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George Crabbe Poetry Competition 2026

Paul Stephenson will be the 2026 adjudicator.

Note that the competition ends unusually early in 2026, on Friday, 20th February, to enable the awards to be presented at the 12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry.

Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson

Paul Stephenson’s first collection Hard Drive was published by Carcanet in 2023. It was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award in the US and UK’s Polari Book Prize. He was a Jerwood/Arvon mentee and took part in The Aldeburgh Eight. He has an MA in Creative
Writing with Pedagogy (Poetry) from the Manchester Writing School.

Paul has published three previous pamphlets: Those People (Smith/Doorstop, 2015), which won the Poetry Business Pamphlet competition, judged by Billy Collins; The Days that Followed Paris (HappenStance, 2016), written after the November 2015 terrorist attacks, and Selfie with Waterlilies (Paper Swans Press, 2017). He grew up in Cambridge and studied modern languages. He recently co-edited the ‘Ownership’ issue of Magma Poetry. Paul helps programme Poetry in Aldeburgh.

In a change to our usual procedure, the awards ceremony will be part of the 12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry on 20 June 2026.

George Crabbe Poetry Competition 2025

The adjudicator was Elizabeth Cook.

  • 1st – Wild Man of Orford – Lizzi Thistlethwayte
  • 2nd – The Watchers – Fran Reader
  • 3rd – The Mathematical Mind of the Lady of Walsingham – Pam Job

Click here for the full list of winning poems

Picture gallery of awards ceremony

Photo: Colin Whyles

President: George Szirtes

SPS President George Szirtes receives

The King’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2024

The King has approved the award of His Majesty’s Gold Medal for Poetry for the year 2024 to George Szirtes.

Click here for the official announcement.

History of the Festival of Suffolk Poetry

A pictorial history of poets performing through the years.

George Crabbe Poetry Competition 2026

Paul Stephenson will be the 2026 adjudicator.

Note that the competition ends unusually early in 2026, on Friday, 20th February, to enable the awards to be presented at the 12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry.

Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson

Paul Stephenson’s first collection Hard Drive was published by Carcanet in 2023. It was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award in the US and UK’s Polari Book Prize. He was a Jerwood/Arvon mentee and took part in The Aldeburgh Eight. He has an MA in Creative
Writing with Pedagogy (Poetry) from the Manchester Writing School.

Paul has published three previous pamphlets: Those People (Smith/Doorstop, 2015), which won the Poetry Business Pamphlet competition, judged by Billy Collins; The Days that Followed Paris (HappenStance, 2016), written after the November 2015 terrorist attacks, and Selfie with Waterlilies (Paper Swans Press, 2017). He grew up in Cambridge and studied modern languages. He recently co-edited the ‘Ownership’ issue of Magma Poetry. Paul helps programme Poetry in Aldeburgh.

In a change to our usual procedure, the awards ceremony will be part of the 12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry on 20 June 2026.

George Crabbe Poetry Competition 2025

The adjudicator was Elizabeth Cook.

  • 1st – Wild Man of Orford – Lizzi Thistlethwayte
  • 2nd – The Watchers – Fran Reader
  • 3rd – The Mathematical Mind of the Lady of Walsingham – Pam Job

Picture gallery of the awards ceremony

Photo: Colin Whyles

President: George Szirtes

SPS President George Szirtes receives

The King’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2024

The King has approved the award of His Majesty’s Gold Medal for Poetry for the year 2024 to George Szirtes.

Click here for the official announcement.

History of the Festival of Suffolk Poetry

A gallery of poets performing through the years.


Turning Japanese

Download or read online Dr Tim Gardiner’s guide to short-form Japanese poetry.

Ripples Poems: Selections by Elizabeth Cook

Ripples is a regular online magazine for SPS members.

Ripples was born when we were locked-down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The best of poems from members were published in the magazine.

In celebration of this and also the 70th anniversary of SPS, 70 of the best poems from the more than 200 that were published in Ripples have been selected here.

Elizabeth Cook


Dates for Your Diary

01 Nov 2025

George Crabbe 2026 Poetry Competition opened

Adjudicator:
Paul Stephenson

Winter Workshop with James McDermott

Theme:
‘tba’

Venue: Riverside Centre, Stratford St Andrew, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1LF

SPS AGM

Theme:
‘tba’

Venue: Chocolate Tiger, Market Place, Stowmarket, IP14 1DY

Sat 20 Jun

12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry

Headliners:
tba

John Peel Centre,
Stowmarket,
IP14 1ET

Mon 20 Apr

George Crabbe Poetry Competition closes

Adjudicator:
Paul Stephenson

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