Congratulations! Foyle Young Poets Connor & Nathan…

A huge congratulations to Rotherham Young Writers Connor Mortimer and Nathan Graham, who have both been commended in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2026. Nathan was also one of last year’s top 15 winners, making this another fantastic achievement for him.

This year, young poets from 153 countries entered over 11,000 poems into the competition, with. From these, judges Rachel Long and John McAuliffe selected just 100 winning poets – 15 top winners and 85 commended poets.

Reflecting on the judging process, poet Rachel Long said:

“John and I were bowled over by the sheer talent; the range, skill, and imagination of these poems.”

Fellow judge John McAuliffe described reading and discussing the poems as “just exhilarating”, praising the young poets for their imaginative approaches to writing and the worlds they created.

Huge congratulations again to Connor and Nathan – we’re so proud to see two Rotherham Young Writers recognised among this year’s 100 winning poets.

Run by The Poetry Society, with longstanding support from The Foyle Foundation, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is one of the world’s leading poetry competitions for young people. The Poetry Society also runs the brilliant Young Poets Network, with lots of opportunities, competitions and resources for young poets. Check it out here.