Poems to be shown at airport in annual competition

An international poetry competition is being held which will see nine finalists have their works displayed at an airport.

The Guernsey International Poetry Competition, which is part of the Guernsey Literary Festival and has been going since 2014, has invited writers from across the Channel Islands and internationally to get involved.

The competition had three categories and would be judged by British playwright and poet John Agard, organisers said.

The deadline to enter is 15 January 2026 and winners would read out their poems at a ceremony on 1 May, they added.

The competition's categories include: open poetry, which anyone can enter; Channel Islands' poetry, for residents of the Channel Islands aged 18 or over; and young people's poetry, for people aged 11 to 17 at the entries deadline.

Those in the young people and Channel Islands categories would automatically be added to the open category, organisers said.

They added entries would cost £5 per poem or £12 for three poems for the first two categories.

It was free to enter the young people's category, they said.

As part of the Poems on the Move Exhibition 2026, nine finalists, three from each category, would have their poems displayed at Guernsey Airport, organisers said.

Additionally, alongside the nine finalists, a further 12 poems from all categories would be displayed on local buses and harbours, they added.

Russ Fossey, head of arts development at Guernsey Art, which supports the competition, said: "The competition has become a real highlight of Guernsey's cultural calendar, attracting outstanding writers from around the world, while also shining a spotlight on the wealth of home-grown talent here on the island.

"The visibility of the winning poems in public spaces across Guernsey is a powerful way of raising awareness and showing the value and relevance of the arts in everyday life."

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