Seasoned pro or fresh newbie, you are personally invited to enter the Happiful Poetry Prize 2027
Launched in autumn 2023, the Happiful Poetry Prize celebrates exceptional writing about mental health and wellbeing. Last year, we received hundreds of outstanding entries, including many from people completely new to poetry.
Now, the prize is back. This year, we’ve introduced exciting new prizes, and every entrant will get a free ticket to an exclusive poetry webinar. We’ve also welcomed two guest judges to help us choose our winner.
We’re looking for original poems that explore mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways. Our UK poetry competition is completely free to enter, and you don’t need any previous publishing or poetry experience. All you need is a passion for writing.
Looking for inspiration? Explore interviews with previous winners and shortlisted poets, along with practical tips to help you get started.
The Happiful Poetry Prize 2027 is now open!
Sign up to our newsletter for further updates. All poets will be contacted with the results by the end of February 2027. UK & NI only. Read the full T&Cs. Good luck!
Meet past winners
Winner: 'The F Word' by Naomi Joseph was named the winner of the Happiful Poetry Prize 2026.
Runner-up: Minna Chang's poem, I See You, draws on her experiences as a doctor to explore what it means to truly see another person.
Runner-up: Laurie Donaldson's poem, Not a Fidget, explores life with tics through honesty, humour, and careful observation.
Runner-up: Jane Fuller's poem, When a Heart Lies in Creases, uses the image of origami to explore the many emotional states we carry through life.
Preparing your poem
We're looking for...
Poems under 25 lines that explore the topic of mental health
Engaging, empowered, and passionate writing
Unique voices and fresh perspectives
What's up for grabs?
The winner will receive £100, and four shortlisted poets will receive a £25 National Book Token.
All five poems will be published in issue 120 of Happiful.
Every entrant will be invited to an exclusive free online poetry workshop led by a professional poet and delivered in partnership with The Rebecca Swift Foundation.
For full terms and conditions, along with all entry criteria, read our handy guide.
Top tips
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About Happiful magazine
Happiful is an award-winning monthly print and digital lifestyle magazine devoted to mental health and wellbeing. Founded in 2017, we believe that everyone should have access to reliable mental health information and support. Each month, we pack our issues with fascinating features, empowering stories, practical advice, and expert tips – with every edition approved by a qualified psychotherapist.
In line with our mission, we offer our digital subscriptions for free. We remove the financial barriers to high-quality information because we believe it’s the right thing to do. This mission is supported by our print subscribers, whose purchases of our beautiful print editions allow us to continue this important work.
Like what you’re reading? Head to happiful.com to browse through 10,000+ articles, or sign up for a subscription today.
Our vision
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