The Oxford Poetry Prize | How to Submit ($3,500)
The Oxford Poetry Prize 2026 is officially open for entries from 1 May to 31 August 2026. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, the prize awards £3,500 between three poems in English and includes publication in the prestigious Oxford Poetry magazine.
About the Oxford Poetry Prize
Administered by Partus Press Ltd, the Oxford Poetry Prize seeks to celebrate a single outstanding poem each year. The competition is open to poets over the age of 18 and accepts previously unpublished work only. Submissions are blind-judged, so identifying details should not appear in the poem file.
Oxford Poetry will be publishing the winning poem. It has been a platform for some of the most innovative and essential voices in contemporary literature. They will publish second and third place winners in print.
Prize Money:
- 1st Prize: £2,000
- 2nd Prize: £1, o00
- 3rd Prize: £500
Meet the 2026 Judge: Rowan Ricardo Philips
Rowan Ricardo Phillips is the author of Silver and Living Weapon, both published by Faber. He is poetry editor of The New Republic and editor of the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets. He is Presidential and Distinguished Professor of English at Stony Brook University, and lives in New York and Barcelona.
Submission Guidelines for the Oxford Poetry Prize
- Each poem may comprise no more than 60 lines. The rule excludes blank lines, titles, subtitles, dedications, and epigraphs from the line count.
- £10 per poem (no entry limit)
- Submit via Submittable only (PDF format)
- The judges read all submissions blindly.
- Open to poets worldwide
- AI-generated or previously published poems will be disqualified
Writers facing financial hardship may apply for free entry by emailing the editors directly.
Deadline
Submit by midnight UTC on 31 August 2026. They will announce final results by the end of November 2026.
Looking to Polish Your Entry?
- Craft a compelling bio for your cover letter. Here’s how to write a short author’s bio.
- These 10 poets share their philosophies, rejections, and favorite poems.
