MAGMA POETRY COMPETITION 2025/26

Is now open for entries in both categories  

The Judge’s Prize – poems of 11 to 50 lines

The Editors’ Prize – poems of up to 10 lines

Deadline 31 January 2026 11.59pm GMT

 

This year the Judge’s Prize for poems of 11 to 50 lines will be judged by Rishi Dastidar whose poetry has been published by the Financial Times, New Scientist and the BBC, amongst many others. His third collection, Neptune’s Projects (Nine Arches Press), was longlisted for the Laurel Prize, and a poem from it was included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2024. He is also editor of The Craft: A Guide to Making Poetry Happen in the 21st Century (Nine Arches Press), and co-editor ofToo Young, Too Loud, Too Different: Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (Corsair). He reviews poetry forThe Guardian and is chair ofWasafiri. His latest publication is A hobby of mine (Broken Sleep Books).

The Editors’ Prize is judged by a panel of Magma Editors and is for poems of up to 10 lines. The prize money for both competitions is the same, so double your chances and try your luck at both.

First prize for the Judge’s and Editors’ Prize is £1000, second prize £300 and third prize £150. 

The three prize-winning poems from each category will be published in Magma and there will also be five special mentions for each of the Judge’s Prize and Editors’ Prize categories.  All winning and commended poems will be published online on the Magma website. Winning and commended poets will be invited to read their poems at a Magma Competition event in Spring 2026.

Last years' winners are published in Magma 92 Ownership Issue which you can purchase for £8.50 here. All winning and commended poems are published in a free-to-download PDF here.

The entry fees are £5 for the first poem, £4 for the second poem and £3.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. Magma magazine subscribers benefit from reduced fees: £4 for the first poem, £3 for the second poem, and £2.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. 

You can subscribe to Magma from £22.00 via our Get Magma page.
 

HOW TO ENTER VIA SUBMITTABLE

• You may enter as many poems as you like in each category, but you must submit to each category in separate documents. 
• Please upload the poems in one document for each category. Please name the documents Judge’s Prize or Editors’ Prize as applicable and submit all of the poems for that category in the relevant document.   
• Do not include your name or any other identifying marks on the poems themselves.    
• Pay for all entries by picking the appropriate payment amount for total poems submitted. Subscriber and non-subscriber entries will be cross-referenced against our subscriber list and incorrectly paid entries may be disqualified. You can subscribe to Magma from £22.00 via our Get Magma page but you must do this before you enter. 
• The entry fees are £5 for the first poem, £4 for the second and £3.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. Magma magazine subscribers benefit from reduced fees: £4 for the first poem, £3 for the second, and £2.50 for the third and each subsequent poem. 
• The competition closes at 11.59pm GMT on 31 January 2026.

GENERAL

• No alterations can be made after receipt, nor fees refunded. 
• All poems must not have been previously published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.
• The judge’s and editors’ decisions are final and no correspondence can be entered into. No entrant may win more than one prize in each section. 
• Should the named judge be unable to proceed, we aim to substitute an alternative judge of equivalent standing as a poet. 
• Prizewinners will be notified individually in April 2026. The results will also be published on the Magma Poetry website after the prize-giving event. 
• Copyright of each entry remains with the author, but Magma Poetry has the right to first publication of the winning poems in print and/or online within six months of the competition deadline. 
• Entry implies acceptance of all the rules. Failure to comply with the rules will result in disqualification.