As the honorary chair of creative writing, Lemn will joined by fellow judges John McAuliffe, Professor of Poetry at The University of Manchester and Manchester-based poet and critic, Maryam Hessavi.

The theme for 2025 is ‘Connections’ and the competition offers a top prize of £500 with two, runner up prizes of £250 each.

The challenge is simple; write a micro poem of no more than 280 characters and submit using the official competition entry form.

Entries must be submitted by 23:59 on Saturday 21 June 2025, with winners to be announced by Friday 25 July 2025.

Professor of Poetry at The University of Manchester, John McAuliffe, said: 

"World Poetry Day celebrates all that is fascinating about poetry and its manifold forms. Our micro poetry competition explores the art of translating a set theme into a condensed poem that captures attention and shares a story. Inspired by Lemn Sissay's daily poem on social media, we open our 2025 competition so take part and have a go. We look forward to reading your micro poems exploring the ‘Connections’ theme.”

To enter:

1. Use this online form and use the text box to add your micro poem. The theme is ‘Connections’.
2. Select your category. There are two categories available: 18 and over or Under 18.
3. Follow the form and enter your contact details.
4. Make sure your submission is completed along with the contact information by 23:59 on Saturday 21 June 2025. Any entry made after this time will not be included.

Prizes will be awarded for first place (£500) and the two runners-up (£250), with a £25 book token for winner of the under-18s category.

Full terms and conditions are available here.

Good luck, we look forward to seeing your entries.