Entries are now open to all year 11, 12 and 13 students for the Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook student poetry competition, the award that has sent so many young poets on their way!

Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook and Massey University Press are running the Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook student poetry competition for another year. This competition has been a huge success to date, with student poems published in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions to critical acclaim. 

There is a monetary prize for the first, second and third prize winners of each year group, thanks to the University of Waikato: $500 (first place), $300 (second place) and $100 (third place). Each winning poet and their school will also receive a copy of the book.

Student poetry competition winners have gone on to have their own poetry collections published, be published in other major poetry publications, win prizes, be awarded mentorships, have their work published online — including in The Spinoff — and one (a former student of Papatoetoe High School) made an appearance at the 2022 Auckland Writers Festival.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to become published poets, and it allows us the chance to share some of the amazing verse being created by young people from Aotearoa.

To enter: please send up to three previously unpublished original poems - refer to the poster attached for further info, including how to submit your poems to editorial@masseypress.ac.nz  Entry to the Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook student poetry competition closes 5 July 2024. The winners will be announced on Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, 23 August 2024.