Launched in April 2024, the PEN Heaney Prize recognises outstanding poetry with a focus on social engagement.
The prize, delivered as a partnership between English PEN, Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann and the Estate of Seamus Heaney, recognises a single volume of poetry by one author, published in the UK or Ireland, of outstanding literary merit that engages with the impact of cultural or political events on human conditions or relationships.
The PEN Heaney Prize is open to original English language collections and those translated into English.
The inaugural prize will be judged by poets Nick Laird, Paula Meehan and Shazea Quraishi. The three judges will be joined by Catherine Heaney, representing the Estate of Seamus Heaney, who will act as non-voting Chair of the judging panel.
Submissions are now open for publishers from the UK and Ireland. They will close at 23:59 on Monday 3 June 2024. Poetry collections published between 1 January and 31 December 2023 and marketed to adult readers are eligible. The full criteria can be found here.
The inaugural PEN Heaney Prize is supported by Hawthornden Foundation