Renowned for championing poetry at its most innovative, with new voices and internationally celebrated writers alike, the shortlists announced today (17th July) include Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and award-winning deaf poets Raymond Antrobus and Zoë McWhinney, following the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Performed accepting British Sign Language entries for the first time. “A beautiful reminder that poetry is multi-faceted in its definition,” commented judge Rommi Smith on the inclusion.
The shortlisted poets born or based in Scotland are:
Juana Adcock was born in Mexico and lives in Glasgow
Niall Campbell was born on the island of South Uist, one of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and now lives in Fife.
Tim Tim Cheng is based between Glasgow and Hong Kong
Michael Mullen is born and based in Glasgow
Karen Solie is from Canada but based in Edinburgh.
From toxic relationships and border crossings, to questioning faith and its links to colonialism; from celebrating womanhood and forming communities around gentrification, to sexuality in the digital age, 20 poets have been shortlisted for the 2025 Forward Prizes for Poetry.
The four Forward Prize shortlists this year demonstrate how “poetry in these dark times can offer us so much: it can be the rallying call; the necessary challenge and the stark provocation; the rage and the grief; and the beauty of connection and hope,” commented judge Hannah Lavery. Poetry’s unique ability to empathise and stand in solidarity was echoed by fellow judge Rommi Smith, who noted how “poems are portals to feeling.”
The most coveted and influential prizes for poetry, the 2025 Forward Prizes for Poetry are awarded in four categories: the Forward Prize for Best Collection (£10,000), the Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection (£5,000), the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Written (£1,000), and the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Performed (£1,000).
2025 chair of judges, Sarah Hall, said: “From songs to sonnets to the surreal, there’s the creative renewal of forms alongside innovation. Politics and playfulness, passion and risks. Lyricism and the subversion of languages. Indelible artefacts, kinetics, a truly extraordinary range of expressions.” Sarah Hall is joined by poets and writers Lisa Kelly, Hannah Lavery, Sean O’Brien and Rommi Smith in this year’s judging panel.
Over the last three decades the prizes have celebrated some of the most recognised names in poetry including Simon Armitage, who is shortlisted again this year, Thom Gunn, Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy, Claudia Rankine, Jackie Kay and Caleb Femi.
This year’s winners will be announced at a special ceremony at the Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Sunday 26th October 2025. Tickets available to purchase here.
The Forward Prize for Best Collection
I Sugar the Bones byJuana Adcock
Southernmost: Sonnets by Leo Boix
The Island in the Sound by Niall Campbell
Avidyā by Vidyan Ravinthiran
Wellwater by Karen Solie
The Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection
Theophanies by Sarah Ghazal Ali
Chaotic Good by Isabelle Baafi
Heirloom byCatherine-Esther Cowie
Altar by Desree
Goonie by Michael Mullen
The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Written
‘At Least’ by Abeer Ameer
‘Birds of the Arctic’ bySimon Armitage
‘A Parliament of Jets’ by Tom Branfoot
‘Girl Ghosts’ byTim Tim Cheng
‘Codex©’ by Nick Makoha
The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem – Performed
‘Dynamic Disks’ by Raymond Antrobus
‘Sikiliza’ by Bella Cox
‘Where I’m From’ byGriot Gabriel
‘Mum Does the Washing’ byJoshua Idehen
‘The portrait and the skylight’ by Zoë McWhinney
Independent presses continue to demonstrate their importance in the poetry landscape with eight out of the ten collections published by independent publishers from across the UK and Ireland. There is something in the water in West Yorkshire with three poets shortlisted, Simon Armitage, Tom Branfoot and Vidyan Ravinthiran, all born in the area. Last year, three of the four winning poets were born or based in the United States, and this year sees three more poets currently based across the Atlantic up for awards, including Sarah Ghazal Ali, Catherine-Esther Cowie and Vidyan Ravinthiran. British-based Latinx poets Juana Adcock and Leo Boix feature prominently, and their collections sing with the experience of this rapidly growing population of transnational migrants. Scotland’s rich poetry scene continues to flourish, with five shortlisted poets based or born in the country: Juana Adcock, Niall Campbell, Tim Tim Cheng, Michael Mullen and Karen Solie.
