Satire and Silliness: A Poetry Challenge
As part of our celebrations of Jane Austen's 250th birthday this year, we have teamed up with Young Poets Network and poet Janine Bradbury to ask young poets to write a new poem inspired by Jane Austen’s humour.Young Poets Network is The Poetry Society’s online platform for young poets up to the age of 25. It’s an inspiring, dynamic organisation that runs regular challenges and competitions to inspire young people to create their own new poetry. We are so delighted to be partnering with them to launch a poetry challenge inspired by Jane Austen’s inimitable wit and sense of humour – we’re asking you to write a poem that will make us laugh!
This challenge is for writers aged up to 25 based anywhere in the world. The deadline for entries is Sunday 28 September 2025.
To find out more and enter your poem, visit the Young Poets Network.
Poetry Challenge – prompts and ideas
For this challenge, poet Janine Bradbury has created a set of prompts and ideas to inspire your poems! The challenge guide introduces ideas about parody, rhyme and wordplay that may help inspire new ideas and writing techniques. Find out more and get writing!
Free poetry workshop!
To help inspire your entries to this challenge, Janine will also be facilitating a free online poetry workshop for 14-25s on Saturday 20 September. Find out more and book your space here.
Young Poets Network is The Poetry Society’s online platform for young poets up to the age of 25. Here you’ll find features about poets and poetry, challenges and competitions to inspire your own writing, new writing from young poets, and advice and guidance from the rising and established stars of the poetry scene.
Young Poets Network is for everyone interested in poets and poetry – whether you’ve just started out, or you’re a seasoned reader or writer. Teachers and parents might find it a useful resource, too.
Janine Bradbury is a poet, academic and BBC New Generation Thinker. Her debut pamphlet, Sometimes Real Love Comes Quick & Easy (ignition press, 2024), was a Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice. Her writing explores the sentimental politics of girlhood, motherhood, fandom, and love. She is a Senior Lecturer in Literature at the University of York.
