Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets

03 June The Hidden Surprises of Poetry Pamphlets

The Michael Marks Awards celebrates the poetry pamphlet as a format which supports innovation in UK poetry. Established in 2009, the annual awards include prizes for Poetry Pamphlet, Publisher, Poetry in a Celtic Language, and Illustration.

Published date:

The call for entries for the Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets is now open. Please visit the Awards website for more information on how to apply.

The closing date for entries is 30th September 2020.

The winning poets will be the 2021 Harvard University’s Michael Marks Poets in Residence at its activities in Greece in the spring.

You can listen to readings from winners and shortlisted poets on Soundcloud.

Previous winners

Poetry Award

  • 2019: Rowan Evans, The Last Verses of Beccán (Guillemot Press)
  • 2018: Carol Rumens, Bezdelki (Emma Press)
  • 2017: Charlotte Wetton, I Refuse to Turn into a Hatstand (Calder Valley Poetry)
  • 2016: Richard Scott, Wound (The Rialto)
  • 2015: Gill McEvoy, The First Telling (HappenStance)
  • 2014: Laura Scott, What I Saw (The Rialto)
  • 2013: David Clarke, Gaud (Flarestack Poets)
  • 2012: Róisín Tierney, Dream Endings (Rack Press)
  • 2011: James McGonigal, Cloud Pibroch (Mariscat)
  • 2010: Selima Hill, Advice on Wearing Animal Prints (Flarestack Poets)
  • 2009: Elizabeth Burns, The Shortest Days: elegies im DGB and PGH (Galdragon Press)

Poetry in a Celtic Language Award

  • 2019: Morgan Owen. moroedd/dŵr. (Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp)

Publisher Award

  • 2019: Verve Poetry Press
  • 2018: Guillemot Press
  • 2017: Smith Doorstop (The Poetry Business)
  • 2016: The Emma Press
  • 2015: Mariscat
  • 2014: Rack
  • 2013: Flarestack Poets
  • 2012: Smith Doorstop (The Poetry Business)
  • 2011: Crater
  • 2010: Happenstance
  • 2009: Oystercatcher

Illustration Award

  • 2019: Chris Routledge, Carousel (Chris Routledge and Rebecca Goss) Guillemot Press.
  • 2018: PR, Zi-Zi Taah Taah Taah: The Song of the Willow Tit (Steve Ely) Wild West Press.
  • 2017: Rose Ferraby, The Tender Map (Melanie Challenger) Guillemot Press.
  • 2016: Mairead Dunne, The Clearing (Luke Thompson), Atlantic Press.
  • 2015: Mat Osmond, Deadman and Hare 1: Fly Sings, Strandline Books.

Award partners

The awards were co-founded by the Michael Marks Charitable Trust with the British Library. Other partners are The Wordsworth Trust, the Times Literary Supplement and the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies. The award for Poetry in a Celtic Language is in association with the National Library of Wales and the National Library of Scotland.