Forward Prizes

The Forward Poetry Prizes celebrate poetry across the UK & Ireland. This account’s inactive — find us on Instagram: @forwardprizes

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After some thought, we've decided to leave X, but we're keeping the poetry flowing on Instagram! Get all the latest on the Prizes and connect with the poetry community on our Instagram: @forwardprizes – we’d love to see you there. Thank you for all your support.

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

🎬 Poets + film-makers: StAnza Poetry Festival wants poetry films (not readings), up to 6 mins with captions. Selected films shown at festival. Audience Choice Award: £200
🗓 Deadline: 31 Jan, 17:00
Submit: https://t.co/pckn5pmGiP
Info: https://t.co/4lnKDyHaby

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Congratulations to all, and thank you to our supporters - the Jerwood Foundation, Arts Council England, the John Ellerman Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cockayne Grants for the Arts, and a number of individual donors.

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

The winners of the #ForwardPrizes 2025!

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Performed 2025:
‘Where I’m From’ by Griot Gabriel by (originally performed at Manchester UNESCO City of Literature).

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Only one week until the shortlist readings & winner announcements at Forward Prizes Ceremony 2025. Don’t miss it! https://t.co/SgZgfyUwFP #ForwardPrizes #LondonLiteratureFestival #Poetry

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

🚨 One week to go! 🚨
Join us 25 Oct @SouthbankCentre for Next Verse: A Young Poets’ Summit Showcase.
A celebration of poetry, craft + community with the UK’s most exciting young voices.
🎟️ From £10. Ages 14+. https://t.co/q4rXuvcdvI

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Celebrate the best in UK & Ireland poetry. Join the Forward Prizes Ceremony 2025 @SouthbankCentre, 26 Oct @ 7pm. Tickets from £15: https://t.co/Yp5EBwG8A8 #ForwardPrizes #Poetry

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Meet the Poets continues!
Next up for Best Collection: Southernmost by Leo Boix (@LeoBoix).
A visionary sonnet sequence connecting Latin America, colonial history, & poetic form.
Read the full interview: https://t.co/BSXwMOm9LQ
#ForwardPrizes #Poetry #Southernmost

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Meet the Poets continues! We’re now moving into our next category: the Forward Prize for Best Collection. First up is Juana Adcock, whose collection I Sugar the Bones (@outspokenldn) is shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Forward Prize. 🔗 https://t.co/PIQTDHCP8z

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Poetry lovers, this one’s for you! ✨📚 Join us at #ContainsStrongLanguage for the Forward Prizes Showcase, where boundary-pushing poets take the stage to share work that’s bold, brilliant, and unforgettable.
🔗 Book now: https://t.co/w8x9tcT0rR
@bbccslfest @bbcarts

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Don’t miss the Forward Prizes Showcase at #ContainsStrongLanguage — a celebration of the most vital voices in contemporary poetry. Step into an afternoon of powerful performances from poets featured in the 2025 Forward Book of Poetry. 🔗 Book now: https://t.co/w8x9tcT0rR

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Rounding off our Meet the Poets series for Best Single Poem – Written is Nick Makoha, shortlisted for ‘Codex©’. Fusing personal history, diaspora, and artistic legacy, this poem is a meditative reflection on identity, memory, and cultural ownership. https://t.co/Nf69wgc2J3

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Next up in the series is Claire Lynn, shortlisted for her poem ‘Live Stream’. This poem is a quiet meditation on observation, community, and the rhythms of care—both human and wild.
Read the full interview via this link: https://t.co/0PplNy3Svx

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

There’s still time to join us at #ContainsStrongLanguage! 🎉📖 The event celebrates the best new poetry from the Forward Prizes 2025. Book your free tickets & see the full festival lineup here:
🔗 https://t.co/w8x9tcT0rR
@bbcarts @bbccslfest

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

Next up is Tim Tim Cheng, shortlisted for their poem ‘Girl Ghosts’, blending memory, myth, and migration. The poem is a polyvocal exploration of girlhood, cultural inheritance, and the fractured stories passed down through generations. Full interview: https://t.co/0lLJzSYZoD

[Forward Prizes @ForwardPrizes]

REMINDER! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
The Forward Prizes Ceremony 2025 🎉
📅 Sunday 26 October | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Southbank Centre
🎟️ Tickets on sale now: https://t.co/HWolSS0NJJ
#ForwardPrizes #PoetryLive #SouthbankCentre #UKPoetry #PoetryAwards #SpokenWord