Open poetry pamphlet competition 2026

 

JUDGE: Marjorie Lotfi
DEADLINE: 1 July 2026

To have a pamphlet published by a magazine I’ve admired for its risk and innovation is humbling but richly rewarding.
– Michael Greavy, winner of the last Magma competition with The Man Who Made Up Trees

 

MAGMA invites you to enter our fifth pamphlet competition, now open for entries. We are delighted to have Marjorie Lotfi as judge.

PRIZE: publication of the winning pamphlet + launch reading.
Poets on the shortlist of 10 will each get a paragraph of feedback from the judge. The winner and 3 others will have a poem published in Magma. All shortlisted poets will have a poem published on our website.
Marjorie Lotfi will read 50 entries selected by Magma board members.

DEADLINE: Wednesday 1 July 2026

Marjorie Lotfi is the author of The Wrong Person to Ask (Bloodaxe Books, 2023), which won the 2024 Forward Prize for Best First Collection and a James Berry Award. It was also shortlisted for the Saltire Prize for Best Book of Poetry and was a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation. Marjorie’s poetry has been published widely, including on London’s Poems on the Underground.

She says: “I’m looking for crafted poems that grab my attention and won’t let go. Usually, these are poems I return to because they surprise me, saying something new or something I thought I already knew. Because this is a pamphlet prize, I’m also looking for poems that speak to one another – the impact of any single poem will be broadened by the overall body of work.”

 

—Believe in something: your hands pressed
—together, palm to palm, are my body folded
—into the namaz; each of us maps ourselves
—in the mirror, measures what we already know.

from ‘Maman Bozorg’ by Marjorie Lotfi

 

JUDGING AND RESULTS
• Entries will be read initially by a panel of Magma editors, who will give the judge a longlist of 50.

• The judge will choose the winning pamphlet from a shortlist of 10. She will provide a short paragraph of feedback to all 10 poets.

• The winner and shortlisted poets will be contacted in October/ November 2026.

• The winning pamphlet will be published by Magma in 2027. Copyright will remain with the author. Magma will have the right to use any of the poems for publicity.

• Magma will host a launch, either online or real-life.

• A poem from the winning pamphlet and one each from three shortlisted pamphlets will be published in Magma magazine. A poem from each shortlisted pamphlet will be published on our website.

 

COMPETITION RULES – Your pamphlet
• Please send us 18–20 pages of poems.

• Poems should be typed in single spacing on one side of A4 and in 12 font. Start each poem on a new page. Maximum 40 lines per page. If you include a poem sequence in which the poems are 14 lines long or less, then you may put two on a page

• All poems must be your original work. They may have been published in magazines (paper or online) and anthologies but not in a pamphlet or collection

• Poems must be in the English language or any of its dialects. They must be for adults and must not be translations of someone else’s work

• Your pamphlet must have a title which should appear on each page. Please do a front page with the pamphlet title and list of contents

• Entries must be anonymous: no name or contact details on any page

• The winner will be expected to take part in a launch for the pamphlet

• Anyone may enter unless they advise or work for Magma

• Simultaneous submissions are allowed but please let us know straight away if your pamphlet has been accepted elsewhere. The fee is not refundable

• No changes can be made once you have submitted the pamphlet

• We won’t return pamphlets on paper, so please keep a copy.

HOW TO ENTER
• Deadline: Midnight UK time on 1 July 2026. Postal entries postmarked on that date will be accepted

• Entry costs: £22, or £16 if you are a Magma subscriber. Non-subscribers may pay the subscribers’ rate if they take out a subscription when they enter: https://magmapoetry.com/buy-magma Payment must be in pounds sterling

• Concessions: We are offering a limited number of free entries, for those for whom the entry fee is unaffordable. See https://magmapoetry.com/pamphlet-competition
for details

• Entering online: Follow the instructions on Submittable. Put the title of your pamphlet in the title box. You will be given the option to pay by credit card or PayPal

• Entering by post: Download the competition entry form here: Entry Form
Please include two copies of your front page. Both copies should show the pamphlet title and a contents list. One copy only should also contain your contact details: name, address, email, phone number.
Send to: Magma (Pamphlet Competition), 3 Falkland Avenue, Finchley, London, N3 1QR, UK.
Enclose the entry form (over page) and a cheque to Magma Poetry. Please put enough stamps on!

• If entering online from outside the UK, PayPal will convert your fee to pounds sterling. Postal entries from abroad must include a cheque in pounds sterling

• You may enter more than one pamphlet

Please email info@magmapoetry.com for any queries regarding entry costs

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