Maidstone LitFest's first poetry prize closes on 31 August. Entry is £3, poems up to 40 lines, open to Kent writers aged 18 and over, judged anonymously.

Maidstone LitFest is running a poetry competition for the first time, and Kent writers have until 31 August 2026 to enter. It costs £3 a poem, and the shortlist will be published in an anthology.

The festival calls it the Maidstone LitFest Poetry Prize. Its stated aim is to “discover fresh voices, celebrate exceptional writing, and showcase the richness of Kent’s literary community” (Maidstone LitFest, Poetry Competition 2026).

What the rules actually say

The festival publishes the terms in full. The main ones:

  • Who can enter: writers aged 18 or over on the closing date who live in Kent
  • Entry fee: £3 for each poem
  • Length: 40 lines maximum, not counting the title, epigraph or dedication
  • Format: Word document or PDF
  • Closing date: 31 August 2026
  • Not accepted: concrete or shape poetry
Panel showing the Maidstone LitFest Poetry Prize at a glance: entries close 31 August 2026, entry fee 3 pounds per poem, 40 lines maximum, open to Kent writers aged 18 and over, and the festival itself running 1 to 11 October 2026
Graphic by Maidstone Live. Source: Maidstone LitFest competition rules and festival dates.

Judging is anonymous, and the festival is strict about it. Your name must not appear on the same page as the poem, and entries that carry identifying details are disqualified. Poems must also be written without AI: the rules say any evidence to the contrary results in immediate disqualification.

Entries have to be unpublished, which the festival defines widely. A poem posted on a blog, website, social media account or online forum counts as published and cannot be entered. Work that has won or been placed in another competition, including runner-up or highly commended, is out. Being longlisted or shortlisted elsewhere is fine, as long as the poem was not placed and has not been published.

You can enter the same poem in other competitions at the same time. If it wins somewhere else, or is published, or is scheduled for publication before the prize-giving, you have to withdraw it and tell the festival. Entry fees are not refunded in that case.

Who is judging, and what the winner gets

The judge is Dr Dorothy Lehane, who holds a PhD in poetry from the University of Kent and was a senior lecturer in creative writing there until summer 2023. Her collections include Ephemeris (Nine Arches Press), Umwelt (Leafe Press) and House Girl (Aquifer Press). Since 2021 she has been funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme, the Society of Authors and Arts Council England to write about caves.

Her published advice to entrants is specific rather than encouraging: avoid abstraction and vagueness, build lasting images, “listen to the rhythms and musicality of language”, avoid low-level rhyme, and read the poem aloud before submitting it.

Shortlisted poems go into an anthology. The winner receives the Winner’s Award and an invitation to join the judging panel for 2027.

The festival behind it

Maidstone LitFest runs from 1 to 11 October 2026. It started as a conversation between friends who thought the county town of Kent should have a literature festival, and it has been a registered Community Interest Company, a not-for-profit run for community benefit, since 2024 (Maidstone LitFest, About). Companies House records Maidstone Literary Festival CIC, company number 15445136, as incorporated on 26 January 2024 (Companies House).

What it means for you

If you write, this is a cheap and local place to send a poem, and the deadline is twelve days away. Two practical points are easy to get wrong:

  1. Check where your poem has already appeared. If it is on your own blog or Instagram, it is not eligible. This catches more people than the AI rule does.
  2. Strip your name out of the document before you attach it. The festival disqualifies entries that carry identifying details on the poem itself, and it will not give you a second chance to resend.

Entries go through the online entry form, or by email to info@maidstonelitfest.org with the subject line “Poetry Competition 2026”.

For other things happening locally, see our guide to things to do in Maidstone.

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