2026 Poetry Competiton Results

Fosseway Writers are very pleased to announce the results from the 2026 Poetry Competition.

The competition judge, Alex Davis, reported he had been impressed by the particularly high standard of poems submitted. Alex said this presented a significant challenge to produce a shortlist of the final 50 potential winners, and then to reduce that shortlist to the entries you see below. We would like to say “congratulations” to everyone who entered for achieving such a high standard, and offer our special thanks and congratulations to the following:

Places:

1st – Pheasant in Crook, County Durham – Helen Kay – Cheshire

2nd – You were a Ghoulish Child – Julie Bardill – Bingham

3rd – Proof – David Smith – West Hallam

Honourable Mentions:

The Ghost in the Loop Pattern – Samuel Prince – Norfolk

A Hankering for Roadwork – Joseph Long – Kent

The 13th day of Motherhood – Sandra Chambers – Staffs

Local Winner:

Pseudocyesis – Ian McGrath – Newark