International Competitions Open

1 April to 30 June 2025

The International Competitions are open – no April Fool’s Day this – but a reminder that you have just three months in which to enter if you want the chance of becoming one of this year’s winners.

The clock starts ticking from today 1 April until 5pm on 30 June for you to polish your prose or revise your rhymes.

Competition is expected to be as fierce as ever with entries coming from around the world as entrants compete for a pot of prizes totalling £5,000. There are special prizes too for local winners.

There is also the potential kudos of being publicly announced as a winner at a special ceremony of poetry reading and prize giving. This takes place during the Wells Festival of Literature in October.

From first-time entrants to the more experienced writers, all have the same chance of catching the attention of our experienced judges, who are all well renowned in their own fields.

Some previous winners, along with those who’ve made it to the shortlist, have subsequently gone on to have their work published. The awards ceremony takes place in Cedars Hall, Wells, at 2pm on Monday 20 October 2025.