Foundation and poetry award launches in memory of Rebecca Swift

The Literary Consultancy has created an independent grant-making foundation and poetry award in memory of founder Rebecca Swift.

Editor and novelist Swift was the founder of The Literary Consultancy, and worked for over two decades as its director from its creation in 1996 until her death in April last year.

Overseen by a board of Trustees, with the support of project manager Victoria Adukwei Bulley, the formation of the Rebecca Swift Foundation also arrives with the creation of a new poetry award and mentorship programme the Women Poets’ Prize.

As a biennial award, the Women Poets’ Prize will seek to honour Swift’s two key passions: poetry and the empowerment of women. The Prize will offer three female-identifying poets a programme of support and creative professional development opportunities in collaboration with seven partner organisations: Faber and Faber, Bath Spa University, The Literary Consultancy, RADA, City Lit, Verve Festival, and The Poetry School.

Each winner of the Women Poets’ Prize will be matched with a poetry mentor in addition to a pastoral coach. The three winners will also each receive a monetary award of £1,000.

The Foundation and the Women Poets’ Prize will be announced formally at the Second Home Poetry Festival on Saturday 9th June.

Applications for the Women Poets’ Prize will open on 9th June 2018.

A shortlist will be announced in Autumn 2018.