Founded in 1988, Poetry London is the city’s premier poetry magazine and one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organizations (2023–2026). We publish three times a year – our Spring issue in March, our Summer issue in June and our Autumn issue in October. Our launches are held at the Southbank Centre in collaboration with the National Poetry Library. Our renowned annual poetry prize has helped launch the careers of some of the leading lights of contemporary UK poetry, including Liz Berry, Niall Campbell, Richard Scott, and Romalyn Ante, among others.
Poetry London’s editorial team is headed by the Italian-Iranian writer André Naffis-Sahely and Isabelle Baafi, a British poet and editor of Jamaican and South African descent. Previous editors have included Pascale Petit, Moniza Alvi, Maurice Riordan, Martha Kapos, Colette Bryce, Martha Sprackland, and Ahren Warner.
Poetry London is pleased to announce that its Poetry Apprenticeship Scheme, with Pascale Petit, is now open for applications! Generously funded by The Fenton Arts Trust and Arts Council England, this is a scheme for talented emerging poets, of any age, who will each be matched with a prominent poet with proven experience in supporting the work of other writers. Applicants must not be part of another similar scheme or studying for a creative writing degree. Poetry London is committed to developing the diversity of contemporary poetry, and as part of our commitment to this we will be providing this scheme scheme without cost to the poets, while also offering a grant of £500 to cover travel expenses in order to enable applicants from across the UK to benefit.
Feedback from previous apprentices emphasises the indispensability of financial support in accessing the opportunities the scheme offers, enabling them to develop their practice, and to think imaginatively and ambitiously about their work. Asked about the most beneficial aspects of this scheme, one apprentice answered ‘The level, precision, and quality of the feedback I receive’
If you would like to apply to the scheme, please email a letter of interest (no more than 2 sides of A4, outlining your writing practice to date, and why you need the scheme) and a sample of three poems via Submittable. Please also attach a completed equal opportunities form.
You may submit up to six poems. Please include them all in the same document and include a cover letter. We are particularly keen to read poems in translation, especially translations from endangered languages.