Micropoetry competition 2024: 200 years of creativity

Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester’s Micropoetry competition is returning for 2024. This year, our theme is ‘200 years of creativity: Manchester’s past, present or future'.

Brief

Express yourself in 280 characters and pen your micropoem on the ‘200 years of creativity: Manchester’s past, present or future’ theme.

Explore the industrial heritage of Greater Manchester’s past, dive into the Manchester we know today or tap into the future of what’s to come. Let your imagination lead your discovery and creativity.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all.

Dates

The competition runs from Wednesday 17 January 2024 and closes on Wednesday 10 April 2024 at midnight BST.

How to enter

To enter the competition, you can submit entries by email to salcnews@manchester.ac.uk. The same competition rules apply for emailed micropoems, so they must be no longer than 280 characters, including spaces and the #micropoem24 hashtag.

Alternatively, post your micropoem on X, including the hashtag #micropoem24.

All poems must be written in English and must reflect the theme. Micropoems that do not have the hashtag #micropoem24 and/or are submitted outside the competition period (17 January to 10 April) will not be considered.

If entering our Under 18 category, please email these to salcnews@manchester.ac.uk and highlight you are submitting for that category. 

How many?

One submission will be accepted per person. If multiple entries are submitted, only the first entry will be judged.

Prizes

Prizes for the best poems are:

  • First prize: £500
  • Two runner-up prizes: £250 each
  • Under-18 first prize: £25 book token

Meet the Judges

The competition will be judged by:

  • Lemn Sissay OBE - Poet and Honorary Chair in Creative Writing at The University of Manchester  
  • John McAuliffe – Director of Creative Manchester and Professor of Poetry at The University of Manchester
  • Maryam Hessavi – Manchester-based poet and critic
  • Rebecca Hurst - Writer, opera-maker, illustrator and author

Winners

The winners will be announced in May 2024 and will be invited to attend our Bicentenary Festival celebrations between 6th and 9th June (exact date to be confirmed.)

Terms and conditions

For further information, please read the full Micropoetry Competition terms and conditions