Lemn Sissay OBE to judge University's 2025 Micropoetry Competition
Esteemed poet and former Chancellor of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, Lemn Sissay OBE, has been unveiled as a returning judge for the 2025 edition of the annual Micropoetry competition.
As the honorary chair of creative writing, Lemn will joined by fellow judges John McAuliffe, Professor of Poetry at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ and Manchester-based poet and critic, Maryam Hessavi.
The theme for 2025 is ‘Connections’ and the challenge is simple - write a ‘micro poem’ of no more than 280 characters, and submit using the official competition entry form.
Lemn said: “The Micropoetry Competition sets a wonderful yet challenging task of translating a theme into a short work of art. It’s a craft to tell a story in such a manner and I’m looking forward to reading the 2025 entries, centred around the chosen theme. As someone who published a book of tweets in the form of quatrains, I urge you to pen your poem and enter the competition.�
Entries must be submitted by 23:59 on Saturday 21 June 2025, with winners to be announced by Friday 25 July 2025.
Prizes will be awarded for first place (£500) and the two runners-up (£250), with a £25 book token for winner of the under-18s category.
Professor of Poetry at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, John McAuliffe, said: "World Poetry Day celebrates all that is fascinating about poetry and its manifold forms. Our Micropoetry Competition explores the art of translating a set theme into a condensed poem that captures attention and shares a story.â€�
Inspired by Lemn Sissay's daily poem on social media, we open our 2025 competition - so take part and have a go. We look forward to reading your micro poems exploring the ‘Connections’ theme.
For the full entry details as well as the terms and conditions,