Poetry Nominations 2025
Caleb Femi - WINNER
The Wickedest
A landmark, life-affirming poetry collection from Caleb Femi. This is a minute-by-minute depiction of a night at a legendary house party known as ‘The Wickedest’. We meet a vivid cast of characters, all surfing a revelry steeped in camaraderie, community and a spirit of jubilant defiance.
Femi masterfully fuses poetic styles with contemporary culture, sound, image, and vernacular. The poems range from classical English sonnets to experimental forms and are immersively interwoven with photographs, text messages and ephemera. They playfully dissemble parties – in space, sound, law and bureaucracy – to document the precarious existence of our nightlife.
The Wickedest pulses with life and builds to a crescendo that is at once grief-soaked and euphoric. Femi's inimitable, cinematic style is daring in scope and radiant in execution.
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Janetta Otter-Barry
Body of work
Otter-Barry Books is a trailblazer in children's poetry publishing, known for exceptional quality, bold innovation, and deep cultural impact. Under Janetta Otter-Barry’s leadership, the independent press publishes 4–7 new poetry titles annually, nurturing emerging voices and celebrated poets from diverse and inclusive backgrounds.
Its collections, ranging from preschool to young adult, explore identity, race, disability, gender, and nature with profound emotional intelligence and creative flair.
With poets regularly performing in schools and festivals, and theatrical adaptations in development, Otter-Barry Books is redefining children’s poetry as a dynamic, accessible, and life-changing artform.
Roundhouse
The Roundhouse Poetry Slam
The Roundhouse Poetry Slam in partnership with Taylor Wessing is the UK’s biggest spoken word competition for 18–25s. With national heats culminating in a final at the iconic Roundhouse, it offers a high-profile platform for emerging poets to share original, urgent work. The winner receives a commission, mentoring, and development support, helping launch sustainable creative careers.
The 2024 Roundhouse Poetry Slam Final was hosted by broadcaster Anita Rani and award-winning poet Toby Campion, with Birmingham poet Bradley Taylor taking the top prize. The Slam’s production, livestreamed by participants of the Roundhouse’s Behind the Lens programme, reflects a bold, integrated model nurturing multiple disciplines.
Renowned for showcasing the best in emerging spoken word, the Roundhouse Poetry Slam has helped launch the careers of award-winning poets, novelists and screenwriters, and provides an unparalleled platform for young voices.
