Plumstead Annual Poetry Competition 2025
Plumstravaganza is looking for someone to be crowned “Plumstead Poet Laureate 2025” in this competition that is now in its seventh year, so why not take part? Although initially all entries will be assessed and short-listed by a panel, the final judging will be done by the general public at The Old Mill public house on Tuesday 11th November.
The poem can be on any subject, and be happy, sad, reflective, fantastical, amusing or anything in between.
It must be your original work, in English, previously unpublished and, although there will not be a limit on the number of words, anything deemed too long by the judges is unlikely to be short-listed.
Other Entry Rules: -
(i) The competition will open for entries on Wednesday 16th July and close at 11.59pm on Monday 13 October 2025. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted.
(ii) Submissions must be made by email to plunkSE18@gmail.com
(iii) Confirmation of your entry being received will be made to you by email.
(iv) Format: The name, address and contact details must be supplied with every entry but on a separate sheet to the poem.
The poem must be type written. The reason for not including information about yourself on the same sheet as the poem is to ensure anonymity during the short-listing process.
(v) Only one poem can be entered by any individual.
(vi) Entries cannot be returned after the competition.
The Judging Process:
Short-listing will take place between Tuesday 14th and Monday 27th October. The judges will select what they consider to be the 12 best poems.
The poets of the short-listed entries will be informed by e-mail on or before Wednesday 29th October. They will go through to the Finals Night to take place in The Old Mill, 1 Old Mill Road, Plumstead SE18 1QG on Tuesday 11th November from 8pm.
The Finals Night: -
On Finals Night, the poems can be read by the poet but this is not compulsory. Actors, who will also be the short-listing judges, have been engaged to do the readings where necessary and no indication will be given on the night to indicate whether the reader is the author or not. If you wish to read your own poem then you should contact us when you know your poem has been short-listed.
Before the Finals Night the short-listed poems will be split into 3 groups of 4 for what will be the semi-final stage.
On the night, the first group of 4 poems will be read and the audience in the pub will be given the opportunity to vote by ballot as to which they think is the best poem in that section. The winning poem will go through to the Grand Final.
This process will be repeated twice more so that there will be 3 poems in total chosen for the Grand Final.
The Grand Final will follow the same format and voting process so that it is the public’s choice as to which poem is the winning entry.
If present, the poet will be crowned Plumstead Poet Laureate 2025 by last year’s winner, Lviss David.
NB There is no monetary prize associated with the competition.
Plumstead Poet Laureate 2024
Thanks to everyone who came down to the Old Mill on Plumstead Common on Tuesday 12 November and made the 2024 Art Plumstead Poetry Competition such a great evening!
Around 60 people turned up to hear and vote on the 12 shortlisted poems, and congratulations to new Plumstead Poet Laureate Lviss David, who won with his poem Where I'm From.
Second place went to Jonathan Sellers, with Me Out My Shell, and Jack Wheeler was third place with The Croydon Bullfighting Society. You can read the three winning poems below.
The night began with last year’s winner Zola Jolobe reading a new piece of work, and then the audience heard and voted on the 12 shortlisted poems, which were read in three rounds of four poems each. The winner of each round came back on stage read again for a final round of voting. Zola then came back on stage to hand out the medals, plus crown new laureate Lviss with a laurel wreath made locally by Kevin Godby.
Vote counting for the evening was expertly overseen by Maggie Rastall and Erik Fuller.
A really fantastic evening, thanks to everyone who came to perform, to Andy at the Old Mill, and everyone who came and voted. See you next year!
Rob Thom
Plumstead Poet Laureate Winning Poem
Where I’m From by Lvis David
I AM FROM THE JUNGLE
THE CONCRETE JUNGLE
FROM HOLES IN MY SHOES
RUBBER BANDS AROUND MY SOCKS
I AM FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
I AM FROM THE DAMP WALLS
THE EARLY MISTY MORNINGS
FROM RATS CRAWLING TO YOUNG BABIES BAWLING
I AM THAT URBAN CHILD WHOSE SCHOOL DINNER
CAME FROM A GOLDEN TICKET
I SHOW GREAT PROMISE AND PLAY SCHOOL CRICKET
FROM DEEP INSIDE I SEEK APPLAUSE
I’M THE CHILD THAT CANT READ THE WHITE BOARD
FROM SCHOOL TO DARK
I PLAY IN THE PARK
I’M HAPPIEST CLIMBING TREES TILL DARK
I’M A CONKER CHAMPION
FETCH ME SOME STRING
TODAY I’LL BE YOUR DING A LING
I’M THAT SCARED KID THAT RAN FROM THE BULLIES
THAT HID IN A BUSH
TO ESCAPE FROM HIS FOLLYS
I’M FROM SARF LONDON! PROUD!
POLITE AS YOU LIKE
FROM THE GHETTO
PULSATING WITH LIGHT
