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LEDBURY POETRY

Ledbury Young Poets Competitions

Ledbury Young Poets Competition 2026

In My Imagination…

Ledbury Poetry with Herefordshire Libraries are working together in the annual Ledbury Young Poets Competition giving young poets the opportunity to explore the theme, IN MY IMAGINATION, through poetry.

What’s in your imagination? A rocket to zoom to space? A sky full of candyfloss clouds? A world where everyone is kind? A memory of the perfect day? Whatever you’re imagining, we want to hear it….in a poem! We don’t mind whether the poems are happy or sad, funny or angry, we just want to see you painting incredible pictures with words. Good luck!

Who can enter?

  • Young people aged 18 or under on the closing date can enter.
  • Must be based in the UK.
  • Entries are divided into two categories: Primary School (5-11yrs) and Secondary Schools and Higher Education (12-18yrs). There will be 5 winners in each category.

What’s the deadline?

  • The closing date is Thursday 7 May 2026 at 23:59 BST.

What’s the prize?

  • The top ten poets will be invited to perform their work at Ledbury Poetry Festival on Saturday 4 July 2026.
  • Each winner will be awarded a poetry book.

How to enter:

  • Please enter your poem using the online entry form on this website page
  • You may enter ONE poem only per person
  • Submit your entry as a PDF file attachment only

Please read the entry guidelines below before submitting your poem.

Herefordshire Libraries: This competition is being held in partnership with Herefordshire Libraries. Visit any Herefordshire library for FREE books to give you lots of wonderful ideas! Enjoy free access to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks with your membership too.

Competition Entry Guidelines

If you have any questions or need assistance with the competition entry process please email sabeen.chaudhry@ledburypoetry.org.uk

  1. You may enter ONE poem per person. It is free to enter.
  2. Poems must be received by Thursday 7th May 2026 at 23:59pm BST. Entries will not be accepted after the closing deadline.
  3. All entries must be submitted online through the entry form on the website: https://ledburypoetry.org.uk/home/young-people/ledbury-young-poets/
  4. Please submit your poem as a single PDF file where indicated when completing the entry form.
  5. All poems must be the original work of the entrant.
  6. The length of each poem must not exceed 40 lines (the title is not included in this line limit).
  7. The competition is open to young people aged 5-18 years and based in the UK.
  8. If you are under age 14, your parent or guardian must give permission for you to enter and must fill out the competition form on your behalf.
  9. The competitor’s name must NOT appear in the poem or in the document file name – names must be included on the entry form details only.
  10. Please name your file with the title of your poem.
  11. All entries must be in English, original and must not have been published or have won competitions elsewhere. Copyright remains with the author, but Ledbury Poetry reserves the right to have entries performed at the Festival, on radio, TV, or stage, published on the internet, in an anthology or used for publicity purposes at any stage in the future.
  12. An automated email acknowledgement of the entry will be sent (please check Spam or Junk folders if you don’t see one).
  13. The decision of the judge is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  14. Ledbury Poetry reserves the right to withhold prizes if such an action is justified.
  15. Entries not complying with competition rules will be disqualified.
  16. Winners will be notified before the launch of the Festival in late June and details of the winners’ event will be given out.
  17. Ledbury Poetry is a registered charity – Charity No 1059465

Competition Entry Form

LP Poetry Competition 2026 YP
To begin, please enter your age category above.
Now select the file containing your poem. The file must be a PDF. (See our help on saving your work as a PDF) The file must start with the title of the poem followed by the poem itself.  Do not include your name or any other personal information in this file.

Maximum file size: 1MB

This must match the poem in your file.
Your Name
Your Name
First
Last

If you are under 14 years old we need to know the name of your parent or guardian.  Please enter it here.

Parent/Guardian's name
Parent/Guardian's name
First
Last
Address
Address
Town/City
County
Postcode
Country
Repeat your email address to check for mistakes
If you would like to be kept up to date with news about Ledbury Poetry by email, please select 'Add me to the list'. If you are aged 13 or under your parent/guardian must approve. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking in the Unsubscribe link in any of the Ledbury News emails. Mailchimp will send you an email and you must click on the link in that email to confirm your subscription.