Magma Poetry Competition

MAGMA POETRY COMPETITION 2026/27

* Now open for entries in both categories *

Please find more details here

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We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2025/26 Poetry Competition!


Magma holds two poetry competitions each year: the Judge’s Prize for poems of 11 to 50 lines, which was judged this year by Rishi Dastidar, and the Editors’ Prize for poems up to 10 lines, which was judged by a panel of Magma editors.

Download a special PDF document here of all the winning and commended poems, plus both the Judge’s and Editors’ judging reports: Magma Poetry Competition 2025:26

Thank you to everyone who entered and trusted Magma with your poems. Some long discussions and hard decisions were made!

JUDGE’S PRIZE
First The cleverest man in the world Sharon Black
Second The Evolution of X Damen O’Brien
Third A hundred tiny naked women Lesley Curwen
Commended Linguistics Penny Blackburn
Commended Elegy for the Argos catalogue Chrissie Dreier
Commended Skibidi Toilet Sam Harvey
Commended Believe Me Conan Tan
Commended Overnight you became a river Fiona Ritchie Walker
EDITORS’ PRIZE
First When did you last see your father? A C Clarke
Second Light / Regular / Super / Super Plus Aliyah Begum
Third Scrimshaw Catherine Spooner
Commended Hanging by a Thread, You Instruct Me to Care Jasmin Allenspach
Commended One Hit Wonder Daragh Byrne
Commended Childish games Eleanor Holmes
Commended Disneyland Steven Stromboli
Commended Lichenisation Max Wallis

 

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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

Rishi Dastidar
Rishi Dastidar

 

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
COMMENDED
  • 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
COMMENDED
  • beach bodyAV Bridgwood
  • Before Us S.L. Holm
  • i don’t miss the smoking Dillon Jaxx
  • Shoulders David Oates
  • Three Urns III Lauren Thomas

Download a special PDF document here of all the winning and commended poems, plus both the Judge’s and Editors’ judging reports

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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.

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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

Should We Ban Poets’ Biographies from Poetry Magazines?

A comment posted after one of our recent blog articles suggests that readers should lose “interest in writers' biographies” so they don’t know whether the poet has direct experience of the subject matter. I agree, but take it further: biographical notes should not be included in poetry magazines in the first place because they lead the reader’s views of the poem.

I suggest readers do not want layers of meaning added to a poem by perceived notions of who or what the poet is. A biography which gives more than name and past works is at fault because it inevitably influences the reading of a poem. A reader should not be prompted to a particular point of view about a poem outside of the poem itself. For example, if readers know that a writer spent formative years in foster care they will be prompted to think that a poem about dysfunctional families is written from the standpoint of a damaged child. It may be, but I argue that should come from the poem not from knowledge of the poet’s life.

You might argue that a poet’s biographical note is relevant for an understanding of the poem. That, for example, the works of the World War One poets would not resonate for us if we did not know they were written in the trenches. But an extraordinary poem about war should not be trapped within one time frame, and its understanding limited to its place at the specific moment when it was written. A biographical note asks the reader to do just that.

Or looked at from another angle, a poem is as much a window into the soul of the reader as it is into the soul of a writer, and the poet’s background should not get in the way when it is read. I don’t want a light-bulb moment of realisation when I think “ah, that must be the Spanish incident” because I know the poet worked as a doctor in that country. I want to leave the poem questioning what has happened at Finisterre, or with my own interpretation of it based on the poem. As a poet I do not want the reader to understand a poem as an extension of any biographical note. Poems deserve effort on the part of the reader, as well as the poet.

If I visit a theatre, I would think it inappropriate if I were given biographical details of the cast with the implication that I should superimpose knowledge about the actors onto the play. What I hope to do instead is immerse myself in the plot or layers of ideas and make my own decisions about what is happening and who the characters are, about whether the work is successful. So it should be with poems.

If you are a poet and we meet, share with me, if you wish to, knowledge about yourself and your background.

But when it comes to your poems, do not tell me who you are. Let me not know.

What Do You Think?

Do you want poets’ biographies included after their poems?

Is biographical knowledge important to understanding some poets' work? If so, which ones?

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Troubadour Poetry Prize 2009 — Deadline 9th October

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Are You Bored With The Default Poem?

In his 2007 book, How to Write a Poem (the book is much better than the title might suggest), John Redmond writes (p.17): Many poems fall back on a simple lyric formula: an ‘I-persona’ describing its state of mind and…

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Lorraine Mariner Shortlisted for the Forward Prize

We're delighted to congratulate Lorraine Mariner on being nominated for the 2009 Forward Prize for Best First Collection for Furniture (Picador). Magma was the first national magazine to publish Lorraine's poems in the early 2000s and we arranged some of…

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