Stainsby Festival is happy to announce its inaugural National Poetry Competition to be held at this year’s event. The festival has featured spoken word with previous performances by, Longfella (aka the Manchester poet Tony Walsh), the former Derbyshire Poet Laureate Mat Black, the Bard of Windmill Hill, the stand up poet Live Torc, as well as numerous aspiring local poets.
We’re exceptionally pleased our new competition will be judged by Roger McGough. The voice of poetry on Radio 4’s Poetry Please for over 25 years, he’s known for his work nationally and internationally, as well as being a bit famous in Liverpool.
Shortlisted poets will be invited to read their work (or have it read) at this year’s festival in Roger’s presence. Three winning poems will be published online and (possibly) in this year’s festival programme. The overall winner will be invited to a paid residency at the 2027 festival.
So what are we looking for ?
We’re after unpublished, accessible poems on any subject (no, it doesn’t have to be about festivals or music or gatherings) – so really, any subject you choose but to a maximum of 42 lines.
How do I enter ?
- Pay your entry fee below via Ticket Tailor. Entries cost £6 each or £10 for two.
- Email your poem/s as a separate .doc .docx or .pdf file to poems@stainsbyfestival.org.uk
- Include your name, address, title of your poem/s and the reference from your Ticket Tailor receipt in the body of the email.
- That’s it.
A few simple rules
- Remember 42 lines max. That doesn’t include title or line breaks.
- Entries are judged anonymously so don’t put your name anywhere in the poem file itself.
- Your original, unpublished work only – (including any website, public blog, online forum or broadcast medium). No AI slop.
- Entries in whatever sort of English you speak
- Copyright stays with you but we reserve the right to publish short listed entries on our website or in a pamphlet.
- If you win a prize or are published elsewhere in the meantime (lucky you), your entry must be withdrawn.
- Entries close 11.59pm May 31st 2026. No exceptions.
- The Judges decision is final.
- Again, that’s it. Get writing!