The biennial Women Poets’ Prize, founded by the Rebecca Swift Foundation, launches into its second prize year today. The prize, which honours TLC Founder Rebecca Swift’s two key passions – poetry and women’s empowerment – is awarded every two years to three women writers who each receive a holistic package that combines financial aid, creative development, well-being, and pastoral support.
TLC is once again, delighted to support the prize for the second time, after a hugely successful inaugural year: In 2018, it received nearly 600 submissions by poets from across the UK. At least one third of applicants were women of colour, with an age range spanning 18-70s. This time, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire – one of the UK’s most prestigious music and drama schools – comes on board as a new partner in 2020, working with the prize to provide poets with voice coaching opportunities. The RBC joins Faber and Faber, Bath Spa University, City Lit, Verve Festival, The Poetry School, and of course TLC as partners through which the full benefits of the prize are being delivered.
The prize pot for this year includes:
• a £1000 cash bursary,
• a poetry mentor for the duration of a year,
• the offer of pastoral coaching,
• creative opportunities, from performance to bookbinding,
• practical support, such as digital skills training and childcare cover, and
• links and collaborations with prize partners.
The judges for 2020 are confirmed to be the award-winning poets Liz Berry, Malika Booker and Pascale Petit.
The Rebecca Swift Foundation is a UK registered charity set up in memory of Rebecca Swift – a much-loved editor, novelist, diarist, poet, and founder and director of The Literary Consultancy from its foundation in 1996 until her early death in April 2017. The Foundation is overseen by a Board of Trustees who held Rebecca dear, with Victoria Adukwei Bulley as Project Manager.
Submissions for the 2020 Women Poets’ Prize close on Friday, 14th August. The prize is free to enter. For guidelines on how to submit, visit: www.rebeccaswiftfoundation.org/women-poets-prize
The shortlist will be announced on Friday, 2nd October 2020. Find out more and join the conversation via www.rebeccaswiftfoundation.org | @FoundationSwift
