Wingword Poetry Prize 2024
ANNOUNCING NEW COMPETITION FOR budding POETS OF india 🇮🇳
If you enjoy expressing your thoughts and feelings through poetry, you should take part in Wingword Poetry Competition. Our aim is to create a platform that supports and encourages the creativity among young Indians. Whether you are from a big city or a tiny village of India, if poetry is your chosen medium of expression, then this is a competition for you.
In 2024, we are conducting the Wingword Competition biannually awarding a total sum of INR 8,000000 (Eight Lakh Rupees) to the prize winners along with the opportunity for their works to be published and distributed nationally. The competition is solely for new poets who have little to no recognition. The first Wingword Competition of 2024 ( Summer cycle) wrapped up in July and discovered new talents from various states of India.
Now we have launched our second competition of the year: Wingword Competition 2024 (Winter Cycle). We are excited to receive new poems from those who like to convey their thoughts, imagination and feelings through words.
We are now accepting submissions for Wingword Competition 2024 (Winter Cycle). Participate now ✍️
Prizes
Wingword Poetry Competition 2024: English Category
This category is open to all those who write in English and are above the age of 15 years. A cumulative sum of more than Two Lakh Rupees will be awarded to poets in this category. Keeping in mind that English is a bridge that helps us connect with Indians from different states of the country as well as serves as a global language, this category welcomes people to submit their original poetry written in English. Beginners are encouraged to participate.
1st Prize: 50,000 rupees + Book Publication
2nd Prize: 30,000 rupees
3rd Prize: 20,000 rupees
Top 10 Winners receive 10,000 rupees each
100 Commendable Mentions are published in the annual Wingword anthology
All participants will receive certificates of participation
Wingword Poetry Competition 2024: Regional Category
Wingword has initiated a new category of prizes for poets who write in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Assamese and Gujarati. This category is open to anyone above the age of 15 years. A cumulative sum of more than One Lakh Rupees will be awarded to poets in this category. Beginners are encouraged to participate. Click here for more info.
Prizes
1st Prize: INR 25,000
2nd Prize: INR 15,000
3rd Prize: INR 10,000
Top 10 Winners: INR 5,000
All participants will receive certificates of participation
A chapbook with poems of all winners will be published. All authors will receive a copy of the book at their mailing address.
Wingword Poetry Competition 2024: Junior Category
This category is for children between the age of 7 years and 15 years. Kids should write poetry as young as they can. And thus in Wingword, we want to recognise and award little children who use pens as their swords. Click here for more info.
Prizes
1st Prize Rs 25,000
2nd Prize: Rs 15,000
3rd Prize Rs 10,000
Ten Runners Up will receive 5000 Rupees each
All participants will receive certificates of participation
A chapbook with winning poems and runners up will be published. The winners will receive one copy of the book at their mailing address. Results will be announced in January 2025
Rules
You must be an Indian national or person of Indian origin.
Poems must be originally written by you.
We accept poems written in English for Wingword Poetry Prize (Main). If you write in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Assamese or Gujarati, you can participate in Regional Languages Category. Click here for details.
Children under the age of 15 years old will be automatically entered in Junior Category. More info here.
There is no maximum age restriction.
Any length and style of poetry is accepted.
All topics are welcome, for example- personal topics such as love, family, childhood, or social issues such as women empowerment, unemployment, climate change.
Entry fee is INR 1000 for one poem, INR 2000 for three poems, INR 3000 for five poems and INR 5000 for ten poems.
We encourage beginners to participate.
Previously published poems are allowed.
This is an online writing competition. Performance is not required anywhere. Submission has to be made online through our website.
Judging Criteria
Your poems will be scored on the basis of originality of thought, creativity and style. We are not looking for correct grammar, rhyme scheme or complex words.
The poems should make the reader deeply think about the subject and evoke emotions such as surprise, hope, joy or even sadness and anger.
Participation Criteria & FAQ
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No, non-Indians can't participate in the competition. This competition has been set up for budding poets of India seeing that there was very little opportunity for them. We hope the competition will encourage more youth to pick up the pen and express themselves through poetry. The cash prize and the book publication deals are meant to help poets launch their literary journeys.
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Established poets who have won prominent awards or recognition aren't allowed to participate. For example: Sahitya Academy Award, Nobel Prize, TFA, etc
We also do not accept poetry by those who have been published by major publishing houses such as Penguin, Harper Colin, Pan Macmillan Seagull, Zubaan.
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All Indians including those living abroad can participate. The minimum age limit is 7 years and there is no maximum age barrier.
We accept poetry from beginners ( meaning those who have never been published before)
Poets who have previously been published in magazines, newspaper, journals or online platforms can also submit their works.
Self published poets can also send their works to Wingword