MAGMA POETRY COMPETITION 2025/26
MAGMA POETRY COMPETITION 2025/26 is now open for entries in both categories
The Judge’s Prize – poems of 11 to 50 lines
The Editors’ Prize – poems of up to 10 lines
Deadline 31 January 2026 11.59pm GMT
This year the Judge’s Prize for poems of 11 to 50 lines will be judged by Rishi Dastidar whose poetry has been published by the Financial Times, New Scientist and the BBC, amongst many others. His third collection, Neptune’s Projects (Nine Arches Press), was longlisted for the Laurel Prize, and a poem from it was included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2024. He is also editor of The Craft: A Guide to Making Poetry Happen in the 21st Century (Nine Arches Press), and co-editor ofToo Young, Too Loud, Too Different: Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (Corsair). He reviews poetry forThe Guardian and is chair ofWasafiri. His latest publication is A hobby of mine (Broken Sleep Books).
The Editors’ Prize is judged by a panel of Magma Editors and is for poems of up to 10 lines. The prize money for both competitions is the same, so double your chances and try your luck at both.
First prize for the Judge’s and Editors’ Prize is £1000, second prize £300 and third prize £150.
The three prize-winning poems from each category will be published in Magma and there will also be five special mentions for each of the Judge’s Prize and Editors’ Prize categories. All winning and commended poems will be published online on the Magma website. Winning and commended poets will be invited to read their poems at a Magma Competition event in Spring 2026.
Last years’ winners are published in Magma 92 Ownership Issue which you can purchase for £8.50 here.
HOW TO ENTER
The quickest and easiest way to enter is via submittable. You’ll be able to upload your poem entries from 1 October 2025 to 31 January 2026, and pay the appropriate entry fee securely by PayPal.
Alternatively, you can post your poems with the completed Magma Competition 2025/26 Entry Form together with your payment.
The entry fees are £5 for the first poem, £4 for the second and £3.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. Magma magazine subscribers benefit from reduced fees: £4 for the first poem, £3 for the second, and £2.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. Payment must be made in sterling, by cheque or money order payable to “Magma Poetry” for postal entries, and via PayPal for online entries. (PayPal can process payments by card as well as from PayPal accounts.)
You can subscribe to Magma from £22.00 via our Get Magma page. You’ll find the latest information about the magazine here, and you’ll be able to purchase a subscription online. Alternatively, please send a cheque for £22 payable to “Magma Poetry” for a year’s subscription (3 issues) to the print magazine, to Magma Distribution, 27 Well Street, Cupar, Fife, KY15 4AX.
POSTAL ENTRIES: Please enclose a Completed Entry form. Each poem must be on a separate sheet. Poems longer than one page must give their title on the second page and the pages should be stapled together. Do not include your name or any other identifying marks on the poems themselves. Postal entries with payment should be sent to: Magma Poetry Competition, 1 Winton Ave, London, N11 2AS
Payment must be made in sterling, by cheque or money order payable to “Magma Poetry”.
The competition closes at 11.59pm GMT on 31 January 2026.
GENERAL
- No alterations can be made after receipt, nor fees refunded.
- All poems must not have been previously published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.
- The judge’s and editors’ decisions are final and no correspondence can be entered into. No entrant may win more than one prize in each section.
- Should the named judge be unable to proceed, we aim to substitute an alternative judge of equivalent standing as a poet.
- Prizewinners will be notified individually in April 2026. The results will also be published on the Magma Poetry website after the prize-giving event.
- Copyright of each entry remains with the author, but Magma Poetry has the right to first publication of the winning poems in print and/or online within six months of the competition deadline.
- Entry implies acceptance of all the rules. Failure to comply with the rules will result in disqualification.
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Past competitions:
The results of the MAGMA POETRY COMPETITION 2024/25
The Judge’s Prize judged by Amy Acre for poems of 11 to 50 lines
- FIRST PRIZE Folding Paper Alex Mazey
- SECOND PRIZE The Book of Dying Michael Martin
- THIRD PRIZE Axe Throwing Jackson Phoenix Nash
- On watching my mother plant seeds Amandine Vabre Chau
- Thief Kirsty Crawford
- Things my Mugger Found Adam Panichi
- Home Mariam Saidan
- Pain perdu Rebecca Sharp
The Editors’ Prize for poems of up to 10 lines
- FIRST PRIZE Potassium Nitrate, Charcoal, Sulphur Wes Lee
- SECOND PRIZE Holy bitch Jane Wilkinson
- THIRD PRIZE : Lungs Sharon Black
- beach bodyAV Bridgwood
- Before Us S.L. Holm
- i don’t miss the smoking Dillon Jaxx
- Shoulders David Oates
- Three Urns III Lauren Thomas
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PAST COMPETITIONS
Magma Poetry is delighted to announce the results of the 2023/24 Poetry Competition.
Raymond Antrobus and the panel of Magma Editors read over 3,500 poems. Congratulations to all the winning and commended poets and huge thanks to everyone entering the competition and for your continuing support of Magma.
Read the all winning and commended poems as well as the judging reports here:
Magma Poetry Competition: Winning and Commended Poems
JUDGE’S PRIZE judged by Raymond Antrobus, for poems of 11-50 lines
- FIRST PRIZE: For Palestine by Clara-Læïla Laudette
- SECOND PRIZE: Toussaint L’Ouverture Replies to Wordsworth (March 1803) by Rommi Smith
- THIRD PRIZE: Please Refrain From Speculating by Leyla Çolpan
COMMENDED:
- Anthros by JA Lenton
- Faint by Amelia Loulli
- Brogue by Éadaoín Lynch
- Watching by Linda McDonald
- spell to dismantle the patriarchy by Lynnda Wardle
EDITORS’ PRIZE judged by Magma Editors, for poems of up to 10 lines
- FIRST PRIZE: Scapa Flow by Catherine Spooner
- SECOND PRIZE: Temporary Worker Visa by Anne Rouse
- THIRD PRIZE: The Beauty Here Is Almost Unbearable by Millie Guille
COMMENDED:
- Leaves, Their Whole Lives, Dangle by Sharon Black
- My Unborn by Jo Cornwell
- The Goat in Tehran by Hilary McDaniel
- ache by Kayla Marie Troy
- Transparency by John White
The three winning poems in each competition will be published in Magma 89, Performance and all winning and commended poems plus the judges’ reports online in a downloadable PDF, available when the issue launches this July.
Magma 2022/23 Poetry Competition
We are delighted to share the winning and commended poems from the Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21!
Click on the link below to read the poems:
Magma Poetry Competition 2022/23 Winning and Commended Poems
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Magma 2021/22 Poetry Competition
We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2021/22 Poetry Competition
Read the poems here: Magma Poetry Competitions 2021/22 — Winning and Commended Poems
Winner of the JUDGE’S PRIZE judged by Marvin Thompson:
Gwen Sayers with Archbishop Tutu’s funeral seen from thousands of miles away
Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21
Winning and Commended Poems
We are delighted to share the winning and commended poems from the Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21!
Click on the link below to read the poems:
Magma Poetry Competition 2020/21 Winning and Commended Poems
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Older posts
Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20
Winning and Commended Poems
We are delighted to share the winning and commended poems from the Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20!
Click on the link below to read the poems:
Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20 Winning and Commended Poems
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Magma Poetry Competition 2019/20 — Winners Announced
Magma Poetry is excited to announce the winners and commended poets for its 2019/20 Poetry Competition for both the Judge’s Prize and the Editors’ Prize.
Many thanks to everyone who entered our annual Competition. Our Judge Caroline Bird and Magma Editors’ have been busy reading thousands of entries and we have had some very tough choices to make, but we now have our list. Congratulations to all the winners and commendeds and huge thanks to everyone for your continuing support of Magma.
JUDGE’S PRIZE
FIRST PRIZE: Mark Russell from Arrochar, Scotland with Hospitality
SECOND PRIZE: Victoria Richards from London with The mothers scream into the void
THIRD PRIZE: Rachael Matthews from New York with Ventriloquism
COMMENDED POEMS in no particular order:
Cameron Brady-Turner from Hemel Hempsted with Animal Crossing
Katie O’Pray from Bedford with Four Kisses
Nicola Daly from Chester with All I know About: J
Sally Baker from Mytholmroyd, W. Yorks with Fear of Arsenical Green
Liam Bates from Wednesbury, W. Midlands with The Protagonist
EDITORS’ PRIZE
FIRST PRIZE: James Pollock from Madison, WI, USA with Goose Neck Lamp
SECOND PRIZE: Paul Nemser from Cambridge, MA, USA with Morning After
THIRD PRIZE: Lydia Harris from Orkney with Muldro
COMMENDED POEMS in no particular order:
Maria Isakova-Bennett from Liverpool with The Alt at Lunt Meadows
John Maguire from Northumberland with The artist responds to criticism
Ian Chamberlain from Teignmouth, Devon with Certificate PG
Dean Gessie from Ontario, Canada with existential deer
Kathy Pimlott from Covent Garden with After the Fall
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The three winning poems in each competition will be published in Magma 77, Act Your Age, and the Commended poems on the Magma website when the issue launches.
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We are delighted to announce the winners of Magma Poetry Competition 2018/19
Judge’s Prize
Judged by Andrew McMillan
First prize: Inua Ellams – ‘Fuck/Boys’
Second prize: Rowena Warwick – ‘Stillborn’
Third prize: Ben Strak – ‘Hangover’
Commended (in no particular order)
Milena Williamson – ‘On our night out’
Catherine Norris – ‘Break the fast with peaches’
Inessa Rajah – ‘Checklist’
Regina Weinert – ‘Sheffield Fox’
*The fifth commended poem for the Judge’s Prize has since been withdrawn by the poet
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Editors’ Prize
Judged by a panel of Magma Editors
First prize: Derek Hughes – ‘A Strange Boulder’
Second prize: Kathy Pimlott – ‘Entertaining Sammy Davis Jnr in St Ives, 1962‘
Third prize: Katie Hale – ‘Lanterns’
Commended (in no particular order)
Ian Patterson – ‘Violin’
Robyn Steely – ‘Still Life with Cigarette’
Ken Babstock – ‘Infinite Jump Glitch’
Claire Gallivan – ‘The Text’
Barbara Hickson – ‘At Logan Botanic Garden’
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We are delighted to be hosting our Prize Winners’ Reading in the beautiful and atmospheric setting of Exmouth Market Centre in Islington, North London. Book your tickets here
Supported by Arts Council England