We are delighted to announce the return of our biennial poetry competition, which will be judged by the eminent novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst and acclaimed poet and playwright Inua Ellams.

The competition theme is Finding the Words, representing the difficulty that any of us can face when trying to express our feelings. It covers grief, life changes, the end of a relationship or a new beginning. It could be about strength and resilience, or about hope and vulnerability. The survivors of torture we support come to the UK as refugees and often struggle to find the words to explain their journey, feelings and the trauma they experienced, as they cope with language barriers in a new country. It can, of course, mean many different things to different people, and your entry should represent what Finding the Words means to you.

Entry costs just £5 but is free for anyone with lived experience as a refugee. Poems can be submitted from anywhere in the world, of any style, with a preferred length limit of 40 lines, and must be the entrant’s original work. Entries must not have been published, self-published, broadcast or featured among the winners in any previous competition.

All funds raised will support our creative group projects for survivors of torture such as art, music and writing groups, including Write to Life, the longest-running refugee writing group in Britain, and the only one specifically for survivors of torture.

DEADLINE 
5pm, 28th October 2024

First Prize

• 1-1 Mentoring session with Booker Prize winning author Alan Hollinghurst
• Two VIP tickets to our London Library Event
• Your poem published in our quarterly newsletter The Survivor, circulated to some 26,000 supporters across the UK, and on our website
• Your poem will be printed in the London Library event programme, circulated to 150 esteemed guests including authors, poets, publishers and celebrities
• A year’s supply of Papier personalised notebooks and bundle of books

Runners Up

• Book bundle
•  All winners will have their poem featured on Freedom from Torture’s website with winners promoted on social media and promoted to press and media in the run up to the event

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Click on one of two ticket options below (depending on your age)
Sign in by creating an account 
Make your donation
You will receive a confirmation email with a link to upload your entry
Once you have uploaded your poem via the link you will receive an email confirming we have received your poem

If you have any lived experience as a refugee or asylum seeker, you can enter for free by sending your poem to [email protected] with the subject line 'Poetry Competition'