Key facts
- Type
- Competition
- Provider
- Clevedon Literary Festival
- Deadline
- 8/22/2026
In short
The Clevedon Lit Fest Poetry Award 2026 is an international competition for poets aged 16+ to win up to £300 for an original, unpublished poem.
Clevedon Lit Fest Poetry Award 2026
By Clevedon Literary Festival
CompetitionAccepting applications nowApply by 8/22/202621 days left
£300
First Prize
22nd August 2026
Submission Deadline
UK Residents
Eligibility
16+
Minimum Age
£6
Entry Fee
Overview
The Clevedon Lit Fest Poetry Award 2026 is an annual competition inviting poets to submit their original work. This award is part of the Clevedon Literary Festival's commitment to promoting literary arts and discovering new talent. The competition challenges participants to craft a poem no longer than 40 lines. Entries are judged by a panel of established poets, ensuring a fair and rigorous selection process. The aim is to celebrate creativity and provide a platform for poets to showcase their skills. Poets residing in the UK, aged 16 years or older, are eligible to enter. The award seeks to recognize outstanding poetry and offers significant cash prizes to the top three entries. Winners will also have their work published online or in print by the Clevedon Literary Festival. This is the 4th annual Poetry Award, continuing the tradition of supporting poets and enriching the literary community. The competition provides an opportunity for poets to gain recognition and share their voice with a wider audience.
What to build
Participants must write an original poem no longer than 40 lines (excluding the title). The poem must be typed, written in English, and not have won another competition or been previously published in print or online. Poems created with the aid of any AI application will be disqualified.
Prizes
Winner
£300
2nd Place
£100
3rd Place
£50
Key dates
- Entries Close22nd August 2026
- Winners AnnouncedNovember 2026
- Prize-giving Event (details to be confirmed)October/November 2026
Eligibility
The Clevedon LitFest Poetry Award is open to anyone who is resident in the UK and is aged 16 years or older. The competitions are not open to any person affiliated with Clevedon Literary Festival, partner organisations or their immediate relatives.
How to enter
- Pay a fee of £6 per entry via the payment link provided on the official page. Ensure the same email address is used for payment and entry submission.
- Prepare your poem in one of the accepted file types: odt, doc, docx, or txt.
- Email your entry as an attachment to competitions@clevedonlitfest.org.uk.
- The subject line of the email must be 'Poetry Award 2026'.
- The body of the email should include your name, a title for your story, and your contact details.
- Submit your entry by 11:59 pm on 22nd August 2026.
Submission requirements
- A fee of £6 per entry paid via the payment link (must use the same email address for payment and submission).
- Poem no longer than 40 lines (excluding title).
- Poem must be typed (a sans 12pt font with 1.5 line spacing preferred) and written in English.
- Submitted in odt, doc, docx or txt file types.
- No offensive, discriminatory language or language promoting hate speech or violence.
- No identifying marks (name or other) on the poem itself.
- Poem must be original work, not have won another competition, and not been previously published in print or online.
- No AI-generated content.