The Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Prize is awarded to a writer whose first full collection has been published in the preceding year, by a UK or Ireland-based publisher.

The winning writer receives £5,000 and is invited to participate in the Seamus Heaney Centre’s busy calendar of literary events.  The winner will be announced in June 2025 during the Seamus Heaney Centre’s annual Poetry Summer School, at the Award Night readings which is open to the public.  

The 2025 shortlist includes:   

•          The Butterfly House, by Kathryn Bevis (Seren) 
•          High Jump as Icarus Story, by Gustav Parker Hibbett (Banshee Press) 
•          rock flight, by Hasib Hourani (Prototype) 
•          The Iron Bridge, by Rebecca Hurst (Carcanet Press) 
•          Slip, by Amelia Loulli (Jonathan Cape) 
•          Food for the Dead, by Charlotte Shevchenko Knight (Jonathan Cape) 

Judging the 2025 prize were: Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow Fiona Benson, Professor Fran Brearton, and Dr. Dawn Watson. As poetry is a closely connected sector, our judges state conflicts of interest where they arise, and we are careful to ensure that discussions are fair and unbiased.  

Reflecting on this year’s entries, Dr. Dawn Watson shared:

"The Seamus Heaney Centre First Collection Prize is a landmark for us every year. All three judges were impressed by the formal range and quality of debuts submitted. The shortlisted books each offer something unique and highly original, taking on urgent subjects in ways we found authentic and moving."

The shortlisted collections will be celebrated at the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Award Night on Monday 23 June 2025, with shortlisted writers invited to attend and share their work with the audience