Submissions Process and Criteria

The 2025/26 Poetry in Motion Community anthology will be titled Endure.

Submissions to the anthology are also considered for the prestigious Seamus Heaney Awards for New Writing, which reflect CAP’s early support from the late Nobel laureate and amplify his legacy through the recognising new poetic voices, endorsed by the Heaney family.

1. Eligibility

1.1       Submissions are open to writers aged 18 and over who are resident in Northern Ireland.
1.2       Proof of address may be requested if work is selected for publication or award consideration.
1.3       A maximum of three poems per person may be submitted.
1.4       If more than three poems are submitted, none will be considered.

2. Originality and publication status

2.1       All submissions must be the poet’s own original work.
2.2       Poems that have been previously published must not be submitted.
2.3       Any work that has appeared online in any form, including personal websites, blogs or social media, is considered previously published and is not eligible.

3. Submission format

3.1 Submissions must be made in one of the following two formats only:

1. a) A Word-compatible document, typed and emailed to submissions@capartscentre.com, formatted exactly as specified;

Or

1. b) The CAP Submission Template PDF, downloaded, completed, saved and renamed using the title of the poem, and emailed to submissions@capartscentre.com.

3.2       Each poem must not exceed 35 lines, as per the space provided in the Submission Template, with an approximate 75-character width per line. Submissions exceeding this limit will not be accepted.

3.3       If submitting more than one poem, each poem must be attached as a separate document.

3.4       Each attachment must be saved using the poem title only (for example: The River.pdf). Documents titled “Submission”, “CAP submission”, or similar will not be accepted.

3.5       If the poet’s name appears anywhere on the poem or in the file name, the submission will be automatically disqualified.

4. Email requirements

4.1       In the body of the submission email, poets must include all of the following information exactly as indicated:

Please find my poem(s) attached: [list poem titles]
Name: [this will be the attribution used in the published anthology]
Email
Address (single line, including postcode)
Phone number

EG:

Please find my 3 poems attached: High Hill, Low Hill, Lost Hill (3)
Name: Hillary Hill (this will be the name attribution in the published anthology)
Email: hhill@email.com
Address (in one line only): 251 Haiku Gardens Ballytown BT99 99YZ
Phone number: 0777777777

4.2       The following statement must be included verbatim:

“I have read and understood the submission rules and I hereby verify that I live and am resident in Northern Ireland and that my poetry submission is my own original work and has not been published elsewhere.”

4.3       Failure to include the required information in the format above may result in disqualification.

5. Simultaneous submissions

5.1       Simultaneous submissions are not permitted.
5.2       Work that is under consideration elsewhere must not be submitted.
5.3       Evidence of simultaneous submission will result in disqualification.

6. Deadline

6.1       Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
6.2       The submission deadline is 12 noon, Friday 27 February.

7. Selection process

7.1       All submissions are assessed anonymously.
7.2       Poems are considered without identifying information by a four-person expert selection panel, convened by Community Arts Partnership and comprising experienced poets and literary practitioners.
7.3       Selection is based on the quality, originality and craft of the work submitted.
7.4       Panel decisions are collective and final.

8. Seamus Heaney Awards for New Writing

8.1       By making a submission, poets automatically grant permission for their work to be considered for the Seamus Heaney Awards for New Writing.

9. Copyright and permissions

9.1       Copyright remains with the poet at all times.
9.2       By submitting, poets grant Community Arts Partnership first publication rights for selected work.
9.3       Poets also grant permission for publication in the Poetry in Motion Community anthology and related programme contexts.
9.4       If a work is published, any future publication must credit Community Arts Partnership and acknowledge first publication in the relevant Poetry in Motion anthology.

10. Editorial discretion

10.1     Community Arts Partnership reserves the sole editorial right to select and publish work.
10.2     Selection does not constitute a guarantee of publication.
10.3     Community Arts Partnership may make minor editorial adjustments such as typographical or formatting corrections.
10.4     No substantive editorial changes will be made without consultation with the poet.
10.5     All editorial and award decisions are absolute and final.

11. Content standards

11.1     Submissions must not contain defamatory, libellous or unlawful material.

12. Liability and data use

12.1     Community Arts Partnership cannot accept responsibility for submissions lost, delayed or corrupted due to technical issues.
12.2     Personal data supplied will be used solely for the purposes of administering the submissions, publication and awards process.

13. Queries

13.1     Queries relating only to the submission process should be directed to: Steven Tunley steven@capartscentre.com