Founded in 2019, Wales Poetry Award is Poetry Wales‘ flagship competition, which aims to discover the very best international poetry
We have been lucky to partner with Literature Wales to provide our First Award prize of a chance to attend a course at Tŷ Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales
On this page, you can explore previous iterations of the competition, learn about the winners, and find out more about what’s coming next
Click on the image to find out more about each iteration of Wales Poetry Award
Wales Poetry Award 2023
Judged by Denise Saul
Open 02.10.23 – 05.02.24
Wales Poetry Award 2022
Judged by Gwyneth Lewis
Wales Poetry Award 2021
Judged by Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch
Wales Poetry Award 2020
Judged by Pascale Petit
Wales Poetry Award 2019
Judged by Katherine Stansfield
Awarding Ceremony Playlist
Watch recordings of some of our Awarding Ceremonies on our YouTube channel, by clicking below
Past Winners
2022
FIRST AWARD WINNER | Kathryn Bevis, Translations of Grief
SECOND AWARD WINNER | Stephanie Green, Clara the Rhinoceros
THIRD AWARD WINNER | Kit Griffiths, Marshfield
Read all of the Winning and Highly Commended poems:
2021
FIRST AWARD WINNER | David Walrond, Cardiff, Summer 1976
SECOND AWARD WINNER | Tess Biddington, A Father Hanged for Poaching
THIRD AWARD WINNER | Faith MW Buckley, Us
Read all of the Winning and Highly Commended poems:
2020
FIRST AWARD WINNER | Maggie Harris, and the thing is
SECOND AWARD WINNER | Roy McFarlane, The House that Lilith Made
THIRD AWARD WINNER | John Davies, Caliban
Read all of the Winning and Highly Commended poems:
2019
FIRST AWARD WINNER | Leo Temple, TOWARDS A BUCOLICS OF CONTACTLESS: a particular poem
SECOND AWARD WINNER | Elizabeth Porter, Mnemosyne Leaves the Rhondda
THIRD AWARD WINNER | Jan Harris, In Search of John Clare’s Nightingales