Wingword Poetry Competition 2025

Have you ever thought what it would be like if your poetry was to reach millions of people around the world? If they could read about your experiences and get to know you for your creative abilities? 

Wingword Prize  is an online competition set up by Delhi Poetry Slam to help new emerging poets of India find their place in the vast literary landscape. The competition aims to find the best poems written by people of India and give it the kick it needs to reach a wider audience. 

The winners of the competition are published in poetry anthologies that feature meaningful poems of our times, written in the Indian context. As a way to encourage the winners, they are also awarded prize money so they can use it to further fuel their literary growth. Throughout their literary journey, they receive assistance from Wingword Association. 

What the first prize winner gets:

A generous prize money of INR 50,000 Rupees is offered to the winner for his/her extraordinary poetic abilities. The first prize winners also receives a unique pro-bono book publishing deal and continuous support from our organisation in advancing their literary career.

The first prize winner is given six to eight months to complete their poetry manuscript that is subsequently edited by a renowned editor and then published by Delhi Poetry Slam. 

Our organisation handholds the winners at every step of the way and helps them navigate the challenges of breaking into the publishing industry. They are promoted on all our online channels, their works are reviewed by critics and they are recommended to media publications for features and interviews. 

Notable winners from the past years: 

Vancouver Shullai, Eshna Sharma, Nandana Dev Sen, Zarine Virji, Bibusha Rai, Gopi Kottoor, Tialila Kikon, Anurima Mukherjee, Ilina Sinha.

Submit your poem to Wingword Poetry Competition 2025 

1st Prize: 50,000 rupees + winner gets their own poetry book published

2nd Prize: 30,000 rupees

3rd Prize: 20,000 rupees

 Top 10 Winners receive 10,000 rupees each

All participants will receive certificates of participation

100 Commendable Mentions are published in the Wingword Collection of Selected Poems

Rules

1. Only Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin are eligible to enter.
2. The competition is open to anyone who is 15 years old and above. 
3. Poems must be the original work of the author, and must not have been created using AI.
4. We accept poems written in English.
   
5. Any length and style of poetry is welcome.
6. Poems on any subject are accepted. Our poets are encouraged to take inspiration from wherever they may find it.
7. Entry fee is INR 1000 for one poem, INR 2000 for three poems, INR 3000 for five poems and INR 5000 for ten poems.
8. Beginners are encouraged to participate.
9. This is an online writing competition. Performance is not required anywhere. Submission has to be made online through our website.
10. Your poems will be scored on the basis of originality of thought, creativity, form and technique. It is not important for poems to have complex words or rhyme schemes but we value rhythmic qualities in a poem. We are looking for poems that carries a strong impulse behind it.  

Submit Your Poems

First, deposit the entry fee for the number of poems you wish to submit. You will get access to a one-time download file containing the secret link to the submission form. You simply need to fill your personal details and attach your poetry on this form. Once you’ve submitted the form, you will also receive a confirmation email.