Poetry Competition

In 2026 we are holding a Poetry Competition to celebrate the Festival’s rich literary heritage, inspired by one of its founders, George Mackay Brown. Ten poems will be selected and published in a celebratory pamphlet, and will also be featured as readings on the Festival website as part of our online programme. The theme of this year’s Festival is AIR – the air we breathe, the wind, and the oxygen of life.

Poets are invited to submit original works of up to 42 lines (no minimum) addressing the Festival theme. Entries can be in any style or form. Each poet may submit up to three poems. Submissions should be typed, single-spaced (except between stanzas), in Arial 12–14pt font, and saved as a single PDF. The line count should appear at the top of the first page, and pages should be numbered if the poem extends beyond one page. File names should be the title of the poem (or first line if untitled), without the poet’s name. Copyright remains with the author, but the Festival reserves the right to publish the winning poems in 2026 Festival materials.

The competition is open to writers aged 16 and over, based in the UK (including the Channel Islands), writing in English or Scots. Entries must be entirely original, unpublished, and not have won any other competition. Work created, enhanced, or edited by AI tools is ineligible; AI may only be used for basic spelling and grammar checks.

Completed entries, accompanied by a £5 entry fee, must be submitted by 5pm (UK time) on 16 April 2026 via this link. The judging panel consists of renowned poets John Gallas and Gerda Stevenson. A shortlist of poem titles will be announced on the Festival website and social media on 22 May 2026, with the winning poets revealed shortly after. All entries are judged anonymously, and the judges’ decision is final.

Please see full competition details below.