Run by Paul McGrane and judged by Lorraine Mariner, this year entries must include a passing reference to weather/whether, writes Madison Yarbrough
The 2025 Waltham Forest Poetry Competition will be accepting applications until 20th October 2025.
Open to UK and international poets, and with youth and adult prizes, organiser Paul McGrane and judge Lorraine Mariner are expecting a huge submission of poems this year.
McGrane told the Echo a little more about what they’re looking for, starting with the theme of “Weather/Whether”.
“They can interpret the theme in any way that they want to and let their imaginations go free.”
So long as a passing reference to weather/whether is included, the poem will be accepted and considered.
More specifically, McGrane said the poem needs to “work”.
“It just needs to be a little bit different, perhaps just needs to be interesting. It could just be that it has a nice metaphor in the poem, or a great idea, or it could just be one line in the poem that particularly stands out, that makes it worthwhile having read the poem.”
Humorous poets who are going for the “Funny Poem” prize might try to especially accommodate their poem to Lorraine’s style.
The funny poem prize was launched in 2018, and is just another aspect of the depth this competition offers.
“We just want to reward somebody for a good sense of humour, and I guess a funny poem is something that if it makes you laugh, you know it’s worked. If it doesn’t make you laugh, it hasn’t worked, so it’s easier to judge in that sense,” poet Lorraine, who works at the National Poetry Library in the Southbank Centre, says.
Last year’s edition saw 1,000 poems from nearly 500 poets who live, work or study in the borough being sent in for consideration.
The adult prize was awarded to Tusshara Nalakumar Srilatha from Walthamstow for her poem: ‘I’m here in my body, and you’re over there in yours’. Tusshara’s poetry explored dynamics of belonging, the malleability of memory, and the interplay of human and non-human life.
For all poets, McGrane suggests avoiding excessive length as well as poetic cliches.
His advice to potential applicants is to: “Enter! Just send the poem in. You never know. Just get your pen out and start the poem and see where it takes you.”
Find out submission guidelines and more information on the Waltham Forest Poetry’s Awards website
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