The Keats-Shelley Poetry and Essay Prize

About

The Keats-Shelley Poetry and Essay Prizes were established in 1998 to encourage writers of all ages to respond to the work of the Romantics. Prize Judges have included Carol Ann Duffy, Stephen Fry, Liz Lochhead, Richard Holmes, Dame Penelope Lively, Tom Paulin, Claire Tomalin, Jack Mapanje, Simon Barnes, Fiona Sampson and Tom Holland.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for poetry.
The fee is GBP £10 (below average for contests).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United Kingdom

Established in 1998

Publication Media & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Awarded 1 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

6 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

History: History by epoch, See guidelines.
Literature/Books: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: GBP £1000 for first prize.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: Up to 30 lines.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: GBP £1000 for first prize.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Keats-Shelley Poetry and Essay Prize

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Facebook Facebook
X (Twitter) @Keats_Shelley

Support this Publisher:
Make a Donation

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

The Keats-Shelley Poetry and Essay Prize Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:

Group by submission

Accuracy

We have received 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 10 Mar 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 28 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 23:45 UTC (less than a minute ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!

Members accepted here also had work accepted by...

This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today!

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 07 Jul 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.