VERVE Poetry and Spoken Word Festival hosts an annual Poetry Festival in Birmingham, Online Poetry Workshop series, and Poetry Book Shop. VERVE FESTIVAL of POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Join our mailing list. Subscribe Now Thanks for submitting! 'VERVE Poetry Festival Stands at the beating heart of all that is poetry, and all that might be. Bibrant, alive, provactive and curious - we need more festivals like this.' - VERVE Patron Joelle Taylor T. S. Eliot Prize-winning poet, former UK Slam Champion, and founder of SLAMbassadors, whose work has electrified international stages and earned her a fellowship of The Royal Society of Literature ABOUT Not just an annual 5 day poetry festival! We also host monthly open mic nights, quarterly featured poetry, a year long Poetry Collective for new writers, and a sell out workshop series featuring established poets all year long. CONTACT VERVE VERVE has cultivated a reputation for its dynamic and celebratory approach to programming poetry of every kind, whether it be raucous spoken word events, quiet poetry readings, studious workshops, immersive poetry, collaborative projects, or open mic. LOCATION BIRMINGHAM @ THE HIVE / THE HIPPODROME / GLEE CLUB / CHERRY REDS / ONLINE MISSION & HISTORY INFO 'Being at the Verve Poetry Festival feels like an instant buzz of energy. It comes from every direction: the vibrant diversity of the audiences, the imaginative programming, the connection with other poets at every stage in their careers. It is the poetry festival that Birmingham richly deserves'. - VERVE Patron Imtiaz Dharker Multi-award-winning poet, artist and filmmaker, recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, former Chancellor of Newcastle University, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, whose work has been studied on the UK national curriculum. OUR PATRONS Joelle Taylor is the author of five collections of poetry. Her collection C+NTO & Othered Poems won the 2021 T.S Eliot Prize, and the 2022 Polari Book Prize for LGBT authors. This was followed up in November 2025 by Maryville (Bloomsbury) which continues the story started in C+NTO . Her novel of inter-connecting stories The Night Alphabet was published by Riverrun in Spring of 2024. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has appeared at VERVE four times including our very first festival in 2017. Imtiaz Dharker is a Pakistani-born British poet, artist, and video film maker. She won the Queen's Gold Medal for her English poetry and was appointed Chancellor of Newcastle University from January 2020. She is a prescribed poet on the British AQA GCSE English syllabus and her most recent collection is Shadow Reader (Bloodaxe, 2024). She received the Cholmondeley Award, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Imtiaz has appeared at VERVE three times including a career review interview event with Poetry Unbound in 2024. Daljit Nagra is a poet, professor of poetry, presenter of a weekly poetry programme on Radio, former Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, and Lead Advisor to Poetry By Heart. He has won The Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem and Best First Book, the South Bank Show Decibel Award and Cholmondeley Award. His next collection, Yiewsley , is published with Faber in May 2026. Daljit has appeared at VERVE three times including our popular zoom workshop series and was the first poet to read at our very first festival in 2017. Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio, and experimental non-fiction. She has an MFA in Theatre Practice and a PhD on poetry in performance from Stirling University. She is currently a Leverhulme Early Career fellow at Queen Mary University, London. Her most recent work is the performative non-fiction book My Child, the Algorithm (Footnote, 2023). Hannah has appeared at VERVE three times, including the first festival in 2017 and always completely memorably. 'VERVE has hand-crafted community, aspiration and pride in the Birmingham poetry and spoken word scene out of pure passion, quirk and creative ideas over the past almost-decade. VERVE is a central reason why Birmingham is seen as a centre and beacon for poetry and development.' - Jazmine Gardosi Jasmine Gardosi is a previous Birmingham Poet Laureate, a BBC Words First finalist, and the 2021 UK Slam Champion, known for her electrifying performances blending poetry, beatboxing, and gender identity. OUR PARTNERS STAY IN THE LOOP SUBSCRIBE Join our mailing list. Get early ticket access. Subscribe Now Thanks for submitting! CONTACT VERVE

he VERVE Poetry Festival 2025 is excited to announce its call for submissions! This year, we invite poets of all backgrounds and styles to submit their most compelling work for a chance to be featured in our festival. COMPETITION OPENS: AUGUST 15th DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: OCTOBER 15th Can you write our Poem of the Festival? COMP THEME: 'LOVE' This year’s theme, "LOVE," celebrates love in all its forms and poems in all their forms too! All love, any love. Love like you mean it. Messy, radical, platonic, self, destructive, chaotic, gooey, sustaining LOVE. There are SO many ways to love. What is your way? How are you held? How do you want to be held? Do the Love Poems that have gone before work now? What is special about your love? What is ordinary about it? How will the form you create relate to the form of love you address? Whether your style is traditional or experimental, we welcome your unique perspective on LOVE and all who sail in her! ANNOUNCING OUR ANNUAL POEM OF THE FESTIVAL with judge Victoria Kennefick BUY 1 ENTRY for £6 BUY 3 ENTRIES for £14 BUY 5 ENTRIES for £20 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE VICTORIA KENNEFICK VERVE Poetry Festival 2026 Judge Victoria Kennefick’s second collection Egg/Shell (Carcanet Press, 2024) is a Poetry Book Society Choice for Spring 2024. Her debut collection, Eat or We Both Starve (Carcanet Press, 2021), won the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize and the Dalkey Book Festival Emerging Writer of the Year Award. It was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Costa Poetry Book Award, the Derek Walcott Poetry Prize and the Butler Literary Prize. She has been appointed Cork County Council Writer-in-Residence 2024. www.victoriakennefick.com VICTORIA SAYS: 'I am so honoured and excited to be the judge of this year's VERVE Poetry competition. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to read the work of poets writing right now. I appreciate that those who submit are trusting me with their precious words so I take this responsibility very seriously. My judging process is an instinctual one in that I read each poem carefully and invite it to accompany me as I move through my day - drinking coffee, taking a walk or brushing my teeth. The poems that I remember, that surprise, shock, confront, move or soothe me are often those I shortlist - their energy lingers, reframing something for me in terms of theme, language, form or point of view. I've come to realise that the more the poet's unique perspective is present in the poem, the more unforgettable it is. So, I encourage the poets who enter the VERVE poetry competition to get weird and get real - to allow their idiosyncratic selves to find a space and a place on the page. Take risks! Be brave! I can't wait to read what you come up with.' COMPETITION OPENS: DECEMBER 1st DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: JANUARY 20th CATEGORIES: ADULTS / YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11-17 ENTRY FEE: ADULTS ONLY First poem £6, 3 for £14, or 5 for £19 BUY 1 ENTRY for £6 BUY 3 ENTRIES for £14 BUY 5 ENTRIES for £20 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE WHY PARTICIPATE? CASH PRIZES (ADULTS ONLY) First Prize of £500, second £250, third £100. It's not just about recognition; you'll have the chance to fund your next creative project! The winning poem becomes our Poem of the Festival! PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY Selected poems will be published in our competition anthology, allowing your words to reach an even broader readership. Includes prize-winners, 21 commended poems and 10 selected 11-17 yearold poets. READ YOUR POEM AT THE FESTIVAL ALL poets featured in our anthology will be invited to attend the festival and read their poem at an event hosted by judge Victoria Kennefick at our festival and given a FREE Sunday Pass to attend the other events on the day. (Unfortunately we aren't able to pay your travel to get to the festival). WORKSHOP (11-17 Year-olds Only) Free ticket to a professional workshop via zoom. RECOGNITION Get your work in front of an esteemed poet and wider audience. Our judges are experienced poets and literary professionals who are eager to discover fresh voices CONNECTION Connect with fellow poets and poetry lovers through our vibrant poetry community. Share ideas, collaborate, and immerse yourself in the world of verse. COMPETITION RULES The deadline for entry is midnight on 20th JANUARY 2026. Winners Announced February 28th! Poems must be no more than 80 lines long excluding title, and be typed on A4 paper, either as a Word doc or PDF. For multiple entries, please send each in a separate document. Entries much not contain the poet's name either within the document or as a title. Please label your document with the title of the poem only. The adult competition is open to those aged 16+. The FREE to enter Young Person's comp is for 11-17 yearolds. Poems must be majority in English, unpublished and your original work/s. ALL poems will be read and judged anonymously by our 2026 Judge Victoria Kennefick. Poems cannot be altered after submission. The judge’s decisions are final. No person may win more than one prize. The copyright of each poem remains with the author, although the organisers have the right to publish winning and commended poems on our website, on online social media and in our competition anthology. There are three cash prizes: £500 for first place, £250 for second place and £100 for third place, for the adult competition only. The prize for ten selected 11-17 poets is to attend a FREE zoom poetry workshop at a date to be agreed after the festival. All winning, commended and selected 11-17 poems will feature in our competition anthology and poets will be invited to attend our Sunday festival (free Sunday event ticket provided) to read their poem at our Competition Event hosted by Victoria herself. (We cannot pay for your travel to the festival or provide accommodation for this) BUY 1 ENTRY for £6 BUY 3 ENTRIES for £14 BUY 5 ENTRIES for £20 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE

Founded in a poetry book shop as an idea in 2017, now a leading diverse, affordable poetry spoken word festival in Birmingham dedicated to poets and poetry lovers of all genres. INTRODUCING OUR TEAM WHO ARE THE PEOPLE BEHIND VERVE AND WHAT TO THEY DO? FOUNDER/ DIRECTOR STUART BARTHOLOMEW As well as heading up VERVE, Stuart is also Publisher at and Co-Founder of VERVE Poetry Press – an independent press that focusses on publishing poets from Birmingham and the wider UK and has thirty years experience as a bookseller and manager at Waterstones. His programming and publishing vision is to celebrate the full breadth of quality poetic activity – whatever the style or source – in colourful and exciting ways. ADVISORY BOARD SABEEN CHAUDHURY Sabeen Chaudhry is a poet, lecturer, and producer at Ledbury Poetry. Rimming the Event Horizon (The 87 Press) is her first collection, poems from which have been longlisted for the Ivan Juritz Prize and highly commended in the Forward Prizes. ADVISORY BOARD SHANTEL EDWARDS Shantel Edwards works for Writing West Midlands, programming the Birmingham Literature Festival which takes place in October each year. She is a proud Brummie and is passionate about platforming voices, and stories, from the region. ADVISORY BOARD SUZANNAH EVANS As well as heading up VERVE, Stuart is also Publisher at and Co-Founder of VERVE Poetry Press – an independent press that focusses on publishing poets from Birmingham and the wider UK and has thirty years experience as a bookseller and manager at Waterstones. His programming and publishing vision is to celebrate the full breadth of quality poetic activity – whatever the style or source – in colourful and exciting ways. Hayley Frances is a poet, creative practitioner, and therapeutic arts facilitator based in the West Midlands. Her work moves between poetry, creative non-fiction, and community practice, exploring grief, ecology, kinship, and the social conditions shaping contemporary life. She is the author of Administer the Laughing Gas (Verve Poetry Press, 2024), a debut collection rooted in birth trauma, loss and survival. CO-DIRECTOR/ MARKETING HAYLEY FRANCES CO-DIRECTOR /FUNDING RICK SANDERS Rick Sanders, aka Willis the Poet, is an established comedy stand-up poet based in the mighty West Midlands. He is a regular headliner and featured poet on the flourishing spoken word scene across the UK, his sticky sausage-fingers in as many pies as he can. ADVISORY BOARD JANE TREGLOWN Jane Treglown's chosen career with Waterstones has encouraged her love of books and allowed her to be part of a community of book lovers for over 25 years. She has managed bookshops of all sizes and enjoys building and training a team; plus curating a book offer bespoke to each town. She has the operational and financial skills that come with running successful bookshops. OUR PATRONS Joelle Taylor is the author of five collections of poetry. Her collection C+NTO & Othered Poems won the 2021 T.S Eliot Prize, and the 2022 Polari Book Prize for LGBT authors. This was followed up in November 2025 by Maryville (Bloomsbury) which continues the story started in C+NTO . Her novel of inter-connecting stories The Night Alphabet was published by Riverrun in Spring of 2024. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has appeared at VERVE four times including our very first festival in 2017. Imtiaz Dharker is a Pakistani-born British poet, artist, and video film maker. She won the Queen's Gold Medal for her English poetry and was appointed Chancellor of Newcastle University from January 2020. She is a prescribed poet on the British AQA GCSE English syllabus and her most recent collection is Shadow Reader (Bloodaxe, 2024). She received the Cholmondeley Award, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Imtiaz has appeared at VERVE three times including a career review interview event with Poetry Unbound in 2024. Daljit Nagra is a poet, professor of poetry, presenter of a weekly poetry programme on Radio, former Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, and Lead Advisor to Poetry By Heart. He has won The Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem and Best First Book, the South Bank Show Decibel Award and Cholmondeley Award. His next collection, Yiewsley , is published with Faber in May 2026. Daljit has appeared at VERVE three times including our popular zoom workshop series and was the first poet to read at our very first festival in 2017. Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio, and experimental non-fiction. She has an MFA in Theatre Practice and a PhD on poetry in performance from Stirling University. She is currently a Leverhulme Early Career fellow at Queen Mary University, London. Her most recent work is the performative non-fiction book My Child, the Algorithm (Footnote, 2023). Hannah has appeared at VERVE three times, including the first festival in 2017 and always completely memorably. OUR PARTNERS

INTRODUCING our VERVE for LIFE Membership WE ARE OFFERING FOR THE FIRST TIME A LIMITED NUMBER OF PAID MEMBERSHIPS ALLOWING VERVE SUPPORTERS TO BECOME MEMBERS FOR LIFE AND RECEIVE A WHOLE HOST OF BENEFITS. YOU BELONG HERE WE ARE OFFERING FOR THE FIRST TIME A LIMITED NUMBER OF PAID MEMBERSHIPS ALLOWING VERVE SUPPORTERS TO BECOME MEMBERS FOR LIFE AND RECEIVE A WHOLE HOST OF BENEFITS . COULD YOU BECOME A VALUED MEMBER OF VERVE FOR LIFE? 'Being at the Verve Poetry Festival feels like an instant buzz of energy. It comes from every direction: the vibrant diversity of the audiences, the imaginative programming, the connection with other poets at every stage in their careers. It is the poetry festival that Birmingham richly deserves'. - VERVE Patron Imtiaz Dharker Multi-award-winning poet, artist and filmmaker, recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, former Chancellor of Newcastle University, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, whose work has been studied on the UK national curriculum. JOIN NOW VERVE FOR LIFE allows a STRICTLY LIMITED number of people to purchase a LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP for a ONE OFF payment of £100. ONCE THEY ARE GONE THEY'RE GONE PAY FOR YOUR LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP This payment secures one membership of VERVE For Life After completing your payment, please fill out the form below This membership is limited to the first 100 applicants only. Thank you so much for deciding to be part of VERVE! VERVE FOR LIFE £100 OR READ ON FOR MORE INFO... WHAT's THE DEAL? Membership costs a one off payment of £100 and is FOR LIFE Members qualify for 10% OFF across all VERVE Poetry Activity FOR LIFE Includes 10% off VERVE Poetry Festival event tickets (in-person and online) and any other paid events we put on. 10% off Workshops including those delivered at the festival as well as our zoom workshop series. 10% off Competition Entrie s, including our annual Poem of the Festival competition and our (most) monthly Poem of the Month competitions 10% off Books from our physical bookshop at the festival or our year round website bookshop at vervepoetrybookshop.com OTHER PERKS INCLUDE a one week head-start to purchase unlimited tickets for our festival and workshops. Other special offers and exclusives on a regular basis. Twice years zoom members' meeting - ask us anything, get your views heard. AND probably best of all, you will get a numbered membership card and an exclusive metal VERVE pin-badge! WHAT's THE TIMELINE? Memberships will open for purchase on 1st December 2025 . Memberships will be strictly limited to 100 members They will remain open until that number has been reached and then they will close. Once closed, this offer will not be repeated in this form. Any future new membership activity is either likely to involve a smaller annual subscription or a more expensive one off fee. WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? During these volatile times in the arts, we will use any money raised from this activity to strengthen our organisation and put us on a more sustainable footing. It will also enable us to continue funding our FREE community poetry projects . Open Door community poetry open mic. Free children's & young people's events at our annual festival The VERVE Collective. Providing paid opportunities for emerging poets and support for works in progress. 'VERVE Poetry Festival Stands at the beating heart of all that is poetry, and all that might be. Bibrant, alive, provactive and curious - we need more festivals like this.' - VERVE Patron Joelle Taylor Joelle Taylor is the T. S. Eliot Prize-winning poet, former UK Slam Champion, and founder of SLAMbassadors, whose work has electrified international stages and earned her an MBE for services to poetry. JOIN NOW PAY FOR YOUR LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP This payment secures one membership of VERVE For Life After completing your payment, please fill out the form below This membership is limited to the first 100 applicants only. Thank you so much for deciding to be part of VERVE! VERVE FOR LIFE £100 VERVE FOR LIFE MEMBERSHIP FORM First name(Required) Last name(Required) Email(Required) Receipt ID of PayPal Transaction(Required) Multi-line address Country/Region(Required) Address(Required) City(Required) Zip / Postal code(Required) Anything else you’d like us to know? Tick this box if you would NOT like to appear as a member on our website. Tick this box if you would NOT like to join our mailing list. Submit Remember: YOU BELONG HERE. We are nothing without you. We know you want to see, hear, read, write and learn more about exceptional POETRY. We know you seek community that is welcoming, caring, celebratory and supportive and that centres around POETRY. We know that you value ease and affordability of participation for all, including the young and marginalised. JOIN US AND BECOMING AN EVEN BIGGER PART OF THE VERVE PROJECT!! ___________________________________________________________________________

Submissions open every 1st – 20th of each month | £3 per poem | £6 for three | £100 for poem of the month | Optional monthly theme (follow it or break the rules — we love a rebel) | Judged by Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) and Hayley Frances (VERVE Co-Director) | Submit your poems via our Website Form & pay securely through PayPal | This is your invitation. This is your space. YOU BELONG HERE. Enter now and let your words take center stage! BUY 1 £3 ENTRY BUY 3 ENTRIES for £6 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE Poem of the Month A monthly poetry competition for the bold, the beautiful, the bizarre, and the brilliant! £100 prize for the winning poem £3 per poem, £6 for three (see where the money goes below) Max 3 poems per person per month OPTIONAL monthly theme (follow it or completely rebel against it – we respect chaos) Judge: Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) Assistant Judge: Hayley Frances (Co-Director) AI-Generated Poems? Get outta here WHAT's THE DEAL? WHAT's THE TIMELINE? 1st of each month: Submissions open 20th of each month: Submissions close. (No, we will not read late poems. We are poets, not wizards.) End of Month: Winner announced + winning poem featured on our website, socials and sent out to *thousands* of poets, publishers, other poetry industry people and, dare-we-say it normal people subscribed to VERVE. WHAT's THE VIBE *RULES ? Poetry doesn’t have to be serious. It doesn’t have to be traditional. It doesn’t even have to make sense. It can also be everyone of these things. We haven't got all the time in the world, so - as standard - for the purpose of ensuring we are able to read everything that comes through to us; 40 Lines is the MAX we can accept for poems. Every poem needs to be saved and uploaded as PDF or doc.x file. No names on poems. Come as you are. Write what you want. Make it POETRY! Submissions open November1st. Submissions close November 20th. Spread the word. Tag a poet. Tell a friend. Start a movement. WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? This incentive is not money making for us. It's not about making a profit or taking the limited funds poets / writers / artists make. Submission money is split between paying the winner of POEM OF THE MONTH and funding our FREE community poetry projects . Open Door community poetry open mic. The Collective. Poetry Mentorship. Free children's & young people's events at our annual festival. HOW TO SUBMIT OPTIONAL NOVEMBER THEME EAT Sensory feasts, edible metaphors, food as culture, or just writing about FOOD for the love or fun of it. 1 ENTRY TO VERVE POEM OF THE MONTH This payment secures one entry to November's Poem of the Month. After completing your payment, please use the VERVE POTM SUBMISSION FORM AVAILABLE HERE : www.vervepoetryfestival.com/potm-submission-form Thank you so much. We can't wait to read your poem. BUY 1 £3 ENTRY 3 ENTRIES TO VERVE POEM OF THE MONTH This payment secures THREE entry to September's Poem of the Month. After completing your payment, please use the V ERVE POTM SUBMISSION FORM AVAILABLE HERE : www.vervepoetryfestival.com/potm-submission-form Thank you so much. We can't wait to read your poems. BUY 3 ENTRIES for £6 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE

VERVE POEM OF THE FESTIVAL SUBMISSION FORM First name(Required) Last name(Required) Email(Required) Which category?(Required) Adult Competition (Pay to enter) 11-17 Category (Free to enter) Receipt ID of PayPal Transaction, or Submission Password from Substack subscription (one entry only). 11-17 Category entries, please write FREE.(Required) If you attended the current months Writers Hour or are a paid Subscriber to our Subsack, you receive 1 free submission to the competition. New passwords will have been shared with participants and subscribers. How Many Poems(Required) 1 Poem 3 Poems 5 Poems Poem Upload(Required) Upload Poems I confirm this is my original work and not generated by AI. (Required) Anything else you’d like us to know? Tick this box if you would NOT like to join our mailing list. Submit

VERVE POEM OF THE MONTH SUBMISSION FORM We've got your poem! Thank you for submitting. Take care, VERVE First name(Required) Last name(Required) Email(Required) Phone Receipt ID of PayPal Transaction, or Submission Password from Substack subscription or Writers Hour Attendance.(Required) If you attended the current months Writers Hour or are a paid Subscriber to our Subsack, you receive 1 free submission to POTM every month. Passwords change and are shared every month with participants and subscribers. How Many Poems(Required) 1 Poem 2 Poems 3 Poems Poem Upload(Required) Upload Poems I confirm this is my original work and not generated by AI. (Required) Anything else you’d like us to know? Tick this box if you would NOT like to join our mailing list. Submit

Submissions open every 1st – 20th of each month | £3 per poem | £5 for three | £100 for poem of the month | Optional monthly theme (follow it or break the rules — we love a rebel) | Judged by Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) and Hayley Frances (VERVE Co-Director) | Submit your poems via our Website Form & pay securely through PayPal | This is your invitation. This is your space. YOU BELONG HERE. Enter now and let your words take center stage! PLEASE NOTE : Our POTM is pausing for December and January (back Feb 26) to allow for our annual Poem of the Festival competition with special guest judge Victoria Kennefick! Top prize of £500, best 34 poems published in an anthology and opportunity to read at our next festival! See more HERE OPEN (almost) EVERY MONTH (1st - 20th) WITH A DIFFERENT THEME EACH TIME OPTIONAL THEME FOR FEBRUARY 2026 - 'Speak Now...' (Opens 1st FEB) VERVE’s Poem of the Month YOU BELONG HERE or maybe you don’t? Maybe you don’t care? Maybe you write poems that spit in the face of belonging? Either way, we wanna read ‘em! A monthly poetry competition for the bold, the beautiful, the bizarre, and the brilliant! £100 prize for the winning poem £3 per poem, £6 for three (see where the money goes below) Max 3 poems per person per month OPTIONAL monthly theme (follow it or completely rebel against it – we respect chaos) Judge: Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) Assistant Judges: Hayley Frances (Co-Director) & Collective Members AI-Generated Poems? Get outta here WHAT's THE DEAL? WHAT's THE TIMELINE? 1st of each month: Submissions open 20th of each month: Submissions close. (No, we can't read late poems. We are poets, not wizards.) 31st of Month: Winner announced + winning poem featured on our website, socials and sent out to *thousands* of poets, publishers, other poetry industry people and, dare-we-say it normal people subscribed to VERVE. WHAT's THE VIBE? Poetry doesn’t have to be serious. It doesn’t have to be traditional. It doesn’t even have to make sense. Come as you are. Write what you want. Make it POETRY! Stick to the rules. Change the rules. Ignore the rules. Break things. Make things. Submissions open1st of the month. Spread the word. Tag a poet. Tell a friend. Start a movement. WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? This incentive is not money making for us. It's not about making a profit or taking the limited funds poets / writers / artists make. Submission money is split between paying the winner of POEM OF THE MONTH and funding our FREE community poetry projects . Open Door community poetry open mic. The Collective. Poetry Mentorship. Free children's & young people's events at our annual festival. EVERY THEME FOR THE COMING YEAR Our overarching theme is YOU ARE WELCOME HERE. We've mapped out the sub-themes for each month below. Each theme encourages bold, boundary-pushing interpretations while still making room for deep, personal, and experimental writing. Use the theme's as prompts or, revolt. You have a choice! MONTH THEME WHAT COULD IT MEAN (or ignore this bit) April "Everything Is Weird & That’s OK" Celebrate chaos, embrace oddness, write like a confused fever dream. May "Touch Grass" Nature, bodies, the digital vs. the real, actual grass-touching OR complete indoor goblin rebellion. June "Loud & Unapologetic" Big energy, queer joy, protest poetry, or being quietly defiant in a loud world. July "Somewhere Only We Know" Secret places, nostalgia, hidden worlds, or something that makes absolutely no sense to anyone but you. August "Chaos Feels Like Home" Found families, unmade beds, loving the messiness of life (or being obsessed with order). September "Letters They’ll Never Read" Missed connections, rage texts, whispered confessions, or petty emails. October "Ghosted (By Life, Love, or Capitalism)" Actual ghosts, existential hauntings, abandoned shopping trolleys, or eerie voicemail poetry. November "Eat The Poem" Sensory feasts, edible metaphors, food as culture, or just writing about soup for no reason. December POET of the FESTIVAL Competition - 'LOVE' Judge: Victoria Kennefick Love like you mean it. Messy, radical, platonic, self, chaotic love—or writing about anything but love January (2026) POET of the FESTIVAL Competition - 'LOVE' Judge: Victoria Kennefick Love like you mean it. Messy, radical, platonic, self, chaotic love—or writing about anything but love Feb (2026) "Speak Now or Forever Regret It" Confessions, brutal honesty, alternative timelines, or writing in complete silence. Mar (2026) "Rewind / Remind / Reshape" Second chances, time travel, rewriting the past, or refusing to reflect at all.. April (2026) CELEBRATING INCLUSIVE, EXPERIMENTAL & DIVERSE POETRY. OUR PARTNERS

The winning November poem for VERVE Poetry Festivals monthly poetry competition, Poem of the Month. Naoise Gale Bulimia as Viral Sensation Thin is in again, product of a twenty-year trend cycle and I must be getting old or sick because, nostalgia, that suspicious pop-up, turns the forums nobler, edgier, in my memory than what followed. Sick or old, I remember early-internet days of blog post and frenzy: the supermarket’s aisles gleamed to porcelain; desire persistent as a knife tugging at meat. I remember scrolling the buffets of bulimics — bursting fondant, cheese pull so erotic — years of hungry photographs and later the sticky-lipped Mukbangs of wet chew and cut before swallow, the obvious chew-and-spit of it, dribbling orgasms of bloodshot edits, viewers pausing their hunger with sensory distraction. Profitable bulimia; self-funding bulimia – and the unspoken change as they flipped to restriction: fat oozing cream-cakes; golden spills of butter; violent-pink lobster claws replaced with sugar-free jelly slurped up like molluscs. And of course everything delicious- best-ever-got-to-try-it, licking salt from frosted lips as they groaned like pornographic mattresses. Meanwhile, viewers in the pulsing dark of their rooms, alone, hunger lodged in their throats like fishbones. SHORTLIST the rules of the marshmallow experiment Julie Runacres indigestion Liam Bates Raised on the tail-end of heroin chic Abbie Day Cut Scenes Suyin Du Bois Everything Ice Cream Liz Lefroy READ ALL SHORTLISTED ON OUR SUBSTACK

VERVE Poetry Festival is excited to announce its Poem of the Festival competition judged by Victoria Kennefick! We invite poets of all backgrounds and styles to submit their most compelling work for a chance to win prizes and be featured in our festival. COMPETITION OPENS: DECEMBER 1st DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: JANUARY 20th Can you write our Poem of the Festival for 2026? COMPETITION THEME: 'LOVE' This year’s theme, "LOVE," celebrates love in all its forms and poems in all their forms too! All love, any love. Love like you mean it. Messy, radical, platonic, self, destructive, chaotic, gooey, sustaining LOVE. There are SO many ways to love. What is your way? How are you held? How do you want to be held? Do the Love Poems that have gone before work now? What is special about your love? What is ordinary about it? How will the form you create relate to the form of love you address? Whether your style is traditional or experimental, we welcome your unique perspective on LOVE and all who sail in her! ANNOUNCING OUR ANNUAL POEM OF THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION: with judge Victoria Kennefick VICTORIA KENNEFICK VERVE Poetry Festival 2026 Judge Victoria Kennefick’s second collection Egg/Shell (Carcanet Press, 2024) is a Poetry Book Society Choice for Spring 2024. Her debut collection, Eat or We Both Starve (Carcanet Press, 2021), won the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize and the Dalkey Book Festival Emerging Writer of the Year Award. It was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Costa Poetry Book Award, the Derek Walcott Poetry Prize and the Butler Literary Prize. She has been appointed Cork County Council Writer-in-Residence 2024. www.victoriakennefick.com COMPETITION OPENS: DECEMBER 1st DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: JANUARY 20th CATEGORIES: ADULTS / YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11-17 ENTRY FEE: ADULTS ONLY. First poem £6, 3 for £14, or 5 for £19 SUBMIT HERE (RULES BELOW) BUY 1 £6 ENTRY BUY 3 ENTRIES for £14 BUY 5 ENTRIES for £20 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE WHY PARTICIPATE? CASH PRIZES (ADULTS ONLY) First Prize of £500, second £250, third £100. It's not just about recognition; you'll have the chance to fund your next creative project! The winning poem becomes our Poem of the Festival! PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY Selected poems will be published in our competition anthology, allowing your words to reach an even broader readership. Includes prize-winners, 21 commended poems and 10 selected 11-17 yearold poets. READ YOUR POEM AT THE FESTIVAL ALL poets featured in our anthology will be invited to attend the festival and read their poem at an event hosted by judge Victoria Kennefick at our festival and given a FREE Sunday Pass to attend the other events on the day. (Unfortunately we aren't able to pay your travel to get to the festival). WORKSHOP (11-17 Year-olds Only) Free ticket to a professional workshop via zoom. RECOGNITION Get your work in front of an esteemed poet and wider audience. Our judges are experienced poets and literary professionals who are eager to discover fresh voices CONNECTION Connect with fellow poets and poetry lovers through our vibrant poetry community. Share ideas, collaborate, and immerse yourself in the world of verse. WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR POEMS! Competition Rules The deadline for entry is midnight on 20th JANUARY 2026. Winners Announced February 28th! Poems must be no more than 80 lines long excluding title, and be typed on A4 paper, either as a Word doc or PDF. For multiple entries, please send each in a separate document . Entries much not contain the poet's name either within the document or as a title. Please label your document with the title of the poem only . The adult competition is open to those aged 16+. The FREE to enter Young Person's comp is for 11-17 yearolds. Poems must be majority in English, unpublished and your original work/s. ALL poems will be read and judged anonymously by our 2026 Judge Victoria Kennefick. Poems cannot be altered after submission. The judge’s decisions are final. No person may win more than one prize. The copyright of each poem remains with the author, although the organisers have the right to publish winning and commended poems on our website, on online social media and in our competition anthology. There are three cash prizes: £500 for first place, £250 for second place and £100 for third place, for the adult competition only. The prize for ten selected 11-17 poets is to attend a FREE zoom poetry workshop at a date to be agreed after the festival. All winning, commended and selected 11-17 poems will feature in our competition anthology and poets will be invited to attend our Sunday festival (free Sunday event ticket provided) to read their poem at our Competition Event hosted by Victoria herself. (We cannot pay for your travel to the festival or provide accommodation for this) ↓ SUBMIT LOVE POEMS HERE ↓ 1 ENTRY TO VERVE POEM OF THE FESTIVAL This payment secures one entry to this year's Poem of the Festival competition judged by Victoria Kennefick. After completing your payment, please use the VERVE POTF SUBMISSION FORM AVAILABLE HERE : www.vervepoetryfestival.com/poem-of-the-festival-submit Victoria Kennefick will read all entered poems. We can't wait to see them! BUY 1 £6 ENTRY 3 ENTRIES TO VERVE POEM OF THE FESTIVAL This payment secures THREE entries to this year's Poem of the Festival competition judged by Victoria Kennefick. After completing your payment, please use the VERVE POTF SUBMISSION FORM AVAILABLE HERE : www.vervepoetryfestival.com/poem-of-the-festival-submit Victoria Kennefick will read all entered poems. We can't wait to see them! BUY 3 ENTRIES for £14 5 ENTRIES TO VERVE POEM OF THE FESTIVAL This payment secures FIVE entries to this year's Poem of the Festival competition judged by Victoria Kennefick.. After completing your payment, please use the VERVE POTF SUBMISSION FORM AVAILABLE HERE : www.vervepoetryfestival.com/poem-of-the-festival-submit Victoria Kennefick will read all entered poems. We can't wait to see them! BUY 5 ENTRIES for £20 Once you've paid for your poem/'s, submit them here... (this link is also available in the menu, in your inbox and post payment) SUBMIT YOUR POEMS HERE

THANKYOU! YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS CONFIRMED We are SO happy to welcome you as a VERVE member FOR LIFE! Your welcome email will follow shortly and will give you full details on how to claim your discount on all VERVE items going forwards. Your membership card and pin-badge will arrive in the post in the next few days. It's LOVELY to have you as part of our poetry communtiy. Take care! VERVE x WRITE, CONNECT and GROW in our POETRY WORKSHOPS JOIN OUR SUBSTACK COMMUNITY DISCOVER BOLD, BRILLIANT POETRY IN OUR BOOKSHOP

WE'VE GOT YOUR POEM/'S Thank you for sending us your poems! Victoria Kennefick will read all poems once the competition has closed on the 20th January 2026. If you are placed, commended or otherwise selected, we will contact you before the end of February 2026. Take care! VERVE x WRITE, CONNECT and GROW in our POETRY WORKSHOPS JOIN OUR SUBSTACK COMMUNITY DISCOVER BOLD, BRILLIANT POETRY IN OUR BOOKSHOP