In our third year Derby Poetry Festival has held the Derby Poetry Festival Prize for Poetry. This callout allows us to discover the best poets and spoken-word artists and meet new artists to engage with all the activities we deliver. As always, there was no theme for the prize, as we want to hear from you and what you consider your best work. Without a doubt, there was some incredible work; we had an impossibly hard time shortlisting. This year’s judge was Jake Wild-Hall, an outstanding poet...

Announcing the 2025/26 Derby Poetry Festival Prize Shortlist.

We recently announced that the 2025 Derby Poetry Festival Poetry Prize is open for submissions. Entering its third year the prize is a national poetry competition run by Derby Poetry Festival seeking newly written, high-quality poems and writing. Founded in 2017 and often referred to as DPF, Derby Poetry Festival has provided a platform for writers and poets in Derby and the surrounding areas to share and experience work. We have prioritised developing new writers and bringing nationally and...