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You are here: Home > Listings > Projects > The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
Founded by the Poetry Society in 1998, the The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award has been supported by the Foyle Foundation since 2001 and is now firmly established as the key competition for young poets aged between 11 and 17 years.
Project History:
Each year 15 Overall Winners and 85 Commended Winners are chosen by two high-
profile judges. The 15 overall winners of the prize aged 15-17 get the opportunity to
work on their poems at a week-long creative writing residential course at one of the
prestigious Arvon Centres where they will be tutored by that year’s judges, and those
aged 11-14 will be mentored by a professional poet and receive a poetry residency
in their school. The Winning 15 poems and names of the 85 Commended are then
published in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year anthology, 20,000 of which are sent out
to individuals, schools and arts organizations across the UK and beyond.

All of the 100 winners receive a year’s Youth Membership of the Poetry Society,
amongst other goodies, and benefit from on-going support and encouragement via
publication, performance, promotion and internship opportunities. All Foyle Overall and
Commended Winners, both past and present, are:

• Eligible to submit to YM, our online Poetry Magazine – which showcases the
best new poetry from former Foylers and Youth Members
• Invited to apply for our Foyle Young Editor scheme - the chance to be guest
editor of an edition of YM magazine (for under 25’s only)
• Eligible to apply for a Foyle Internship placement organized by the Poetry
Society
• Part of an ever growing community of like-minded poets and kept informed
of all up and coming opportunities to develop and showcase their writing.

As the competition comes of age, it is notable how many ex-Foylers are now shaping
the landscape of contemporary poetry, winning adult awards, appearing in anthologies
and publishing solo collections with leading publishers such as Carcanet, tall-lighthouse
and Faber & Faber. The current strength and depth in young British poetry, widely noted
in the media this year, owes much to the energising and sustaining influences of the
Award.

Alongside the prizes and on-going support for its winners, the Award also incorporates
a year-round programme of activity aimed at encouraging creativity and literacy
in schools. Every year the scheme nutures best practice by identifying Teacher
Trailblazers to act as mentors and share lesson ideas. We also offer additional poet-led
workshops to a number of Applauded schools, to reward their ongoing commitment and
enthusiasm for the Award.

The competition opens for entries in March each year and closes at the end of July.
Winners are notified by mid September and are invited to an Award Ceremony in
October.
Related Links:
www.foyleyoungpoets.org
Contact Information:
fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk

Project Quote:
“The Foyle Young Poets Awards are important beckoning points for younger writers. They recognise a poet's first adventures into a public space for their poetry.” Prof. David Morley, National Teaching Fellow, Warwick University.
Writers Involved:
Passed winners include Helen Mort, Adham Smart, Fergus Blair, Dominic Hale, Martha Sprackland, Ella Duffy, Ameerah Arjanee
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