Lemn Sissay OBE launches 2022 Poetry Competition

Poet and University of Manchester Chancellor Lemn Sissay OBE has launched the climate-themed Creative Manchester Micropoetry competition in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and the Great Science Share for Schools.

Creative Manchester has chosen World Poetry Day (21 March 2022) to announce the 2022 edition of its Micropoetry Competition in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and The Great Science Share for Schools.

Launched by University of Manchester Chancellor and poet Lemn Sissay OBE, the competition focuses its lens on climate change, encouraging budding poets to consider this vast and contemporary topic when they put fingers to keys.

Entrants have 280 characters in which to express their thoughts on climate change in poetry. They can submit their micropoem via Twitter using the hashtag #micropoem22, or it is also possible to enter via email using the same 280 character limit .

The competition will close on 21 June 2022, when an esteemed panel of judges including Sissay, Professor of Poetry at The University of Manchester and Director of Creative Manchester John McAuliffe, and Manchester-based poet and critic Maryam Hessavi will deliberate over submissions.

A cash prize of £500 will be awarded to the judges' favourite poem, while 2 runners up will recievd £250 each, while there are 10 pairs of tickets for the Literature Live autumn 2022 programme to give to the winners.

Full details of the competition can be viewed online and entries are being collected as of today.