The Word Exchange competition is part of A Poet in Every Port, our national project celebrating poetry in coastal communities. It’s all about nurturing the languages and dialects found across the UK, from the isles of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall, to show that poetry is for everyone.

We’re asking people across the country to submit their own Word Exchange poems, using the unique words and phrases from their local area, with the winner given a platform to perform their poem live on stage at the London Literature Festival in 2027.

What is a Word Exchange poem?

Word Exchange poems are short poems that celebrate the words, sayings, languages, accents and dialects from where you live. The ‘exchange’ happens when you:

• compare words you use with those used by your parents, carers, grandparents or younger people
• reflect on words passed down to you from older generations that you still use today
• revive lesser-used words from the past by giving them a new home in your piece of writing – a Word Exchange poem recognises your dialect as part of the history of language
• think about new words you’ve discovered in recent years.

Need inspiration?

You’ll find useful tips on how to write a Word Exchange poem in our A Poet in Every Port activity guide, which is also available in Gaelic and Cymraeg.

How to enter

Our Word Exchange competition is free to enter for anyone aged 16 and over living in the UK. Whether you’ve been honing your craft for a while or you’re completely new to writing, we want to hear from you. To enter just follow these three steps.

Step 1
Create your poem

Write your own Word Exchange poem.

Don’t forget to refer to our activity guide for guidance and inspiration.

Step 2
Post a video

Record a video of yourself reading your poem and post in on Instagram or TikTok.

To be included in the Word Exchange competition your poetry video must:

• be posted on Instagram or TikTok
• include @SouthbankCentre and #APoetinEveryPort in the caption
• not exceed three minutes in length.

Step 3
Complete the entry form

Once you have created your Word Exchange poem and posted your video on Instagram or TikTok, you need to alert our judges to it by completing the entry form.

Complete the entry form

Your entry form must be submitted before the deadline of Monday 30 November 2026 at 11.59pm.

The prize

The winner, chosen by our panel of judges, will receive the opportunity to perform their Word Exchange poem at our London Literature Festival in Autumn 2027.

This includes

• a performance slot at which they’ll share their winning poem
• travel and accommodation to ensure they can attend their performance
• two online sessions with an established poet to hone their craft
• two complimentary tickets for guests to attend their performance.

For more information about the prize, please read the terms and conditions.