The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering. Under 18’s can also enter but would need adult supervision for the performance if they win. International entries are welcome. 

The closing date of the competition is 12pm (UK time) (23rd April 2024)

There is a limit of one poem per person.

Entries will not be returned.

Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered.

Entries must be emailed to thebookshopbythesea@gmail.com

Please title the email: "POETRY COMPETITION ENTRY - (your name) - (Poem Title)"

The competition organisers reserve the right to change the judging panel without notice and not to award prizes if, in the judges’ opinion, such an action is justified.

The judges read all the entries; their decision is final. Neither the judges nor organisers will enter into any correspondence.

No judge is eligible to enter the Poetry Competition.

Poems must be attached to your email in a separate document, in .rtf, .docx, or .pdf format (or a similar common format - if it is not in one of the above formats and we cannot open it, it will be disqualified)

All entries are judged anonymously and the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself.

All poems must have a title and must not exceed 50 lines in length (excluding title). Entries must be on the theme ‘Wild Nature: Exploring human and natural connections’

Poems must be the entrant’s original work.

Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on a website or made public on social media, broadcast or featured among the winners in another competition before entry.

The top three poems will be asked to perform in the Poetry Showcase.

Prizewinners will be notified by Friday 26th April, and invited to perform at the poetry showcase in Aberystwyth on Sunday 5th May. All winners will be expected to provide a biography and photograph.

The copyright of each poem remains with the author. However, authors of the winning poems, by entering the competition, grant Aberystwyth Poetry Festival the right in perpetuity to publish and/or broadcast their poem. Use of the poems elsewhere for one year from March 2024 is subject to permission from Aberystwyth Poetry Festival.

All three winning entries will receive book vouchers from the Bookshop by the Sea.