Theme for Hampshire Young Poets 2026: Food

 

The Hampshire Young Poets competition, running for over ten years, seeks to recognise emerging talent and spark a life-long love for poetry, writing and words. Through this year’s theme of food, young poets are being encouraged to fuel their writing through their senses, memories, traditions and emotions.

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Write a poem of no more than 14 lines on this theme and send it to us for a chance to be one of the winning poets announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday 10 October 2026, at The Arc, Winchester as part of Winchester Poetry Day

 

Open: now

Competition closes: Friday 22 May 2026​

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First prize in each category:
£50 National Book Token

plus £50 P&G Wells Book Token for your school/education provider to spend on poetry books

Second prize in each category:
£25 National Book Token

plus £25 P&G Wells Book Token for your school/education provider to spend on poetry books

Third prize in each category:
£10 National Book Token

plus £10 P&G Wells Book Token for your school/education provider to spend on poetry books

 

Additionally, certificates will be awarded to three commended poems and three poems with the best line in each age category. ​

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Hampshire Young Poets is a partnership between Hampshire Cultural Trust and Winchester Poetry Festival.

Prizes kindly sponsored by P&G Wells and Paris Smith

 

 

 

How to enter

 

Online

You can submit your poem here:

 

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By post

To enter by post, on a separate sheet of A4 paper (or download and print a coversheet), please provide the following information: 

• Name.

• Address.

• Age at time of submitting entry.

• Contact phone number.

• Email address.

• Entrant’s school/place of study.

• School/place of study phone/email.

• Where you heard about the competition.

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Send your poem and coversheet in an envelope clearly marked Hampshire Young Poets 2026: Food to:

Hampshire Cultural Trust 
Chilcomb House
Chilcomb Lane
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 8RB

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At P&G Wells bookshop

You can write and enter your poem by visiting The Poetry Desk, in the Children's sections at P&G Wells bookshop, College St, Winchester. Here you will find everything you need to write your poem, including some prompts hidden within the desk itself. This desk will be set up for the duration of the competition, and the poems will be collected and forwarded on to the address above.

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Competition rules

• The competition is free and open to any young person in the three specified age categories who lives or studies in Hampshire
• Poems should be no longer than 14 lines, in English, be the entrant’s own work and should not have been published  elsewhere, including online, and not have won any other competition. You may enter more than one poem if you wish
• No changes can be made once entries have been submitted
• Entries can be submitted online or by post
• Closing date: 8pm GMT Friday 22 May 2026
• The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into
• The winners, runners-up and highly commended entrants (if applicable) will be contacted by email or post; unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted
• The awards ceremony will take place at The Arc, Winchester on Saturday 10th October 2026 as part of Winchester Poetry Day.

 

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Unfortunately we are unable to contact entrants who have not been successful.

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You can visit the competition page on Hampshire Cultural Trust website 

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DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES for teachers and teaching assistants

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