Poetry competition rules

Please read the full rules carefully.

General

  • Entries will be accepted from anyone aged 16 or over, anywhere in the world, and can interpret the Theme widely to include for instance geographical, spiritual or personal elements.
  • Your work is accepted on the basis that this will be its first publication in print, online or on social media anywhere in the world.
  • Poems cannot have won any other competition by 31 December 2025.
  • You undertake to notify us immediately if your poem wins another competition by that date.
  • Poems must be the original work of the author.
  • All entries must be received by midnight GMT on 30 November Late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances.
  • We are unable to respond individually to queries.
  • Competition entries cannot be returned under any circumstances. Please keep a record of all poems entered and send copies only.
  • Poems cannot be altered once they have been submitted.
  • By entering this competition, you:
    • indicate your acceptance of all the rules; and
    • agree that your data may be used by the Cambrian Mountains Society for all purposes connected with this competition.

Competitions and Prizes

  • Cambrian Mountains Poetry Competition (Welsh) and Cambrian Mountains Poetry Competition (English): Open to all eligible The Competition winners will receive: first prize £150; second prize £20 book token.
  • Mid-Wales Poetry Prize (English or Welsh): Open to any eligible entrant who is a resident of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or The winner will receive £100; second prize £10 book token.
  • A poem can only win one of the above prizes
  • We reserve the right not to award prizes if, in the judge’s opinion, such an action is appropriate

Entry Fees

  • The fee is £3.50 for one entry, £6 for two entries and £8 for three
  • Members of the Cambrian Mountains Society are exempt from paying the entry fee for up to 3 entries. Please state in your covering email or letter that you are a member.

Poem format (all poems)

  • Poems must be:
    • written in Welsh or English
    • no more than 40 lines, excluding the title
    • typed, and in a readable, 12 point font
  • If a poem does not have a title, the first line will be used to identify the Poem
  • Put the title and page number in a header/footer on each page.
  • Nothing must appear on any page which would identify the author
  • Acceptable electronic file formats for online entries are: .doc .docx
  • Poems submitted by post must be on single-sided sheets and each sheet must have a page

Judging

  • All entries will be considered anonymously by the judge
  • We reserve the right to change the judge without notice
  • The judge’s decision is final
  • No correspondence will be entered into concerning this decision.

Disqualification

  • Any plagiarised work will be disqualified along with any other work submitted by the entrant. Entry fees will not be returned if a poem is disqualified.

Winners

  • All winning poets will be notified in January 2026 and invited to an award ceremony on Cambrian Mountains Day (28 February) 2026.
  • Unsuccessful entrants will not be notified but are welcome to attend the award ceremony as members of the public. Details of the full winners list will be announced publicly on our website and social media in January 2026.
  • The copyright of each poem remains with the By entering the competition, authors of the winning poems grant Cambrian Mountains Society the right to publish their poem online and in the CMS Journal for the following year.

To enter online:

Pay first using the PayPal button below. You do not need a PayPal account; PayPal allow you to pay by card as a ‘guest’.

When you have paid, email secretary@cambrian-mountains.co.uk with:

  • Titles
  • Your name, address, email and phone number;
  • Paypal receipt or transaction number (or statement that you are a Member);
  • Your entries, each attached as a separate

To enter by post:

Send your entries with

  • a covering letter including titles, your name, address (including County, if eligible for Mid- Wales Poetry Prize), email and phone number, and
  • a cheque for the entry fee made payable to Cambrian Mountains Society (or statement that you are a Member)

to:

Secretary

Cambrian Mountains Society Penybont Uchaf

Llanwrtyd Wells Powys LD5 4TN

Please note we do not accept underpaid or signed-for entries.