Next Generation Poets aims to promote and build the career of 20 emerging poets, increase book sales across the poetry sector and raise awareness of the diverse range of contemporary poetry in the UK and Ireland.
Founded in 1994 to champion the 20 best debut UK and Irish poets of the decade, this will be the fourth iteration of the list, which helped kickstart the careers of poets including Simon Armitage, Kae Tempest, Carol Ann Duffy, Don Paterson, Patience Agbabi and many more. This year's judging panel is chaired by Poet Laureate and former NGP Simon Armitage.
Publishers are invited to enter poets based in the UK & Ireland who have published a debut collection between 1st May 2014 and 30th June 2026. Entries must be submitted by publishers via Zealous, our publisher submission portal. Self-published or unpublished works are not eligible. If you are a poet interested in being entered, please contact your publisher, as we cannot accept entries individually from poets.
Entry fee: To remove barriers to access, publishers with under 5 full time team members can enter two books for free. All other entries are charged at £24 per book (inclusive of VAT).
The Poetry Book Society has been awarded an Arts Council Major Projects Grant to deliver Next Generation Poets with generous support from the T.S. Eliot Foundation, Folio Society and a Tower Poetry Development Grant.
Find out more
here
Deadline: 14th August 2026 (5pm BST)