The Leeds Writers Circle tries to run three competitions a year. The competitions are open to all paid-up members of the circle, and are free to enter.

The current competition is for Poetry, to be judged by Kristina Diprose.

Closing Date for entries: Sunday, May 31st, strictly before midnight!

Adjudication Evening: Monday, June 29th at the Carriageworks.

The Challenge

Write a poem in any style or form exploring the theme of weathering.

You might approach this literally, focusing on landscapes or structures sculpted by the elements — whether a striking landmark like Brimham Rocks or a place of personal significance.

Or, consider weathering as a metaphor for endurance, resilience, and how we’re shaped by life experience. Or from an ecological perspective, exploring seasonal shifts and climate breakdown.

You could take a more imaginative approach, inspired by creative works like Weathering With You, where an orphaned girl has the ability to control the weather.

You might even experiment with erasure and fragmentation as a way of “weathering” your own poem, discovering what remains after parts are stripped away.

These ideas are starting points — you’re free to take the theme in any direction. I’m excited to see where you go with it, and to read the poems that only you can write.

Kristina Diprose grew up on the Yorkshire coast and now lives in Saltaire. Her shape-shifting writing explores ecological and mythological themes and our entanglement with the more-than-human world. Her poems have appeared in magazines and anthologies including Mslexia, Strix, and Northern Gravy. She was a New Northern Poet with Ilkley Literature Festival in 2023, won the Oxford Canal Festival poetry prize in 2024, and has been shortlisted in the Artemesia Arts, Wolverhampton Literature Festival, Ginkgo Prize and Leeds Poetry Festival competitions. She has also written Brontë-inspired short story commissions for Bradford 2025 and been featured on BBC Radio 4 Front Row. Thin Spells (Black Cat Poetry Press, 2025) is her debut pamphlet.

Please read the full competition rules here.

Entries should be submitted to comp@leedswriterscircle.org

Good luck.

Previous Results:

2026

MEMOIR (judged by Becky Cherriman)

First: Pat Young: Scattered Coals

Second: Lou Harvey: Breast is Best

Third: Linda Fulton: Two Pianos & A Tree

Highly Commended: Philip Tempest: Spinning a Yarn

Annavation Award: James Whittaker: Third Man

From left to right, competition co-ordinator Alex Offer, Pat Young, Lou Harvey, Linda Fulton, James Whittaker, Philip Tempest, and judge Becky Cherriman. (Photo credit: Selso Xisto)

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2025

SHORT STORY (judged by Mike Farren)

First: Alex Wakeman: The Ocean Between Days

Second: Anna Turner: Death Object

Third: Bob Hamilton: The Fifth Element

Highly Commended: Anita Rebecca Dowgill: The Fruit that Fell

Annavation Award: Rachael Thomas: Pendle

Honourable mentions:

Linda Fulton: The Shirley Bassey Tree

Susie Beever: Oyster Shells

Lou Harvey: The Ballad of Ynys Llanddwy

From left to right: Bob Hamilton, judge Mike Farren, and winner Alex Wakeman

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NOVEL EXTRACT (judged by Mandy Sutter)

First: Bob Hamilton: A Portrait of Forgiveness

Equal Second: Gemma Irving-Lees: Picasso Among the Pigeons

Equal Second: Graeme Hall: The City of Wine & Wormwood

Highly Commended: Jason: The Valley of Death

Highly Commended: Lou Harvey: All the Disordered Tendencies

Annavation award: Jaspreet Mander

Honourable mentions:

Gill Osborne: Double
Pat Pickavance: The Children Who Lived in the Forest
Anthony Davies: Untitled
Chris Read: Death with a Smile

From left to right: Lou Harvey, Mandy Sutter, Bob Hamilton, Gemma Irving Lees, Jason

From left to right: Anthony Davies, Lou Harvey, Mandy Sutter, Bob Hamilton, Gemma Irving Lees, Pat Pickavance, Chris Read, Jason, Gill Osborne

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POETRY (judged by Joe Williams)

An excellent evening’s entertainment was enjoyed where Joe performed some poems for us, from a new collection he’s working on, based around his birthplace in Ashington, Northumberland. There were 17 entries and most of the entrants were in attendance, meaning that we got to hear the majority of the poems, along with Joe’s detailed and constructive feedback. There was a lot taken away by everyone. Joe said he was impressed with the general standard throughout and there was nothing to chose between any of the prize winners.

First: Emma Storr: What We Have Learnt

Second: Anna Turner: Who’s Your Mother

Third: Betsy Reid: Life Linguistics

Highly Commended: Chris Shevlin: English Lesson

Annavation award: Mari Phillips: Visiting Vivaldi

From left to right: Anna Turner, Mari Phillips, Joe Williams, Chris Shevlin, Emma Storr

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2024

SHORT STORY (judged by Sophie Hampton)

With many thanks to Alex Offer for organising the competition, his first, and to Linda Fulton for the recommendation of Sophie as a judge. The consensus was that her feedback was excellent. Apparently, Sophie enjoyed the experience so much that she’s keen to come back and judge another competition in the future.

First: Alex Wakeman: Potato Skin, Chicken Skin Other

Second: Selso Xisto: Stolen

Third: Anna Turner: Do Not Touch

Highly Commended: Susie Beever: Holy Island

Annavation award: Bob Hamilton: A Darker Shade of Pale

From left to right: Anna Turner, Sophie Hampton, Alex Wakeman, Selso Xisto, Alex Offer

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SPECULATIVE FICTION (judged by Andrew Knighton)

With huge thanks to Emma Storr for organising this competition, the last in her long stint as co-ordinator. She’s ushered in a new format, which seems to be working very well. Alex Offer is now taking over the role. Many thanks also to Andrew, who proved to be a very enthusiastic and engaging judge, providing a prodigious amount of feedback!

First: John Biglands: Charlie

Second: Selso Xisto: Reconstruction

Third: Chris Shevlin: Women and Dragons

Annavation award:  Jason: The Goblin King

Highly Commended:

Lilli Pearce: The Experiment
Pat Pickavance: Remarkable

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2023

POETRY (judged by Ian Harker)

First: Chris Shevlin: I fell hard

Second: Gill Osborne: Still life

Third: Anna Turner: Ekphrasis: Lucozade bottle two-thirds full of piss, Leeds outer ring road, 5.06

Annavation award:  Marg Greenwood: In the organ loft

Highly Commended:

Stuart Fortey: Allotment

From left to right: Gill Osborne, Anna Turner, Ian Harker, and Marg Greenwood

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POETRY (judged by Lydia Kennaway)

First: Su Ryder: À Bientôt

Second: Suzanne McArdle: Poppins’ Experiment

Third: Pat Belford: The Lake in Winter

Annavation award:  Marg Greenwood: Picture Moving

Highly Commended:

Ann Clarke: Butterfly Wings

From left to right: Marg Greenwood, Pat Belford, Su Ryder, and our judge, Lydia Kennaway

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2022

FLASH FICTION/MEMOIR (judged by Becky Cherriman)

First: Jason: Fools Gold
Second: Su Ryder: Ackton Woods
Third: Philip Tempest: Zoink

Annavation award:  Ann Clarke: How to murder your wife and get away with it

Highly Commended:

Peter Richardson: Meeting Mum
Roz Kendall: Another Place
Pat Pickavance: Picnic 1957
Suzanne McArdle: Scales

From left to right: Peter Richardson, Ann Clarke, Jason, Becky Cherriman, Pat Pickavance, Su Ryder, Philip Tempest, Roz Kendall

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SHORT STORY (judged by Mike Farren)

First: Philip Tempest – The Secret Pastime of Father Lambros

Second: Graeme Hall – Winterreise

Third: Jan Dominey – The Gypsy Caravan

Annavation award: Joanna Bucktrout – Tunguska Meteorite 1908

Highly Commended:

Miriam Moss – Daddy’s Clever Little Boy

2021

COMPETITIONS SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID

2020

POETRY (judged by Mark Connors)

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SHORT STORY (judged by Alison Lock)

From left to right: Joanna Bucktrout, Philip Tempest, Judge Alison Lock, Mark Pennington, Jason

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2019

DIALOGUE (judged by Mandy Sutter)

From left to right: Pat Pickavance, Judge Mandy Sutter, Rita Morrison (with winner’s trophy), Linda Fulton, Ian Harker and Jenny Tennant-Jackson.