Fenland Poet Laureate Award launches for 2025

The competition, which seeks to discover and crown the next Poet Laureates of Fenland, is recognised as one of the most prestigious literary accolades in Cambridgeshire.

Now in its seventh year, the annual contest welcomes work from poets at every stage of their writing careers. Unpublished newcomers, established names, and emerging talents have all been among the previous winners and runners-up.

Spearheaded by award-winning poet Elisabeth Sennitt Clough, who also serves as Chair of the Fenland District Council's Culture, Arts, and Heritage Committee, the awards are organised in partnership with Fenland District Council.

The winning poets are awarded the honorary titles of Fenland Poet Laureate and Young Fenland Poet Laureate, gaining a platform to showcase their work and the opportunity to represent and promote Fenland poetry throughout their year in the role.

They will succeed the current 2024 Fenland Poet Laureate, Hannah Teasdale, and 2024 Young Fenland Poet Laureate, Lacey Vinn, who were crowned at a special awards ceremony in March.

Entries for this year's competition can be submitted up until the deadline of 31 January 2025.

All entries will be read through an anonymised shortlisting and judging process, with judges only discovering the identity of writers after making their final decision.

This year's judges are Cllr Sennitt Clough and the current Fenland Poet Laureate, Hannah Teasdale.

Cllr Elisabeth Sennitt Clough said: "The awards have been a huge success over the years, and it is growing even more, so I'm delighted to be launching our 2025 contest.

"Poetry possesses a remarkable power to express complex feelings and emotions so delicately and yet so strikingly at the same time. Hannah and I look forward to reading poems that explore a wide range of ideas and forms, and we wish everyone the best of luck."

Hannah Teasdale added:"I was both shocked and delighted to have been awarded the honour of Fenland Poet Laureate for 2024 and look forward to reading the diverse and exciting entries for this coming year.

"The award has opened opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise, and the chance to work with both the community and other artists to make poetry more accessible to both writers and audience. It is a 'competition' definitely worth entering and I wish everyone the very best."

Cllr Chris Seaton, Fenland District Council's Portfolio Holder for Arts, Culture and Heritage, added: "We're delighted to once again be involved in this year's Fenland Poet Laureate Awards, offering a fantastic creative opportunity for poets of all ages and abilities.

"It's a wonderful competition that enables people to be expressive and experimental and connect with other people through the written word. There has been some brilliant talent emerge in previous years and I can't wait to see the standard of entries this year."

Competition details

The competition is open to anyone who lives, works or attends school in the administrative district of Fenland, and is completely free to enter.

Applicants must be aged 18 and over for the Fenland Poet Laureate Award, and aged 17 and under for the Young Fenland Poet Laureate Award.

Poetry submissions must be no longer than 40 lines, the entrant's own work and previously unpublished. Poems may be in free verse or stricter form, and reference Fenland in some way. There is only one entry allowed per poet.

The deadline for entries is Friday 31 January 2025.

Full details including how to enter are online at: www.fenland.gov.uk/FenlandPoetLaureate

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November 2024