Growing each year and recognised for championing exceptional poetry from around the world, with entries received from more than twenty countries, the Maya Poetry Book Awards are a truly international competition, united by the accessibility of the English language. The Awards celebrate outstanding poetry from self-published authors and small presses, giving greater recognition and opportunities to writers beyond the traditional publishing industry. The 2026 competition continues this commitment, celebrating books that embrace accessibility, diversity and the ever-changing landscape of contemporary poetry.
“This is our seventh year, the first with the new Maya branding, and my third as judge. It has also been our most successful yet, both in terms of the number of entries and the extraordinary multiplicity of subjects. Whittling the field down to just ten books proved almost impossible, and there were easily another half a dozen books that could have been included.
“Along the way, I’ve had to part with books about dragons, WWII letters, the River Severn, ghosts, environmental struggles and the Black Country. There was so much misery, but also so much joy, and so much freshness,” said Dave Lewis, judge for this year’s awards.
“To everyone who entered, thank you. Your books have opened up a whole new world to me yet again.”
The Shortlist (in alphabetical order)
Arthur Allen – Some things I do not know
Beth Clapton – Still Point
Marc D. Goldfinger – Relationships
Christopher James – The Ice Sonnets
Deborah Miller – Echoes of Silence
Estelle Phillips – Into My Arms
Paris Rosemont – >>glitch<<
John Rowe – ONE: The art of the one-word poem
Yvette Thomas – Ten Thousand Nights
Sarah Wetzel – Elegies of Herons
The Maya Poetry Book Awards are open to poets from around the world and welcome submissions that push boundaries and reflect the rich diversity of contemporary poetry.
The Awards will announce our Top 3 winning books on 15th September 2026.
We will also be awarding a separate Children’s Poetry Book Prize.
Websites: www.poetrybookawards.co.uk | www.davelewis.co.uk
About our judge
Dave Lewis is a Welsh writer, poet, and photographer. Based in Pontypridd, south Wales, he established the first Welsh Poetry Competition in 2007 and went on to launch the International Poetry Book Awards in 2020 to champion self-published poets, indie authors, and small presses often overlooked by traditional publishing. His own work has been widely published internationally in literary magazines, and he has authored numerous books spanning poetry, crime fiction, and photography.