Deadline: January 31, 2023
Entry fee: £5
About the competition
The competition is organized by the Magma Poetry magazine based in the UK. There are two contests, one for short poems of up to 10 lines, and one for poems of 11 to 50 lines.
Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. All poems must be previously unpublished.
First prize for the Judge’s and Editors’ Prize is £1000, second prize £300 and third prize £150. The six prize-winning poems will be published in Magma and there will also be five special mentions for the Judge’s Prize and for the Editors’ Prize. Winning and commended poets will be invited to read their poems at a Magma Competition Event in Spring 2023.
Competition guidelines
- No alterations can be made after receipt, nor fees refunded.
- All poems must be previously unpublished.
- 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 March 2023. 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.
- 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.)
- To subscribe to the magazine, and to take advantage of the reduced price entry to the competition, visit 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 quickest and easiest way to enter is via submittable. You’ll be able to upload your poem entries from 15 October 2022 to 31 January 2023, and pay the appropriate entry fee securely by PayPal.
