Welcome to The Poetry Society submissions page on Submittable
Here, you can submit poems to The Poetry Review magazine, The Poetry Society's quarterly journal first published in 1912. We welcome submissions of unpublished poems and translations of poems, and have a long-standing tradition of publishing new and upcoming, as well as established, poets. All submissions are read by the editor and considered on an equal basis.
You can also enter a range of Poetry Society competitions, including our quarterly Poetry News competitions. Note, these may be open only to Members of the Society or our regional Stanza groups. Submissions via Submittable are FREE to Poetry Society Members – join here.
- Submit up to two unpublished poems of up to forty lines
- You must be a Poetry Society member and a member of a Stanza group to enter
- All poems must be submitted by 23:59 on 2 September 2025
- All poems must be on the theme of 'play'
Obsidian Foundation Online Retreat 2025
Obsidian Foundation, founded in 2020, offers an annual one-week online retreat for fifty Black poets of African descent who want to advance their writing practice in a supportive, rigorous, and community-focused environment.
2025 Retreat Dates: Sunday 14 December – Friday 19 December 2025
(Opening circle: evening of Sunday 14 December)
Led by five acclaimed Black poets, the retreat includes workshops, craft talks, peer feedback sessions, and readings. Participants are selected through an open application. Those accepted are encouraged to attend three Obsidian retreats over five years, after which they become Obsidian alumni, part of a growing, international network of Black poets.
Eligibility & Guidelines
- Open to poets of Black African, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and African-American heritage, including those of mixed-Black heritage
- Applicants must be 18 years or older
- Submissions are FREE
- Due to high volume, we cannot provide individual feedback
- Application Deadline: [TBC]
- Responses issued within three weeks of the deadline
Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot offer any individual criticism. Our aim is to accept or reject work within three weeks – but please read, and follow the submission guidelines below in order to facilitate our response.
How to Apply
- Title your application: OBSIDIAN25 – SURNAME
- A 300-word statement on how the retreat will support your development as a poet
- A list of the last 8 books of poetry you’ve read in the past year
- A biographical statement (max 300 words)
- Three poems, each on a new page
- Submit all of the above as one document (PDF or Word) with a maximum of 5 pages
Fees & Bursaries
- Participant fee: £350 (subsidised)
- 10 bursaries available for poets in financial difficulty
- Participants may anonymously "pay it forward" to support others
Retreat Partners & Support: Obsidian Foundation Retreat is funded by Arts Council England, and supported in kind by:
- The Poetry Society
- Poetry London
- Magma Poetry Magazine
- Cave Canem
- The National Gallery
- The Scottish Poetry Library
- The National Poetry Library
- Poetry Archive
- Poetry School
- The Arvon Foundation
- Wasafiri Magazine
Stay Connected W: obsidianfoundation.co.uk - X: @ObsidianFdn - I: @obsidianfoundation
The Poetry Review, founded in 1912, is the magazine of the Poetry Society, UK, and has a long-standing policy of publishing the very best work by new and established poets. All submissions are read by the editor and considered on an equal basis. Unfortunately, because of the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot offer any individual criticism. Our aim is to accept or reject work within three months. Please read, and follow, the submission guidelines below, in order to facilitate our response.
Submission guidelines (for all writers)
- Submit a maximum of six poems, all in the same document, with page breaks between them. Only one document is allowed per submission.
- Please note when completing your address that you can begin typing the country name to find it, rather than scrolling down to find United Kingdom or United States for example.
- The 'cover letter' box below allows for any brief additional notes you feel relevant, but it is not essential.
- You may submit new poems only when you have a received a decision about your last submission.
- Please only send unpublished work.
- We do not consider simultaneous submissions (work that is being considered elsewhere).
- If you need to withdraw individual poems from consideration, please click on the title of your submission; click on the "Activity" tab; and leave a note detailing which poem(s) should be withdrawn. Please only use the "Withdraw" function if you intend to remove all poems from consideration.
Use this form if you are a Member of The Poetry Society (submissions are FREE to Members). If you are NOT a Poetry Society Member please use this form. To join, please visit our website.
The Poetry Review, founded in 1912, is the magazine of the Poetry Society, UK, and has a long-standing policy of publishing the very best work by new, up and coming poets, and established poets. All submissions are read by the editor and considered on an equal basis. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot offer any individual criticism. Our aim is to accept or reject work within three months – but please read, and follow, the submission guidelines below, in order to facilitate our response.
Please note, we make a small charge for submissions via Submittable to non-members of The Poetry Society, equivalent to the cost of print and postage. This helps us to run an efficient system that provides the best service to submitters. It is possible to send poems without charge via post – see The Poetry Society website.
Submission guidelines (for all writers)
- Submit a maximum of six poems, all in the same document, with page breaks between them. Only one document is allowed per submission.
- Please note when completing your address that you can begin typing the country name to find it, rather than scrolling down to find United Kingdom or United States for example.
- The 'cover letter' box below allows for any brief additional notes you feel relevant, but it is not essential.
- You may submit new poems only when you have a received a decision about your last submission.
- Please only send unpublished work.
- We do not consider simultaneous submissions (work that is being considered elsewhere).
- If you need to withdraw individual poems from consideration, please click on the title of your submission; click on the "Activity" tab; and leave a note detailing which poem(s) should be withdrawn. Please only use the "Withdraw" function if you intend to remove all poems from consideratio
Use this form if you are NOT a Poetry Society Member. Submissions are FREE to members of The Poetry Society. To join, please visit our website.