Brotherton Poetry Prize IV opens for submissions
The Brotherton Poetry Prize is generously supported by the Charles Brotherton Trust
The University of Leeds is delighted to open submissions for the fourth Brotherton Poetry Prize, an international competition celebrating and promoting new and emerging poets.
Hosted by Poetry@Leeds, the Brotherton Poetry Prize celebrates and supports new and emerging poets based anywhere in the world, aged 18 or over, who have not yet published a full collection of poems. Previous winners of the Prize are Dane Holt (Prize I), Lauren Pope (Prize II), and Dillon Jaxx (Prize III).
The winner of the Brotherton Poetry Prize will receive £1,000 and the opportunity to develop their creative practice with Poetry@Leeds. Four runners-up will each receive £200.
The poems of the five shortlisted poets will be published as an anthology by Carcanet Press.
Professor Kimberly Campanello, Director of Poetry@Leeds and a panellist for the most recent Prize, said:
“The Brotherton Prize has rapidly become a strong indicator of emerging excellence in poetry, with former winners and shortlistees going on to write impactful poems and publish full-length collections to further acclaim. The process of reading the portfolios and discussing them with the judging panel opens a window onto vibrant and varied formal and thematic concerns of new poets who are working toward a first collection. I can’t wait to see what comes in this year!”
Dillon Jaxx, who won the Brotherton Poetry Prize in 2024, said:
“Winning the Brotherton prize was a real surprise and great honour. To have my work acknowledged by some of the country's most distinguished poets on the judging panel felt incredible and validating. It has helped me grow in confidence and believe in my voice as a writer. I would strongly encourage any emerging poets to submit to this prize. You have nothing to lose and may find yourself shortlisted and having dinner at the University with the judges and fellow shortlisted poets, which is in itself a fabulous and memorable experience.”
The Brotherton Poetry Prize is generously supported by the Charles Brotherton Trust.
This year’s judging panel includes the Poet Laureate Professor Simon Armitage, Professor Kimberly Campanello, Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Zaffar Kunial, Helen Mort, Professor Matthew Treherne, Dr Emma Trott, and Professor John Whale.
How to enter
Entries should consist of a portfolio of up to five poems, totalling no more than 200 lines (excluding titles). Poems should be submitted as one MS Word or PDF file, with the subject heading Brotherton Poetry Prize, to poetry@leeds.ac.uk. The poet’s name should not appear in the document or the file name.
The entry fee is £15 per portfolio, payable via the entry page.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm (UK time), 8 April 2026.
Main image: Dillon Jaxx, winner of the Brotherton Prize III, accepts their award from Professor Simon Armitage, the Poetry Laureate.
