Judges announced for 2024 Disabled Poets' Prize

Pascale Petit, Stephen Lightbown, Kabir Kapoor and the UK’s first BSL Poet Laureate Jamie Hale have been revealed as judges for the 2024 Disabled Poets Prize as it opens for entries. 

It recognises the best work created by UK-based deaf and disabled poets, in written English and in British Sign Language. 

It was founded by Hale last year in collaboration with Spread the Word, Verve Poetry Press, Verve Poetry Festival, and CRIPtic Arts. This year’s award is funded by the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation. 

“Deaf and disabled poets face significant barriers to developing their careers,” organisers said. “The Disabled Poets Prize will bring the work of the winning writers to new prominence, focusing attention on the exceptional work being produced by deaf and disabled writers. It is the first poetry prize in the UK specifically for deaf and disabled poets.” 

Applicants can submit their work for free to three categories — best single poem, best unpublished pamphlet and best poem performed in British Sign Language. In each category, there will be a first place prize (£500), second prize (£250), third place prize (£100), and three highly commended, which will be awarded £50.

The award offers significant professional development opportunities for the winning writers, including a publication deal with Verve Poetry Press for the best unpublished pamphlet as well as development prizes from The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation. The winners will be announced at Deptford Literature Festival in March 2024.  

Hale said: "I’m delighted that the Disabled Poets’ Prize is moving into its second year — it’s such a privilege to be encountering such excellent work, and I look forward enormously to receiving it." 

Petit said: “I’m delighted to be a judge for this inspiring and vital initiative founded by Jamie Hale, which takes us a step further towards a fully inclusive poetry culture. Becoming a poet is hard enough, without the barriers disabled poets face, and this award will work towards dissolving that inequality.” 

Lightbown commented: “There are many barriers to deaf and disabled poets having their poetry read by a wider audience. Access to mainstream poetry prizes, and the recognition and exposure that comes with them, is just one of those barriers."

Ruth Harrison, director of Spread the Word, revealed the organisation is “proud” to help with “opening up opportunities and access to talented deaf and disabled poets from across the UK for their work to reach new audiences and supporting their career development”.  

Entries open on Thursday (7th September) and close on 31st October 2023 at 1 p.m. Kapoor will be hosting a free online workshop in BSL on 23rd September from noon to 4 p.m. for Deaf BSL users to experiment and create visual poetry. 

The first prize, which ran last year, was won by Jamie Field for "How To Sign Playground" (Best Single Poem) and Katherine Moss for The Still Point (Best Unpublished Pamphlet, to be published Verve Poetry Press).

The prize is actively seeking donations and conversations with people and organisations who are interested in supporting deaf and disabled poets and would like to contribute to the award’s growth.