Closing date: 01 June 2025
Entries are open for Australia’s richest prize for a single poem, where Australia’s top and emerging poets compete for $18,750 in prize money, with the first prize winner receiving $10,000. The ACU Prize for Poetry is calling for new poems on the theme of Belonging, inspired by St Teresa of Kolkata’s thought-provoking quote: “If we have no peace, we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
Now in its 13th year, the ACU Prize for Poetry continues the Catholic Church’s tradition as patron of the arts. Emeritus Professor Margot Hillel OAM, and scholar and poet, Professor Robert H F Carver, will return as the Prize’s judges this year.
“This year we are inviting poets from around the country to dwell on the nature and concept of belonging,” Professor Hillel said.
“Experts in a range of fields from psychology to theology say the modern world is experiencing a belonging crisis, driven by increasing wars, divisive politics, and a loneliness epidemic. But we also know that community bonds are being strengthened by adversities.
Professor Carver said this year’s poetry prize was especially significant as Australia looks to appoint its first poet laureate.
“Australia has a remarkably rich and varied tradition of poetry – from Banjo Paterson and John Shaw Neilson, through Kenneth Slessor, A. D. Hope, and Judith Wright, to Les Murray and Chris Wallace-Crabbe (to name only a few). We continue to produce poets of international stature…”
Official sponsor, ACU Vice President, Fr Anthony Casamento csma, said the poetry prize has become one of Australia’s most respected competitions, and is particularly popular with writers looking for an outlet for works of a spiritual and religious nature… compelled to express our themes through poetry.
“We have received more than 5000 entries since establishing the prize in 2013 and I look forward to publishing our next collection of poetry later this year.”
Entries for the 2025 ACU Prize for Poetry opened on 1 April 2025 and will close on 1 June 2025.
Visit the ACU Prize for Poetry website for full details on how to enter.