We welcome submissions from poets and lyricists who want their work to be part of a new sound archive celebrating Newham’s creative voices.
Key dates
• Submission deadline: 31 January 2026
• Creative workshops (to help you with your entry): Saturday 24 January 2026
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/newham-poetry-prize-109430320431
Please note you DO NOT have to attend the workshops to submit though its strongly advised
Eligibility
• Aged
18 or over
• Must
live, work, or study in Newham
What You Can Submit
• Up to
2 poems or lyric pieces
• Original work only
• Any style or form (spoken word, page poetry, rap, song lyrics, experimental)
• Each piece should be no longer than
5 minutes when performed
• You MUST submit both WRITTEN WORDS & AUDIO
• No swearing, racist, homophobic or excessively violent pieces
File Formats
• Written submissions:
PDF or Word document
• Audio recordings: Can be created as a voice note or
MP3 or WAV (with words spoken - some singing/melody is allowed but NO MUSIC)
• Please clearly label files with your name and title of the piece, e.g., SusieFreeman_ABrandNewDay
Selection Process
• Submissions will be reviewed by Newham Poetry Prize creative team any work not following the rules above will not be considered
• Selected works will be set to original music as part of the BASS archive
• Contributors will be credited and contacted about next steps
• We are a tiny dedicated team and will only contact the winners directly in early February and announce on
https://www.instagram.com/newhampoetryprize/
Deadline
31 January 2026 (11:59pm GMT)