History

The Aldeburgh First Collection Prize was launched in 1989 to coincide with the first Aldeburgh Poetry Festival and is the oldest prize of its kind in the UK. The winner has always received both a cash prize and an invitation to read at the subsequent Festival.

Between 2003 and 2008, the award was renamed the Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize and its profile and value substantially increased, thanks to generous six-year investment from the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. Instead of an anonymous panel, two established poets are appointed each year as judges, together with Michael Laskey as Chair. Recent judges have included Gillian Allnutt, Helen Dunmore, Vicki Feaver, Jamie McKendrick, Penelope Shuttle and Christopher Reid.

The shortlist

Up to five titles are shortlisted in October.

The Prize

The winner receives a cash prize, a week of paid ‘protected’ writing time on the East Suffolk coast plus a fee-paying invitation to read at the following Aldeburgh Poetry Festival (a unique opportunity to reach Britain’s largest and most appreciative poetry audience)

Details for the 2012 Aldeburgh First Collection Prize will be announced in the Spring of 2012. Check this page for futher information or subscribe to our newsletter.