The Matthew Lanyon Archive has announced a new national poetry prize, celebrating the life and creative legacy of Matthew Lanyon (1951-2016). Theme: The Archaeology of Tomorrow. The prize is free to enter.
Born in St Ives in 1951, Matthew Lanyon is remembered as one of Cornwall’s most significant painters, but he was also a talented multimedia artist and writer. His literary and artistic output spanned a range of subjects, including: Cornish history and geology, popular culture, mythology, environmental catastrophe, art tourism, mapping, love and desire, capitalism, comedy and the concept of time.
For the inaugural Matthew Lanyon Poetry Prize, entrants are invited to submit poems that interpret or respond to Matthew’s work and interests in new and intriguing ways. The winner and shortlisted poets will be announced during The Archaeology of Tomorrow: Ten Years into the Afterlife, Festival of Matthew Lanyon taking place at Falmouth University on 3rd and 4th July 2026.
A prize of £500 will be awarded to the overall winner. The winner and 5 highly commended poets will have their poems published on the Matthew Lanyon website and print copies will be kept in the Archive.
The winner of the best poem from a writer living in or from Cornwall will have the opportunity to be published in the Guillemot Press online journal, and receive £200.
The judges for the 2026 prize are Dr. Luke Thompson, Judith Lanyon and Zelda Cahill-Patten.
Open to UK residents only.
Find out more here
Deadline: midnight UK time on 25th May 2026