Poems up to 60 lines. That’s what we’re looking for. On whatever subject fascinates you. You can write less if you want to, but you have 60 lines to express yourself fully.

You don’t have to be on the level of Elisabeth Bishop or August Kleinzahler to enter The Plaza Prizes. We’re new and we’re on the lookout for new talents. Try it, write a poem this week. Edit it. Let it rest. Return to give it shape over time. What were you trying to say? What is it really about? Discover that, and as the graffiti at Delphi traces, ‘Know thyself’.

Our judge, Richard Skinner, is poet, novelist, essayist and prolific writer of non-fiction. He has written seven collections of poetry, the most recent of which are Dream Into Play and White Noise Machine. He has published three novels with Faber & Faber, and five books of non-fiction. His works have won awards and been translated into eight languages.

Richard is also the Director of Fiction at the Faber Academy, where he teaches Fiction and Life Writing courses, and it is his critical reading skills, combined with his creative talents, that make him the perfect judge for our inaugural Poetry prize.

So, send us, and Richard, your poems. To be long listed (final 20) will be a peacock feather in your cap. To be shortlisted in the Top 10, or place second or third, or win will be a validation of your skills and get you published in our inaugural anthology.