Oxford Poetry Library is collaborating with The Oxford Hub to launch our VERY FIRST poetry competition!


If you love to write poetry and have something on our theme ‘TASTE’ then we want to hear from you!


Submit up to 5 pieces of original poetry and be in for a chance to win.


Entry requirements;
● Your poems must all be under 40 lines (excluding title and spaces between stanzas).
● You must be over 18.
● Your works must be original and unpublished.
● We suggest a £3 donation for one entry and £5 for two, to be donated to Oxford Poetry Library

See the full guidelines for entry and details about how to enter below.

Entry Guidelines

Rules: General

  1. The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering, with an address in the UK.
  2. The closing date of the competition is midnight (UK time), Sunday 24 March 2024
  3. A maximum of 5 entries may be submitted by a single entrant.
  4. Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered.
  5. Entries will be acknowledged by email following submission online. Please ensure you send the correct version as we are unable to verify this for you. 
  6. The competition organisers reserve the right to change the judging panel without notice and not to award prizes if, in the judges’ opinion, such an action is justified.
  7. The judges read all of the longlisted entries; their decision is final. Neither the judges nor OPL volunteers will enter into any correspondence.
  8. OPL members and supporters are eligible to enter the competition with the exception of those involved with the administration and judging process.

Rules: Poems

  1. All entries are judged anonymously and the poet’s name must not appear on the poem attachment itself. Include the title of your poem in the file name. In your cover message, state your name, email address and the title(s) of your poems.
  2. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length (but excluding title and spaces between stanzas).
  3. Entries must be on the theme of TASTE.
  4. Poems must be in English.
  5. Poems must be the entrant’s original work.
  6. Entries must not have been published, self-published, ppublished on a website or made public on social media, broadcast or featured among the winners in another competition before 30 May 2024.

Rules: Fees/ Suggested Donation

  1. The fee for the first poem in a submission is £3. Two poems may be submitted for a fee of £5. These are suggested donations to help cover the costs of the competition.
  2. A maximum of 5 poems per entrant may be submitted.

Rules: Winners

  1. Prizewinners will be notified by mid May and invited to an event in spring 2024. All winners will be expected to provide a biography and photograph.
  2. All entrants who provide a valid email address will be notified about the outcome of their entry by mid May 2024.
  3. The copyright of each poem remains with the author. However, authors of the winning poems, by entering the competition, grant OPL the right in perpetuity to publish and/or broadcast their poem. Use of the poems elsewhere for one year from 1 May 2024 is subject to permission from the OPL.

How to Enter

Suggested donation for entry: £3 for 1 poem, £5 for 2 (then £3 per extra poem up to a max 5 poems). 

Please check the competition guidelines above before submitting your entry.

Payment

Suggested donation to the Oxford Poetry Library is £3 for 1 poem, £5 for 2  (then £3 per extra poem up to a max 5 poems) This helps us to cover the costs of running the competition:

Tick the relevant box for payment and click the Paypal link:

1 poem £3Pay via Paypal [link 1]
2 poems £5Pay via Paypal [link 2]
3 poems £8Pay via Paypal [link 3]
4 poems £11Pay via Paypal [link 4]
5 poems £14Pay via Paypal [link 5]

3. ATTACH YOUR POEMS

Only one attachment is permitted therefore please put all of your poems (max 5) into one single file, with the title included above each one. Files accepted: Word, Google doc ONLY. 

  • uncheckedI agree to the competition guidelines [insert link] and the terms and conditions of using the OPL website (required prior to submission)

4. SUBMIT ENTRY (button)

[insert social media links to share OPL competition page]