Disabled Poets Prize Opens for Entries | Arvon

Disabled Poets Prize Opens for Entries

09 Sep 2024 / News

Delivered in collaboration with CRIPtic Arts, Spread the Word, Verve Poetry Press and Verve Poetry Festival.

The UK’s only Disabled Poets Prize opens again for entries on Monday 9th September 2024. Established by Jerwood Poetry Fellow Jamie Hale, the Prize is delivered in collaboration with Spread the Word, Verve Poetry Press, and CRIPtic Arts with support from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society. Now entering its third year, the Prize looks to find the best work created by UK based deaf and disabled poets.

Disabled writers face significant barriers to developing their careers. The Disabled Poets Prize will bring the work of the winning poets to new prominence, focusing attention on the exceptional work being produced by deaf and disabled writers.

The Prizes will be judged by poets Khairani Barokka, Polly Atkin and the Prize’s founder, poet Jamie Hale. The deadline for entries is 1pm, Monday 4 November.

Prize-winners and all shortlisted writers will receive career development opportunities courtesy of competition partners Spread the Word, CRIPtic Arts, The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation. While the winner of the Best Unpublished Pamphlet prize will also be offered the opportunity to have their book published by Verve Poetry Press.

Deaf and disabled poets will be able to submit to two categories – Best Single Poem and Best Unpublished Pamphlet. In each§ category, there will be a first place prize (£500), second prize (£250), third place prize (£100), and three highly commended entries, awarded £50.

Jamie Hale, Prize founder and Artistic Director, CRIPtic Arts says: “Disabled writers are creating exceptional work – and yet rarely receive the mainstream attention it deserves. I founded this Prize to bring more prominence to their work, and I’m very excited to see what this year’s submissions bring.”

Ruth Harrison, Director, Spread the Word, says: “Increasing access to literature for both writers and readers is central to Spread the Word’s work, and so we’re delighted to help deliver the Disabled Poets Prize. The outstanding work created by disabled poets deserves to be celebrated and shared, and we hope this Prize can do that.”

Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) CEO Barbara Hayes says: “ALCS is proud to support the Disabled Poets Prize for another year. Addressing the barriers that writers face is at the core of what we do and this prize will undoubtedly promote emerging deaf and disabled creative voices across the country.”

Khairani Barokka, Prize Judge, says: “The Disabled Poets’ Prize is very meaningful to myself and to many in our phenomenally talented D/deaf and/or disabled literary community. It aims to celebrate all our stories and verses. I’m delighted to return to the judging panel for it. Jamie Hale founded this Prize to provide a platform to poets who continue to face unjust barriers in the literary sphere, whose artistry is often underestimated, and in fact has always been consistently revelatory.”

Polly Atkin, Prize Judge, says: “The Prize is such an important and necessary part of a poetry ecosystem in which far too many barriers to equality of access and opportunity are perpetuated. The support, perspective, expertise, and community of other disabled writers has been invaluable to me as a writer and a person. The world is better when we work together. I can’t wait to see more disabled poets thrive and develop through initiatives like the Disabled Poets’ Prize. I’m looking forward to reading poems which do the things great poems do on whatever terms they set for themselves: surprise me, change me, change how I experience the world after the poem.”

To support entrants in making submissions to the 2025 Disabled Poets Prize, the organisers are running two FREE online and BSL interpreted workshops:

 

Wednesday 9 October, 6.30pm-8pm

Best Unpublished Pamphlet Prize-winner 2024, Susie Wilson, will run a workshop on Putting Good Pamphlets Together. Places available at: bit.ly/4e6X9Pj

 

Thursday 10 October, 6.30pm-8pm

2024 Best Single Poem Prize-winner, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, will run a workshop on editing your poems. Places available at: bit.ly/4dMlaLF

The Prize is free to enter with a suggested donation of £7 to enable the Prize to grow and develop. CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word welcome conversations with publishers, funders and philanthropists who are interested in supporting new work by deaf and disabled poets.

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