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Future Voices |
Poetry Competition
| 12-18


Poetry competition for 12-18 year-olds

Showcase poems on any theme & in any style!

Give your students the freedom to write about what matters to them with Future Voices!

Open to 12-18 year-olds, students can write a poem on any theme and in any style, giving them the chance to explore their ideas, opinions, experiences and interests without the constraints of a set topic.

From current affairs and identity to conservation, relationships or simply something they love, poems can be powerful, personal, lighthearted or completely unexpected – every student has a voice worth sharing.

Students can be inspired by any poetic style, such as:
✏️free verse
✏️rhyme
✏️sonnet
✏️narrative poem
✏️acrostic
✏️haiku and tankas

Your students have the opportunity to be published in a real book. For every 30 entries you submit, you get a free copy of the book your students feature in. It's a fantastic way to build cultural capital and showcase your students' writing in the school library.

Future Voices is open all year round, so there is always a real audience for students to write for and a platform to share their voice.

Closing Date: Thursday 31st Dec 2026

We've worked with over 20,000 schools. Here's what some of them have to say...

Great competitions and easy to use resources! Highly recommend to all literacy teachers

Mrs King, Steyning Grammar School
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Student Entry Form
Teacher Entry Form

Competition Rules

To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:

Closing Date: Thursday 31st Dec 2026
  • Only one entry per student, there is no limit to the number of entries per school. Please submit your entries together where possible!
  • Please include one Teacher Entry Form for each teacher who is entering their pupils' work. 

  • Ask your student to ensure their name, age and school name are included. (Entries can be submitted with first names only or initials if needed.)
  • An adult can scribe if necessary.

  • Poems can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper or typed (on a computer or in the Online Writing Portal).

  • Students' poems must be their own work! (Please note on the entry if there is anything we need to take into consideration when reading the work.)

  • Poems can be on any subject & in any poetic style.

  • Copyright remains with the author.

  • Free to enter.

  • UK entrants only.

If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.

For Schools

A complimentary copy of the book your students feature in for every school. 

(You will get an additional copy for every 30 entries e.g. 1-30 entries = 1 copy, 31-60 = 2 copies etc).

For Pupils

Our favourite poet in each book will win a £25 gift card of their choice.

Every entrant will receive a bookmark for taking part and students whose work we'd love to publish will also receive a certificate.

(Image for illustration purposes only)
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It’s easy to take part!

  1. Download entry forms
  2. Your students write or type their entry (or an adult can scribe) ensuring their name (or initials) and age are included
  3. Submit your entries using one of the options below

Enter Online

  Email

Email your entries to [email protected] and please ensure your pupils' names and ages are on their work, and that you include your name, school name and school address in your email. Thank you!

  Upload

Upload your entries

  Entrants type their entries online

Why not combine literacy and ICT by using the online writing portal? Entrants can type their work and you can submit them at the click of a button!

Writing Portal

  File Sender Services

You can use different file sender services to enter digitally, such as: WeTransfer, Google Classroom, Dropbox, Send Anywhere, Egress, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Smash, Files.com, Apple iCloud Drive, FileCloud

Please ensure your name, email and school name and address are included with your entries if you send entries digitally via a non-Young Writers service.

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Send by Freepost

Send your entries, along with your teacher entry form, to:

FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers Future Voices
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

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Get In Touch

Email
[email protected]

Tel
01733 890066

Post
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers Future Voices
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

Closing Date: Thursday 31st Dec 2026