30/05/2026
⏰ LAST CALL FOR POETS ⏰
Before the Sunday midnight chime,Before the fading end of May,The Stainsby Festival calls for verse. To rise and find its way.
By midnight on the thirty-first,Your poems must take flight,Sent into the waiting world, Before the close of night.
We’re honoured beyond measure, That Roger McGough will join us to see,As one of Britain’s most beloved poets,Guiding this debut poetry spree.
✨ Shortlisted voices will gather and read Their words beneath festival skies, Winning poems will live online, And in programmes where memory lies
✨ One poet will earn a residency, At Stainsby in twenty-twenty-seven’s light
Bring us poems heartfelt or strange, Political, joyful, tender or wild, Funny truths or personal storms, The voice of elder or child. Any subject, any song — Just keep it under forty-two lines long.
To enter, send your words away📧 As .doc, .docx or .pdf To [email protected]
And please remember to include:• Your name and address• Poem title(s)• Your Ticket Tailor reference number
A few important rules remain:• Judged anonymously — leave your name off the poem itself• Original unpublished work only• No AI-generated entries• Entries close 11.59pm Sunday 31 May 2026 — no exceptions
For every detail, every thread,Visit the festival website instead:
https://stainsbyfestival.org/poetry/
Now sharpen your pencils,
Open the door,
And let your poems
Walk into the world ✍️
