Wolverhampton Literature Festival is delighted to reveal the winners, runners-up, and shortlisted poets for this year’s WoLF poetry competition.

The Festival received more than 1,000 entries from across the West Midlands, the wider UK and around the world, a testament to the vibrancy and reach of contemporary poetry.

Competition judges, Helen Ivory and Martin Figura, praised the quality and ambition of the submissions, reflecting on the challenge of selecting winners from such a strong field.

Helen stated: “One thousand poems is a lot of poems. Congratulations to everyone who made it from the big pile on our table to the smaller pile. The odds are ferocious. If you didn’t manage that, be assured there were many who came very close, and yours was almost certainly one of those. And then there are the five, who found their way from the smaller pile to the even smaller pile, hardly a pile at all, of prize winners. It was quite a battle.”

Martin added: “The advantage of there being two of us is, we can have proper discussions, rather than it being alone going mad arguing with yourself. We were rigorous and, we think, fair. Big congratulations and thanks also to all the commended poets and their excellent poems which moved us and interested us so much they survived several readings and stayed in both our heads long after reading.”

Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “The WoLF Poetry Competition is a wonderful celebration of creativity, and it’s inspiring to see writers from Wolverhampton and across the world sharing their work with us. The quality and imagination on display this year highlight the strength of our cultural community.

“My congratulations go to all the winners, shortlisted poets, and everyone who took part - your contributions help make our city’s literary festival something truly special.”

2025 WINNERS

1st Prize
O'Keeffe's ‘Ram's Head, White Hollyhock-Hills’ is the Month of December
by Marion McCready
A masterful ekphrastic poem that reimagines Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic painting with emotional depth and sensory richness. McCready moves from cool observation to intimate memory, offering a meditation on time, loss, and renewal.

2nd Prize
For Phil: a grey wagtail
by Jenny Vuglar
A tender, atmospheric poem that juxtaposes domestic stillness with the sudden spark of the natural world. Vuglar’s imagery arrests time, then releases it again with the arrival of the wagtail-light returning to the frame.

3rd Prize (Three Awards)
How to behave at a wake in East Tyrone
by Iain McClure
A wry, unsettling poem that moves from humour to the unspoken shadows beneath a life’s surface, asking what we choose to ignore-and why.

The path of least resistance
by John Newton
A bold, witty challenge to Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, delivered with comic flair and sharp insight into poetic myth-making.

When we had jobs
by Katie Griffiths
A playful, inventive celebration of the small acts of rebellion that brighten office life, reminding us how creativity persists in unexpected places.

Shortlisted Poets
Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana, Carol J Forrester, Damen O’Brien, Dean Gessie, Esther Lay, Fiona Ritchie Walker, Iain McClure, Jan Westwood, Jemimah Saturnino, Jo Peters (twice), John Gallas, Karol Olesiak, Katy Green, Laura Grevel, Marie-Louise Eyres, Michael W Thomas, Pam Job, Peter Lockhart, Peter Surkov, Piers Haben, Regina Avendaño Trueba, Ron Harper, Safia Khan, Sarah Dale, Suzanna Fitzpatrick, Tamara Evans, TN Kennedy

WV Postcode Prize
Wolverhampton poet Steve Pottinger selected the winner and commended poets for this year’s WV Postcode Prize.

Winning Poem
39 things to do before entering the Wolves Lit Fest poetry competition
by John Woodall
A sharply observed and very funny exploration of the creative process-instantly relatable to anyone who has ever wrestled with a poem.

Commended Poets
David Hamblin, Jason Jawando, Jenni Thorne, Morgan Birch, Nathan McGarry, S.G. Marziano, Suzie Pearson.

Wolverhampton Literature Festival extends heartfelt thanks to all entrants for their creativity, passion, and support. The festival celebrates the power of poetry to connect communities, spark imagination, and give voice to diverse experiences.