The Forward Prizes for Poetry, widely regarded as the most prestigious awards in the UK and Ireland’s poetry calendar, have officially opened for submissions for their 2025 edition. Since their inception in 1992, the prizes have celebrated the finest voices in poetry, from emerging talents to literary giants, with a roll call of past winners that includes Simon Armitage, Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy, and Claudia Rankine. This year, the awards continue to honour exceptional poetic achievements across four categories: Notably, the Best Single Poem – Performed category has broadened its scope, now inviting submissions directly from poets themselves as…

Peter Gizzi’s Fierce Elegy has been honored with the TS Eliot Prize, a prestigious accolade recognizing the most exceptional poetry collection published in the UK and Ireland. This £25,000 award, regarded as a pinnacle of poetic achievement, celebrates Gizzi’s masterful exploration of grief and loss. Deeply informed by the mourning of his two brothers, the collection dares to confront the profoundest questions of existence, weaving a lyrical sequence that is at once haunting and illuminating. The judges, in their admiration, praised the collection for its boldness and its ability to grapple with life’s most daunting uncertainties, elevating Fierce Elegy as…

Sun 12 Jan 2025, 7pm Hear the best new poetry coming out of the UK and Ireland, read by the ten shortlisted poets for this year’s prize, in an event hosted by poet Ian McMillan. The TS Eliot Prize, widely regarded as the most prestigious award in poetry, has unveiled its eagerly anticipated shortlist for 2024. Known for recognizing both established literary giants and groundbreaking emerging voices, the prize continues its legacy of reshaping the poetic landscape. Judging Panel This year’s shortlist was meticulously curated by an esteemed panel of judges, including Mimi Khalvati (Chair), Hannah Sullivan, and Anthony Joseph,…