Our poetry competition is back! With acclaimed guest judges and a prize for every single entrant…
NOTE: The Happiful Poetry Prize opens on 1 September. Sign up to our newsletter for updates.
Seasoned pro or fresh newbie, wherever you are in your writing journey, you are personally invited to enter the Happiful Poetry Prize 2027.
We’re looking for poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways.
The competition is free to enter, and no prior experience is necessary; the only thing we require is a passion for writing!
Please submit:
- One entry per person, of a poem no more than 25 lines long.
- Your poem’s title.
- Your full name and address.
- A short biography.
Read the full T&Cs. Good luck!
Prizes
The winner will receive £100, and four shortlisted poets will each receive a £25 National Book Token. The winning and shortlisted poems will be published in issue 120 of Happiful.
Just announced
We're delighted to welcome two special guest judges, Deborah Alma and Richard Tyler, who will join the Happiful editorial team in selecting the winning and shortlisted poems.
And this year, everyone wins a prize!
Thanks to our partnership with the Rebecca Swift Foundation, everyone who enters will receive a complimentary ticket to an exclusive online poetry webinar, offering inspiration, guidance, and practical writing advice from real life poets.
Key dates
The Happiful Poetry Prize opens on 1 September 2026 and closes at 11.59pm on 30 October 2026.
The winner and shortlisted poets will be contacted with the results by the end of February 2027.
Looking for inspiration?
The best writers are great readers. Head to happiful.com/poetry-prize to read Happiful’s 2026 winning and shortlisted poems, as well as exclusive Q&As with the poets behind them, and practical tips and prompts to get started on your own poem.
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