After many weeks of reading, reviewing, deliberating, and discussing over 500 entries received from around the world for this year’s competition, we are delighted to share this year’s Poet of the Year Competition longlist!

The long-listed poems will be published in our annual anthology which may be purchased soon from the Festival Office for £5 each.  The shortlisted poems will be eligible for the Poet of the Year Award, along with second and third places. Keep an eye out on the Festival’s website for the announcement!

Join us online on National Poetry Day for this year’s Awards Evening. The event will take place on Zoom with readings from this year’s finalists and feedback from our judges on Thursday 5th October at 7.30pm. For more details click here.

Longlist

Redwoods by RCJ Allan

Helen, remembering by Sarah Ang

Prepping for Valentine’s Day by Helen Angell

Jack in the Green by Peter Branson

Love Song III by Esther Brazil

The Uknown Women by Jane Burn

dot to dot by Linda Burnett

Street-sweeper scheming from the sixteenth floor by Mike Burns-Stark

You Cry to Your Folks That I Forced You to Carry Goalposts by Chris Campbell

Shove Your 3-for-2 Flyer by Chris Campbell

Watching Swifts by Gareth Culshaw

Dorchester Court, Herne Hill by Sara Davis

City Peregrine by Sara Davis

Elephant era by Maggie Davison

Syzygy by Lucy Dixcart

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by Josh Ekroy

Teatime by Julie Evans

Grain orientation by Martin Cathcart Fröden       

Wilderness by Amal Garnham

Do you remember that beach? by Jean Grimsey

The Prospective Density of Snow by Christopher Horton

Burial song for brown cat number fifteen by Nathan Koblintz

The Path by David Lewis

On Not Becoming Curator of Keats-Shelley House in Rome by Isabella Mead          

The Virtual by Athar C Pavis         

The Rainbow by Eleanor Punter                                 

Iron Wood Reverie & Other Reminiscences by Mara Adamitz Scrupe                          

& for all the world by Mara Adamitz Scrupe                         

& incidentally by Mara Adamitz Scrupe                  

the tailor by Derek Sellen                                             

Time After Time After Time …And So On by Julie Shackman                                           

The Oxymoron by Maxine Sinclair                                             

Slide: ‘View From Other Side’ by Anne Stewart                                    

akin by Gary Studley                                      

April 20th 1986 : midnight, rain and fifty minute wait by Gary Studley                                      

Faith by Gary Studley                                     

Covenant by David Terelinck                                        

Arena by Mark Totterdell              

Many congratulations to all the long-listed poets! We look forward to announcing the short listed poems in due course and eventually the Poet of the Year 2023.