INDIGO SPRING POETRY PRIZE 2026

PRIZES

1st £250; 2nd £100; 3rd £50 ... plus magazine publication in either Reach Poetry or The Dawntreader

OUR JUDGE

Thank you for taking part and good luck!

VICTORIA GATEHOUSE

Victoria Gatehouse is a Zoologist, award-winning poet and children’s writer.

Her poetry has been broadcast on BBC radio and she has been widely published in magazines including The Rialto and Mslexia. Her pamphlet The Mechanics of Love (Smith|Doorstop) was selected as a ‘Laureate’s Choice’ by Carol Ann Duffy.

Victoria has won, and been placed in, many competitions and is also a three-times winner of The Poetry News Members’ Competition. She was highly commended for the Gingko Prize, 2023. Her Indigo Dreams collection The Hawthorn Bride was published in 2024.

POEMS: Unpublished poems on any subject. 40 lines max, from first line and including stanza breaks

SUBMISSION: Email or Post

ENTRY FEE - £5 per poem £9 for two £12 for three. You may submit as many poems as you wish with correct fee.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: midnight on 30th April 2026

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over.

2. Poems must be your own work, on any subject and not have been previously published in any public form, nor be available for future prize consideration, or publication elsewhere, prior to results announcement. No AI generated submissions please.

3. Entries should be typed, single spaced, in 11 pt Word doc or Rich Text Font. No PDFs please.

4. Entries are judged anonymously so poems must not bear any identifying marks. Any entries with identifying marks on the poems or submission envelopes will be automatically disqualified.

5. EMAIL: Send to competitions@indigodreams.co.uk ONLY. No other email address may be used. Subject Heading: Spring Poetry Prize This Subject Heading is essential for the anonymity procedure. Send one email with Name, Address and PayPal transaction number. List the titles of poems submitted. Attach poem(s) to your email with titles but no name or identifying marks. Each poem should be on a separate page e.g. 3 poems / 3 attachments.

6. POST: Enclose poems with titles but no identifying marks. In a separate, enclosed envelope add a note with Name, Address and title of poem(s) and cheque for the correct amount to ‘IDP’ only.

If you require confirmation that your postal entry has arrived, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard marked ‘Acknowledgement’. Send to Indigo Spring Poetry Prize, 24 Forest Houses, Halwill, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5UU.

7. We regret that we are unable to return poems or amend them after entry.

8. Copyright of each poem remains with the author. By submitting to this competition you are agreeing to details of winners and winning poems being displayed on our website, social media and elsewhere.

9. RESULTS will be published on Indigo Dreams website www.indigodreamspublishing.com

by 30th MAY 2026

Note: The judge will use a continuous adjudication method so there is no benefit in delaying submission until last few days of the competition.