Our Mission and Philosophy

Wingword Poetry Prize is a national competition and exceptional opportunity for aspiring writers to showcase their talents and creativity. In the seventh year of the competition, Wingword will award INR 8,32,500 to the prizewinners in 2024.

Year upon year, we are continually surprised by the thought and exploration which goes into each poet’s work. We are positive this year we will see some some truly amazing entries!

Our mission is to encourage emerging voices from diverse backgrounds. Everybody has something to say. By making the pen an instrument for personal expression, we can share our unique stories with the world!

Once again, the competition is being sponsored by Delhi Poetry Slam, one of India’s leading literary organizations. Delhi Poetry Slam has successfully transformed poetry from an old-school and inaccessible art-form into an exciting and relevant everyday habit by training over 40,000 students across schools and colleges in India. Its workshops and residency programs for the youth have been tutored by globally renowned professionals including Nicole Sumner, Easterine Kire, Jamaal Amir Akbari, Melizarani T. Selva and Alok-Vaid Menon.

You can learn more about our sponsor by visiting their official website www.delhipoetryslam.com and their instagram handle @delhipoetryslam

No barriers or boundaries

In the last seven years we have awarded more than 500 individuals who utilized poetry as a means to express their thoughts.

Winners come from all walks and creeds of life- be it school students, college-goers, engineers, doctors or retired government officials. Some of the winners belong to small towns like Gangtok or Coimbatore, whereas others live in bustling metropolitans like Mumbai or Kolkata. The lists of winners are far from exhaustive and surely continues to grow!

CULTURAL REPRESENTATION OF INDiaN WRITING ON A GLOBAL PLATFORm

The competition aims to provide a platform to alternative and unique voices in poetry. With an emphasis on bringing the world closer through the medium of poetry, the competition envisages a global vision to value new-age thinkers. We believe that poetry unites us in ways more than one and we can uphold this regional diversity through an exchange of our personal stories.

Let us bridge our cultural and ethnic differences by weaving words which connect us together.

We already know that India comprises a large share of the world’s populations. But our stories are conspicuously undocumented in terms of global literature. Our commitment is to discover authentic, fresh and lively ideas in English and several Indian languages.

poetry is a tool for transformation

Through time immemorial, poets have done the important job of guiding societies to dwell on the finer vehicles of truth. Hafiz from Persia, Robert Frost from America or Akka Mahadevi from India all served the same purpose of offering a distinctive perspective to lift the masses.

Poetry is far more than an art form- it helps us communicate our perception of reality, express our vulnerabilities and open up to a world of infinite possibilities.

WINNING IS NOT EVERYTHING BUT THE EFFORT TO WIN IS

Our motto is simple yet powerful. Hard work, persistence and dedication are the key to living happily. The competition is not against others. Indeed, competing with yourself and surpassing your own expectations is what brings success!