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George Crabbe Poetry Competition 2026

  • First Prize:  Sally Warrell – The Rain in Dublin
  • Second Prize:  Sarah Sibley – The Last I Love You
  • Third Prize:  Tim Waller – Reflection

Highly Commended:

  • Angela Locke – Asunaro-Japanese Temple Tree 
  • David Healey – Left Behind

Commended:

  • Melinda Appleby – The Knife Grinder
  • Fiona Clark – The Witch’s leg
  • Stephanie Feeney – Pete’s Pond
  • Sue Foster – Hookie Toe
  • David Healey – Noise
  • Pam Job – The Meringue Kiss
  • Angela Locke – The Great Tide: Normandy Memorial after 1916
  • Sue Mobbs – The Man in that Seat at the Bar
  • Anne Ryland – Walking the Ypres Salient with my Brothers
  • John Vaughan – The Visitor
  • Sally Warrell – Rabbit in the Library
  • Roger West – The Dog of Jean-Luc Godard is in the garden
  • Richard Williams – Lansallos
  • Richard Williams – Trip Trap
  • Judith Wozniak – Fleuriste

Thank you very much to Paul Stephenson, our adjudicator for the 2026 Competition.

Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson

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

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

  • First Prize:  Sally Warrell – The Rain in Dublin
  • Second Prize:  Sarah Sibley – The Last I Love You
  • Third Prize:  Tim Waller – Reflection

Highly Commended:

  • Angela Locke – Asunaro-Japanese Temple Tree 
  • David Healey – Left Behind

Commended:

  • Melinda Appleby – The Knife Grinder
  • Fiona Clark – The Witch’s leg
  • Stephanie Feeney – Pete’s Pond
  • Sue Foster – Hookie Toe
  • David Healey – Noise
  • Pam Job – The Meringue Kiss
  • Angela Locke – The Great Tide: Normandy Memorial after 1916
  • Sue Mobbs – The Man in that Seat at the Bar
  • Anne Ryland – Walking the Ypres Salient with my Brothers
  • John Vaughan – The Visitor
  • Sally Warrell – Rabbit in the Library
  • Roger West – The Dog of Jean-Luc Godard is in the garden
  • Richard Williams – Lansallos
  • Richard Williams – Trip Trap
  • Judith Wozniak – Fleuriste

Thank you very much to Paul Stephenson, our adjudicator for the 2026 Competition.

Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson

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

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

Sat 20 Jun 10:00-18:30

12th Festival of Suffolk Poetry

Headliners:
Louis de Bernières
Julia Webb
Dide
Julia Bird & Michael Sims – on John Keats

Crabbe Poetry Competition
Awards Ceremony

with Paul Stephenson

Open Mic

John Peel Centre,
Stowmarket,
IP14 1ET

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Gift Aid and SPS

Gift Aid on subscriptions and donations is very helpful to SPS’s finances and cost members and donors nothing.

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