Graphic for the Foyle Young Poets Award, with the text 'Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Submit your poems at foyleyoungpoets.org.' Images of a keyboard, pen, pencil and pair of glasses, with the top edge of a notebook, in orange blue and green. Logos for The Poetry Society, Foyle Foundation and Arts Council England.

Graphic showing photos of the Foyle Award judges 2026: John McAuliffe and Rachel Long. Their names in black text, as well as the words 'Meet the judges'. At the bottom, the text 'Foyle young poets of the year award 2026'. Images of a keyboard, pen, and pair of glasses, with the top edge of a notebook, in orange blue and green.

Calling all poets aged 11-17: the 2026 Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is now open for entries! We are delighted to have the fantastic poets John McAuliffe and Rachel Long as judges. Visit foyleyoungpoets.org for more details on how to enter.

#FoyleYoungPoets

A young poet performs onstage at the British Library. A blue banner in the background says Foyle Young Poets.

A young poet performs onstage at the British Library.

A young poet and his guest read a booklet saying 'Foyle Young Poets'.

Two young poets build a poem tower from wooden blocks.

It’s been a month since our #FoyleYoungPoets awards ceremony! Here are a few memories from the day – our fabulous winning poets’ performing, making friends & playing poetry games. Thanks to the British Library for hosting and to all the young poets, family, friends & guests who made the day special!

Poets Colette Bryce, Will Harris and Jay Bernard onstage at the Foyle Young Poets Award ceremony in the British Library.

A Foyle Young Poet plays poetry jenga.

A Foyle Young Poet and her dad read the Foyle Young Poets book of winning poems.

Poet Jay Bernard reads at the Foyle Young Poets Award ceremony.

A few snaps from our #FoyleYoungPoets Award ceremony at the British Library. Thanks to judges Colette Bryce and Will Harris for hosting & we were so glad to be joined by former Foyle Young Poet Jay Bernard, who read and took part in the Q&A. The ceremony was followed by poetry games and networking!

Some of the top 15 winners of the Foyle Young Poets Award 2025 standing in a line and smiling. They hold signs saying Foyle Young Poets.

The Poetry Society's #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year 2025 have been announced and here are some of the top 15 at the awards ceremony at the British Library last week. It was a wonderful day celebrating all 100 winners and commended poets in the award.

Photo by MaddMann Photography.

This year's Foyle Young Poets Award entries are with the judges and winners will be announced in the autumn. We're sharing extracts from some of the commended poems in 2024.

You can watch these poets (and more!) read their poems at bit.ly/Foyle24Playlist2

#FoyleYoungPoets

White text against blue background. Text reads: The Poetry Society Each morning wasted waking up, / Each afternoon is soaked from 'Mountains ergonomically' Green paper boat on bottom right corner. Black text against green banner. Text reads: Yarema Yakobchuk Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background. Text reads: The Poetry Society Chock full of God, the tongue droops under the weight of father's memory / 2:27 am from 'i had something to say but a rich man said it first' Blue paper boat on bottom right corner. White text against blue banner reads: Mallik Arjun Ahluwalia Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background. Text reads: The Poetry Society I fit in / Like Skis in Barbados / Milk containing fructose / 13 on a clock face from 'Almost definitely wrong' Green paper boat on bottom right corner. Black text against green banner reads: Tilly Wiggins Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background. Text reads: The Poetry Society Therapists are a popular gen z poetry topic, like larks were / for dead people. from 'Therapists, Larks' Blue paper boat on bottom right corner. White text against blue banner reads: Honor Giardini Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

This year's Foyle Young Poets Award entries are with the judges and winners will be announced in the autumn! In the meantime, we're sharing extracts from some of the commended poems in 2024.

You can watch these poets (and more!) read their poems at bit.ly/Foyle24playlist1

#FoyleYoungPoets

White text against blue background with green paper boat on bottom right. Text reads: is it god or the devil / singing softly to your heart? / it is so difficult / to hear a difference. from 'an abstract of paradise' Black text against green banner reads: Leena Tageldin Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background reads: In the sticky summer heat, / corridors narrow so the other door opens. / Dare to step through it. from 'Prom Night' Red paper boat against bottom right corner. Black text against red banner reads: Sarah McCready Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background with blue paper boat on bottom right corner. Text reads: We are added together, an equal sign receiving / its answer at the other end of proof. from 'The Heron' White text against blue banner reads: Flora Molnar Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

White text against blue background with red paper boat on bottom right corner. Text reads: Time could never help determine/ Whether you feel grateful or alone/ Or should let a feeling let go. from 'i say goodbye in steps', Maama Affaidu, Commended Foyle Young Poet 2024

This year's #FoyleYoungPoets Award entries are with the judges and winners will be announced in the autumn! In the meantime, we're sharing extracts from some commended poems in last year's award.

Watch these poets (and more!) read their poems at bit.ly/Foyle24playlist1

Green text against dark blue background. Text reads: 1 Day to Go Deadline: 31 July Midnight BST foyleyoungpoets.org Blue squiggly text reads: Foyle Young Poets of the Year Blue, Red, Green and White paper boats scattered throughout.

Only one day left to enter the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award!

Judges Colette Bryce and Will Harris are searching for writers aged 11-17 anywhere in the world to send in entries on any theme.

Enter here: foyleyoungpoets.org

Green text against blue background. Four paper boats in blue, red, green and white. Text reads: 1 week to go Deadline: 31 July Midnight BST foyleyoungpoets.org

Just one more week until the deadline of the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award! Judged this year by poets Colette Bryce and Will Harris.

If you're aged 11-17, send your poems by 31 July for the chance to win a package of poetry goodies including books and posters, and ongoing talent development.

Four paper boats against blue background. Text reads: 2 weeks to go Foyle Young Poets of the Year Deadline: 31 July Midnight BST foyleyoungpoets.org

Two weeks until the deadline of the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award! Judged this year by poets Colette Bryce and Will Harris.

If you're aged 11-17, send your poems by 31 July for the chance to win a package of poetry goodies including books and posters, and ongoing talent development support.

Text reading 'Familiarity reduces fear. Look at the amount of poetry your students are reading compared to the rest of their reading diet, then decide to do something about it! If I read my students one poem a week, that's 39 more times they have been exposed to poetry this year. Make your reading varied (different styles, different poets, different languages if you can!), but emphasise listening. Gavin Husband, Teacher Trailblazer. Top tips for teaching poetry from our teacher trailblazers. bit.ly/TrailblazerTips. A blue background with an illustration of a girl in an armchair reading. Top right, The Poetry Society logo.

Text reading 'Help students edit. It’s a rare poet who writes their final poem on the first try. I advise students to write until they think they’ve finished. Then I ask them to leave their work for a few days or even weeks. When they come back to their poem, fresh eyes can see what they need to weed out and how to keep what is thriving. I read their work line by line or paragraph by paragraph and question their thinking and planning and goals. This helps to focus their editing. Margaret Vos, Teacher Trailblazer. Top tips for teaching poetry from our teacher trailblazers. bit.ly/TrailblazerTips. An orange background with an illustration of a girl reading on a unicycle. Top right, The Poetry Society logo.

Teachers - looking to close this term with a creative activity? Our #FoyleYoungPoets Award is open until 31 July and we'd love to see your students' work! To inspire you, our Teacher Trailblazers share their top tips for cultivating student poets at bit.ly/TrailblazerTips

Green text at top reads: 3 WEEKS TO GO Blue squiggly text with four paper boats in red, blue, white and green. Text reads: Foyle Young Poets of the Year Green text at bottom reads: Deadline: 31 July Midnight BST foyleyoungpoets.org

Three weeks until the deadline of the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award! Judged this year by poets Colette Bryce and Will Harris.

If you're aged 11-17, send your poems by 31 July for the chance to win.

Enter online at foyleyoungpoets.org

A photo of the Foyle Young Poets anthology We Sail Paper Boats, with a blue cover illustrated with origami boats. In the background, York Minster and a blue sky.

A photo of the Foyle Young Poets anthology We Sail Paper Boats, with a blue cover illustrated with origami boats. In the background, the River Ouse and a blue sky.

We Sail Paper Boats, our anthology of the top 15 poems in the 2024 #FoyleYoungPoets Award, is in York!

UK-based teachers can order a free class set by emailing fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk or read it online at bit.ly/WeSailPaperBoats

This year's award is open until 31 July at foyleyoungpoets.org

Dark blue background. Image text reads "Foyle Young Poets of the Year" in wavy font as if on the surface of water. 4 cartoon paper boats float around the text.

Calling all #youngpoets! The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award from @poetrysociety.bsky.social is open for entries!

Free to submit. Poems must be 40 lines or shorter and there is no theme. Enter by 31 July!

Find out more at foyleyoungpoets.org/
#foyleyoungpoets #poetrylovers #poetrycompetition

Congratulations to everyone shortlisted for the Poetry Wales Award!

We're especially pleased to see #FoyleYoungPoets Heather Chapman and Ginny Darke, and Young Poets Networker ( @youngpoetsnet.bsky.social ) Zain Rishi have made the list 🎉

We're thrilled to see #FoyleYoungPoets among this year's Tower Poetry competition winners! Congratulations to second prize winner Aurora and commended poets Freya, Tabitha, Charlie, Dawn, and Cassia.

Read the winning poems at linktr.ee/towerpoetry

White text against deep blue background with red band underneath. Image of a small, red paper boat on bottom right corner. Text reads: The Poetry Society Thick-walled veins suckle slow in grey. from 'Tulips' Ernest Wakeford Top 15 Foyle Young Poet 2024

An extract from Ernest Wakeford's 'Tulips', a winning poem in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2024.

Read the full poem at poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/tulips/

If you're a poet aged 11-17, enter this year's competition by 31 July at foyleyoungpoets.org

#FoyleYoungPoets

Image of a hand holding up a poetry anthology against cherry blossoms. Anthology's cover image has four paper boats and squiggly text that reads We Sail Paper Boats, Foyle Young People of the Year Anthology.

Have you taken a look at our latest #FoyleYoungPoets anthology, We Sail Paper Boats? Check it out online at bit.ly/WeSailPaperBoats24

Keep an eye out for your copy in our summer mail out, and UK schools can order free class sets of the anthology by emailing Fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk

Dark blue background, blue squiggly text reads Foyle Young Poets of the Year. Blue, red, green and white paper boats at the end of each word.

Aged 14-17? Join us on Tuesday, 6 May at 5 pm GMT for an online Zoom session where The Poetry Society's education team will introduce you to the #FoyleYoungPoets of the year award, you'll hear from the Education team and a former winner, and do some writing.

Book a place: bit.ly/FoyleLaunch25

An extract from Holly Hellman's 'On the Last Day', a winning poem in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2024.

Read the full poem at poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poets/holly-hellman/

If you're a poet aged 11-17, enter this year's competition by 31 July at foyleyoungpoets.org

#FoyleYoungPoets

Photos of the 2025 Foyle Young Poets of the Year judges. Top: Colette Bryce, wearing black and standing in a courtyard surrounded by leaves. Bottom: Will Harris weather a T shirt and leather jacket, with his hand raised in front of him

Happy World Poetry Day! The Poetry Society's flagship young writers' talent development scheme, the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award 2025, is open - judges Colette Bryce & Will Harris can't wait to read the latest work by poets aged 11-17.

Read on for some exciting news about the Award...

Poetry Society education team Cia Mangat, Billie Manning and Fathima Zahra are holding up envelopes and Foyle Young Poets anthologies. They are smiling. Behind them, the word 'POET' is painted on the wall in the Poetry Cafe.

A poster reading Foyle Young Poets of the Year in blue with an illustration of paper boats in blue, red, green and white. Next to it, a yellow bookmark saying The Poetry Society. To the left, an anthology also featuring the illustration of the paper boats, with the title 'We Sail Paper Boats'. Below this, a flyer for Young Poets Network in blue with illustrations of a Yeti, a mouse, a woman, a beaver, a two humans with animal heads. A green background.

Our edu team's packing #FoyleYoungPoets anthologies & flyers to send to UK schools. If you're a teacher/librarian & would like a FREE class set of anthologies featuring winning poems from the 2024 Award, email fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk

You can also read the anthology online 🔗 bit.ly/WeSailPaperBoats

White text against blue background with green border at the bottom and a small green paper boat on the right hand corner. White text on top reads: THE POETRY SOCIETY. Remaining text reads: I notice a colour, pressing there in the silence. From 'For' Idris Scrase, Top 15 Foyle Young Poet 2024

An extract from Idris Scrase's 'For', a winning poem in the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award 2024.

Read the full poem at poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/for

If you're a poet aged 11-17, enter this year's competition by 31 July at foyleyoungpoets.org

Find out more at bit.ly/foyleyoungpoets

Black text on a white background. The text reads: "Tulips by Ernest Wakeford Your numb, dry tongues, pressed, hung in the air, dull butter knives, rubber eggs. Thick-walled veins suckle slow in grey. You’re flattened, empty like peeled oranges and lying on the wind thin and dumb as anything. About this poem This poem is a top 15 winner in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2024."

A poem for #smallpoemssunday

Ernest Wakeford's 'Tulips' was a top 15 winner of the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award 2024, our talent development scheme for poets aged 11-17.

The 2025 competition will open soon...

A pale blue background and the image of a snowflake top right. Text reading January The weekdays are taking a bite out of an ice lolly and the sky - no, everything - is the colour of the water I dip my brush in when I paint and the water is old, stagnant like the puddles we hiked across last October because I haven’t put a brush to paper in months I catch my coat on the thorns as I walk to school and it almost rips January is almost breaking but no – Hannah Eve Kilgore, ‘January’ (extract), Commended in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020. Bottom right, the Poetry Society's logo in black.

'January' by Hannah Eve Kilgore was commended in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020, our competition for poets aged 11-17.

You can read the whole poem in the online anthology (page 62) bit.ly/YouSpeakInConstellationsCommended

#FoyleYoungPoets

Black text reading 'the ground is forgiving even after the cold grips the air there is a thaw, the frost is clearing.' on a yellow background. An illustration of a plant pot and a trowel, with a plant beginning to grow.

A poem for the cold snap - Scarlett Timlett-Sheehan's 'recipe for ending winter' was a winning poem in the #FoyleYoungPoets of the Year Award 2022. Read the full poem at poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/recipe-for-ending-winter/

Illustration by Jane Burkowski.