24 the chance to create, craft and perform poetry and spoken word in a group setting. Keep an eye on the site for when applications reopen. London |
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Brewery Arts Centre Writing Group For writers of stories, blogs, songs, poems, flash fiction and theatre scripts, aged 13-18. Practical sessions to share ideas and write together. For information on the 2013 meetings contact the box office on 01539 725133. Kendal |
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New Writing South Writing Squads These Squads for young writers aged 13-17 cover a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to playwriting and lyrics, and supports the development of young writers in the region. Brighton, Rye, Hampshire, Portsmouth, Margate |
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Would you like some advice on developing your writing? Perhaps a bit of inspiration to get started, or feedback on something you are working on? Then New Writing North’s young writers’ groups could be the thing for you. Sessions are held on a fortnightly basis and all are led by a professional writer. They offer young writers aged 12-19 a chance to share their work, learn new skills, and give and receive feedback in a creative and supportive atmosphere. Newcastle, Hexham, Durham, South Shields |
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Ilkley Lit Fest Young Writers Group Ilkley Literature Festival runs a weekly group for young writers aged 13 to 17, on Mondays during term-time. The group is based in Ilkley and any young writers from the Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley, Wharfe valley and Leeds areas are welcome to come along. The sessions cover writing of various genres and are led by professional writers and performers Michelle Scalley Clarke and Becky Cherriman. Yorkshire |
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Keats House is a thriving museum dedicated to the poetry of John Keats and to poetry in general. The Keats House Museum Group is open to 14-19 year olds and meets on the last Sunday morning of each month. A webpage for the group is in development; if you wish to attend please email Paul Sherrard: paul.sherrard@cityoflondon.gov.uk London |
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Leeds Young Authors runs activities that focus on using creative writing, spoken word/performance poetry, and the competitive environment of poetry slams. With workshops for 8-12 year olds and 13-19 year olds, plus mentoring for 17-25s. Email kibrahiim@yahoo.co.uk. Leeds |
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Little Green Pig Writing Project Little Green Pig Writing Project is anon-profit creative writing organisation for children and young people, based in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. Our aim is to provide ‘a space to create for young writers’ where you can get support, encouragement, ideas and inspiration to help you write. If you are aged between 7 and 18 and want to have fun with words, write your own stories, poems, plays and much more then Little Green Pig is for you. Brighton & Hove and East Sussex |
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Liverpool Young Writers is a group of 11-19 year old spoken word artists and creative writers. Activities include weekly creative writing, learning and performance sessions, and regular events to showcase the work of the young writers. The group is organised by Writing on the Wall and was nominated for a BeMOBO Award in 2010. The group is currently on a break but keep an eye on the website for the launch of the new group and other live literature events and projects from Writing on the Wall. Liverpool |
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Hidden away at the back of The Monster Shop (where else?) in Hoxton, London, the Ministry of Stories provides a free space for fresh writing by young people. The Minstry of Words provides workshops and one-to-one mentoring. Services are provided by volunteers: local writers, artists and teachers, all giving their time and talent for free. London |
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PG Wells Bookshop offers creative writing courses for 7-11 year olds. Children with a strong interest in writing are offered opportunities to learn advanced skills and techniques in fiction and poetry. The group is small, and the sessions offer a balance of high-level teaching with lots of freedom for children to follow their own ideas. Winchester |
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The Roundhouse is a young people’s arts centre which runs spoken word training programmes to develop writing and performance skills. They have a range of projects so keep checking their website for opportunities. London |
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The Sheffield Young Writers group is led by mentors and writers for young people in and around Sheffield who like to come together and share writing and ideas with other young people. Sheffield |
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Tower Poetry is based at Christ Church Oxford and runs a Summer School for Young Poets aged 18-24. Some places are allocated to winners of the Tower Poetry Competition for poets aged 16-18. Others are awarded after an application process each spring. Oxford (residential open to whole of UK) |
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The Write On! Writing Squads are for young people interested in creative writing of any kind. Professional writers will work with Writing Squad members to help them develop their writing talents. There are several different squads throughout the West Midlands, with groups for 8-11 year olds and 12-16+ year olds. West Midlands (multiple groups in different areas) |
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The Writing Squad (Sheffield University) The Writing Squad is a programme for emerging young writers in Yorkshire and the Humber. Fifteen writers work together and with professional tutors for a two-year period. Continued support thereafter helps them make their way in the profession. The organisation also acts as a sounding board and support network for a growing community of young writers and producers in the region. Yorkshire & the Humber (based in Sheffield) |
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Writing Squad Kernow is designed to inspire and nurture young writers in Cornwall aged from 13-19. Led by writer Anna Murphy and Amanda Harris from Kernow Education Arts Partnership, we meet monthly on a Saturday to write in different styles, meet other professional writers in different fields and write to commission. We have recently published The Man with No Shoes and Other Stories with eighteen short stories for younger children in Malawi written by members of the Squad. For further information amanda.harris@keap.org.uk. Cornwall |
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Young Identity is a 26-strong group of young poets based in Manchester, led by poets and coordinators Shirley May and Ali Gadema. Young Identity has at its core a Poetry Slam team and weekly workshops open to 13-25 year olds. Manchester |
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Young People’s Writing Squads (Literature Wales) The Young People’s Writing Squads support young writers working in both English and Welsh across Wales. Young people are selected for squads by the age of 9 or 10, with headteachers in each authority identifying enthusiastic and talented young writers. Wales (multiple groups in different cities) |
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Young Writers Online is a friendly community dedicated to providing a place for members to improve the quality of their writing through honest critique, discussion, and literary exercises. The site also holds many competitions and events throughout the year, including the YWO Writing Olympics and the Young Writers Award. Online forum |
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Online Stuff
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The Children’s Poetry Archive is home to online recordings of poets reading their work. They have been carefully selected to be accessible for children, but many will appeal to adults and children alike. You can search by poet, theme or form and there is information on each of the poets included. |
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Dead Ink is an Arts Council England funded press publishing the contemporary writing and engaging in workshops and a digital literature festival. It employs the model of a traditional editor and a commitment to innovation and multi-format publishing. Whether you read us through our app, online or on an E-reader, we believe content is king, and the Future is Words. |
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GPS is a Southbank Centre project to explore and map the poetry of the world. It’s based on the idea that poetry is all around us, from gravestones to graffiti, from birthday cards to blogs, in the landscape and in our memories. GPS invites you to take a fresh look at where you are and find the poetry that inspires you. |
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PoetCasting is a poetry podcasting project which works with poets throughout the United Kingdom. The project features published, performance, emerging and established poets reading their own work online and out loud. |
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The Poetry Archive is an online treasure-trove of recordings of English-language poets reading their own work, from Tennyson at the end of the 19th Century through to contemporary poets recorded especially for the Archive. As well as background information on each poet and guided tours of the Archive, you can join a conversation with their online poet in residence. |
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Organised by the Poetry Trust, The Poetry Channel offers broadcast quality podcasts of readings, interviews, short documentaries and behind the scenes conversations with poets, plus highlights from the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival’s rich audio archive. |
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An American organisation which publishes Poetry magazine. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. Crucially for young poets outside America it has a large number of freely accessible online recordings and poems searchable by poet and theme. |
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The PIW Archive contains thousands of poems by modern poets from all around the world, as well as translations, audio recordings, interviews and relevant articles as part of the twice-monthly PIW publications. The central staff in Rotterdam work with editors from around the world to bring together poetry from seventy three different countries. |
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PoetryMagazines.org.uk gives free access to a digital library of 20th and 21st century UK poetry magazines from the Poetry Library collection. It has both recent sample issues and early editions from the archive. New issues are added regularly, as well as MP3 downloads read by the poets themselves. |
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The Poetry Station is a freely accessible web-based video channel and portal for poetry organised by the English & Media Centre. It exploits the potential of the web to create a rich multi-sensory experience of poetry which includes music, film, and animation, as well as readings by actors and authors. |
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Warwick Challenges are mini academic challenges from University of Warwick professors. There are a number of poetry challenges set by Professor David Morley, available as podcasts, designed to challenge you to create new work and develop your skills a as poet. |
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Writers at Warwick Audio Archive The Writers at Warwick Audio Archive contains over 200 recordings and includes both readings of their work and discussions. From the poetry of the 1970s to the latest Writers at Warwick events, the archive contains recordings of writers such as Basil Bunting, Allen Ginsberg, Carol Ann Duffy, Andrew Motion, WS Graham, Douglas Dunn, Paul Muldoon and Derek Walcott. The archive is now also available as an app. |
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The NAWE Young Writers’ Hub is a new-driven resource for writers aged between 16 and 25. We keep you in touch with the news, offer internships, small grants, advice and can help you get to where you want to be. |
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Organisations
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Apples & Snakes is the leading organisation for performance poetry in the UK, running over 90 performance poetry events every year as well as participatory workshops, training and artist development opportunities for both new and established poets. |
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An Arvon residential writing course provides a nurturing environment where newcomers can begin writing, and existing writers can expand their skills and hone their craft. If you would like to attend an Arvon course and are under 18, you can encourage your school to organise a week at one of our centres. If you are 16 or over you can also take part in our general course programme. We welcome grant applications from those on no or low incomes. |
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The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea is the focal point for studies and events based around Dylan Thomas. It is home to a permanent Dylan Thomas exhibition and has a lively arts programme, including the Dylan Thomas Festival. The Centre encourages participation from, and supports writers, of all ages. It also runs a flourishing Young Writing Squad (see Young People’s Writing Squads – Literature Wales) and is involved in competitions and bursaries supporting young writers. |
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Poet in the City is an exciting and innovative venture philanthropy charity committed to attracting new audiences to poetry, making new connections for poetry and raising money to support poetry education. It specialises in organising high-profile poetry events with leading corporate sponsors and creative partners. |
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If you like your poetry bang up to date, why not join the Poetry Book Society? A number of newly published poetry collections are recommended every 3 months, with further information available about other new releases. Full members receive four free poetry books every year and also enjoy a 25% discount on most other titles available from the online poetry bookshop. The quarterly Bulletin, free to members, also includes reviews of the selected books and the poets’ own comments on their new work. |
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The Poetry Library stocks all poetry titles published in the UK with a representation of work from other countries. It is free to join and anyone can visit, borrow materials and attend events. It also has an enquiry service, a digital library of poetry magazines and a website listing poetry events. |
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The Poetry Society has over 200 youth members aged 11-18. As part of a community they are encouraged to share their work and submit to YM: Poetry, their on-line magazine. Members also receive books, posters, a youth directory and a membership card which grants them discounts at poetry events, bookshops and our poetry feedback service. |
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The Poetry Trust delivers a year-round live and digital programme, creative education opportunities, courses, prizes and publications. It organises the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, The Poetry Prom and produces podcasts through The Poetry Channel. It also runs The Aldeburgh Young Poets Competition (see competitions) and publishes the Poetry Paper. |
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Since its foundation in 1984 it has amassed a remarkable collection of written works, as well as tapes and videos. The emphasis is on contemporary poetry written in Scotland, in Scots, Gaelic and English, but historic Scottish poetry and contemporary works from almost every part of the world feature too. |
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Spread the Word supports developing writers in London with advice and information, networking, mentoring, events and work in the community. Their new website will feature a section for writers under 30. |
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The Wordsworth Trust is based in Grasmere and manages Dove Cottage, where the poet lived, wrote and found inspiration. It has an ongoing schedule of events, workshops and education programmes focusing on both the Wordsworth Trust’s collection and contemporary literature. |
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Writers’ Centre Norwich is the literature development organisation for the East of England, the home of many exciting page and performance poets, poetry clubs and writers’ groups. We work with young poets in and out of school and run poetry, live literature events and workshops. We have dedicated page on our website for teachers and students. |
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Other Opportunities
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The Foyle Internships run each summer, and are offered to winners and commended winners of the Foyle Young Poets Award aged up to 25 (inclusive). Foyle Internships support young people who wish to extend their knowledge of how a literature organisation works. |
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IGGY (The International Gateway for Gifted Youth) run by the University of Warwick is a network of “the brightest and most creative young people”. They provide online resources and workshops which are aimed at supporting gifted youth including helping to develop young writers. They have also run a number of international residential courses. |
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Usually the first Thursday in October, National Poetry Day is an annual celebration in the UK. A different theme is set every year, and anyone can participate by staging their own poetry event. The offical organisers usually have online resources and listings, but many poetry organisations celebrate the day. |
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Organises opportunities for GCSE pupils in England and Wales to see and hear live performances from a great selection of the poets they are studying.The events feature six poets, giving a short talk and taking questions, and two short examiner sessions. These events are now in their 13th year. |
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