TPW Poetry Prize 2026 – Winners, and Judge's Notes

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I'm delighted to share the winning poets of this year's Poetry Prize. I received a record number of entries (double the number received last year) and, as ever, whittling the entries down presents its own challenges, however I'm really pleased with these final poems. You can read them all here. You can find out more about the poets on this page.

TPW Poetry Prize 2026 - Judge's Notes

According to the OED, the word 'poet' derives from the Latin 'poēta' meaning 'writer of verse, poet, playwright, person of great skill (Plautus)'. And what distinguishes this year's entries is this idea of skill, i.e. poets who have worked ordinary language into something more than that through their craft and technique.

WINNER - Vanessa Lampert

Vanessa Lampert is no stranger to a poetry prize rostrum and her poem 'In Which I'm Nice to Timmy' handled lightly a heavy topic and I admired the balance the poem achieved in that sense. Its ending was also strikingly original and, as a whole, the poem, as with the best competition poems, invited me back again and again to read it, as the character of Timmy became clearer, yet more complex. Vanessa Lampert is a worthy winner, and a true 'poēta'.

COMMENDED - Luke Horsey

One of the most rewarding parts of running this poetry prize is discovering new voices, so it was a delight to have unearthed the work of Luke Horsey and, in particular, his fantastically titled 'My mum loves a good portmanteau' which stood out for the freshness of its voice and playfulness with language. We should look forward with excitement to following the work of Luke in the future, particularly as a new voice in Scottish poetry.

COMMENDED – Özge Lena

Özge Lena's 'Carcinization' had energy, ideas and rhythm, and a wonderfully memorable ending. In one of the videos I posted offering tips for entering the prize I suggested that entrants think about the relationship between form and formatting, and I particularly enjoyed how Özge managed this in her poem, with the sideways movements of the stanzas mimicking that of a crab across the sand.

COMMENDED – Victoria Spires

This is the second year Victoria Spires has been commended in the prize which points to the consistency of her skill and sureness of her lyric sensibility, which is in abundant display in her entry this year, entitled 'Notes from the Home Isle'. Derek Mahon wrote that a poem should have 'soul, song, and formal necessity' and this wonderful triumvirate is delivered with aplomb in Victoria's journey poem, as she uncovers the extraordinary in the ordinary, 'a nothing/ that could be the beginning of another life...'

Thank you to everyone who entered this year, and congratulations, one final time, to the winners.