The Best New British and Irish Poets 2017

Judged By Luke Kennard

Modeled on the famous United States competition, the second annual Best New British and Irish Poets competition was open to any poet of British or Irish citizenship and/or UK or Irish residency who has not yet published (and is not under contract to publish) a full-length collection of poetry. Poems submitted for consideration could have appeared in print before, or in a pamphlet, though not online. This diverse and lively group of writers from across these isles represents the most interesting new voices writing in the English language today. 

The fifty poets and poems included here are:

PAUL ASTA, APIARIST’S CHEST 

CHARLIE BAYLIS, FROM FIFTY SHADES OF PRUFROCK 

DANIEL BENNETT, MONSOON 

NIALL BOURKE, MARBLETOWN 

ALAN BUCKLEY, MIRACLE

JO BURNS, PLACES YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER SEE 

JENNA CLAKE, GIRLS IN CARS 

SIMON COLLINGS, THE APARTMENT 

ELAINE COSGROVE, FIREMEN WAITING 

ANNE COUSINS, HARE 

HARRIET CREELMAN, A CHAOTIC SPRAY-EFFECT PRINT OF TIP-EX ON A SCHOOL BAG 

THOMAS CROMPTON, ORION 

EMMA DANES, DIFFERENT WOODS 

SUSANNAH DICKEY, JELLYFISH PARENTS 

EDWARD DOEGAR, VOYEURISM

CHARLOTTE EICHLER, AT MIRROR LAKE 

KEN EVANS, PLAYING DEAD 

ADELE FRASER, AUTISTIC GIRL IN HOME ECONOMICS CLASS 

ANDREW F GILES, FRANCIS BACON, STUDY OF A BULL  (1991) 

MAEVE HENRY, BLOOD LINES 

ROBIN HOUGHTON, SHE DISCOVERED THE INTERNET 

ANTONY HUEN, THE HOUSES 

MAJELLA KELLY, ANADROMOUS VOCABULARY 

ANNA KISBY, LATE HOME AFTER LATIN 

JOE LINES, IT TALKS 

JOHN MCGHEE, SUPERKAFKA AND ITS IMPACT ON INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS 

SIMON MIDDLETON, LOVE NOTE TO A DONOR FATHER 

JESSICA MOOKHERJEE, VERNAL EQUINOX 

DANIELLA MORITZ, I AM THE HANDMAID 

EMMA MUST, NOTES ON THE USE OF THE AUSTRIAN SCYTHE 

PAUL NASH, MIGRANT IN DAGENHAM PARK ALLEY 

JACK NICHOLLS, THE DOLPHIN SINGS A LOVESONG 

RICHARD O’BRIEN, HAMMAM 

ELIZABETH O’CONNELL-THOMPSON, INVITATION ONLY 

GERALDINE O’KANE, STARK 

MATTHEW PAUL, DUCKWALKING IN WEST BERLIN 

JAMES PEAKE, THE MIDDLE PLACES 

RACHEL PIERCEY, AN OVERBLOWN POEM ABOUT LOVE 

LAUREN POPE, MISCARRIAGE 

JODY PORTER, LOOK 

SAMUEL PRINCE, THE MAN FROM COOMA 

MATTHEW RICE, AT THE LIGHTS 

SAMANTHA RODEN, SHOVE YOUR TISSUES 

SARAH SIBLEY, LONE MAN STORIES 

LUKE SMITH, ARTMAKING FOR YOUNG MEN 

JAYNE STANTON, UNRESERVED COACH B

JAMES TREVELYAN, COUGAR 

DEBORAH TURNBULL, FOUNDLING 

CAROLYN WAUDBY, DALI’S ROSE 

KATE WISE, DEATH COMES ASKING