The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem.

ABOUT THE PRIZE

The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem. The prize is open to anyone (over 16) as long as the poem is previously unpublished, and each year it attracts thousands of entries from new and established poets from over 50 countries worldwide.

The prize is judged anonymously by a single poet. The judge only learns who the shortlisted poets are following the selection of the winning poems. Past judges include Deborah Landau, Daljit Nagra, Leontia Flynn and Billy Collins.  

The shortlist will be announced in March 2019 and the four shortlisted poems will feature in the spring issue of The Moth.

The winners will be invited to a special prizegiving event at Poetry Ireland in Dublin in the spring of 2019.

Past winners include Natalya Anderson, Paul McMahon, Lee Sharkey, Ann Gray (whose poem was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem) and Abigail Parry (who was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection). 

Read about last year’s winner, Natalya Anderson, in the Irish Times.
 

THE JUDGE

The poet and novelist Jacob Polley will judge this year’s Moth Poetry Prize. Jacob is the author of four acclaimed poetry collections published by Picador, the latest of which, Jackself, won the T. S. Eliot Prize. He is also the recipient of a Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and his novel Talk of the Town won a Somerset Maugham Award. He teaches at the University of Newcastle.

HOW TO ENTER

The entry fee is €12 per poem, and you can enter as many poems as you like. 

You can enter online or send your poem(s) along with a cheque or postal order made payable to ‘The Moth Magazine Ltd.’ with an entry form or a cover letter with your name and contact details and the title of poem(s) attached to: The Moth, Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland. 

Please remember to read the rules of the competition before you enter.

Competition Rules: The Moth Poetry Prize 2018

 
 
    Closing date for receipt of entries is 31 December 2018.
    The name of the author must not appear on the same page as the poem.
    It’s not a requirement, but we strongly advise you to purchase a copy of The Moth.
    You can write on any subject and there is no line limit. 
    Entries must be in English, typed, with each entry on a new sheet.
    Entries will not be returned, so make sure you keep a copy.
    No corrections can be made after receipt, or fees refunded.
 
    Eligibility
    The Prize is open to anyone (over 16).
    Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been published, self-published, published
    online or broadcast.
    You can enter as as many poems as you like (at a cost of €12 per poem).
 
    Fees
    Entry fee is €12 per poem 
    Online payment should be made to enquiries@themothmagazine.com via PayPal.
    Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Moth Magazine Ltd.’, with the sender's name and   
    address on the back.
    We can only accept postal orders from Ireland. 
    Postal entries can also be paid in cash (either in US dollars, Sterling or Euros at the current exchange rate).
 
    Receipt of entry
    Online entries are confirmed by the email receipt of your payment to PayPal.
    Enclose a stamped addressed postcard marked 'ACKNOWLEDGEMENT' if you require acknowledgement of 
    receipt of your postal entry (include international reply coupon if entering from overseas).
      
    Copyright
    Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author, but The Moth will have the unrestricted right to  
    publish the winning poems in the March 2018 issue and any relevant promotional material.
  
    Judging
    This year's judge is Jacob Polley. The judge’s decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into.
 
    Prizes
    1st €10,000
    3 runner-up prizes of €1,000
     
    Prizewinners
    The shortlisted writers will be notified by the end of February 2019.
    The shortlisted poems will be published in the spring 2019 issue of The Moth.
    The winner will be announced at a special award ceremony at Poetry Ireland in Dublin in the spring of 2019.
     
    Entry implies acceptance of all the rules. Failure to comply with the entry requirements will result in
    disqualification.