# Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets

The Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets are annual awards for pamphlets published in the UK. The awards aim to promote the pamphlet form and to enable poets and publishers to develop and continue creating. Since their inception, they have grown to include three annual awards, for "Poetry Pamphlet", "Publisher" and "Illustration", carrying prizes of up to £5,000, and awarding places on "The Michael Marks Poets in Residence Program" in Greece. Additional awards have included the "Poetry Pamphlet in a Celtic Language" and, as of 2022, the Environmental Poet of the Year prize.
The awards were founded in 2009 by the Michael Marks Charitable Trust, in a collaboration with the British Library that continues to this day. They are funded entirely by the Michael Marks Charitable Trust, and are enabled through partnerships between the British Library, the Wordsworth Trust, The TLS and the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, and in association with the National Library of Wales and the National Library of Scotland. As of 2012, the awards have been administered by Wordsworth Trust. The Michael Marks Charitable Trust was established in 1966 by the late Lord Marks, 2nd Baron of Broughton. Both awards carry a prize of £5,000.
The Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney praised the prize's establishment:
   These inspired awards recognise that the pamphlet has a fundamental importance in literary culture far exceeding anything suggested by the dictionary – "a brief publication, generally having a paper cover". For many of the best poets now writing it was not only their first means of distribution but the first ratification of their gift."

## Winners and nominees

The award recognises an outstanding work of poetry published in pamphlet form – defined by the Awards as containing no more than 36 pages – in the UK.
The following is a list of shortlisted pamphlets. Winners are listed in yellow, first in their year.
| Year | Author | Title | Publisher | Judges |
| 2009 | Elizabeth Burns | The Shortest Days | Galdragon Press | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Polly Atkin | Bone Song | Aussteiger Publications | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Siobhán Campbell | That Water Speaks in Tongues | Templar Poetry | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Sarah Jackson | Milk | Pighog Press | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Kate Potts | Whichever music | Tall Lighthouse | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | seekers of lice | quot | self-published | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2010 | Selima Hill | Advice on Wearing Animal Prints | Flarestack Poets | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Tom Chivers | The Terrors | Nine Arches Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | David Hart | The Titanic Café closes its doors and hits the rocks | Nine Arches Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Hugh McMillan | Devorgilla's Bridge | Roncadora Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Richard Moorhead | The Reluctant Vegetarian | Oystercatcher Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Nii Ayikwei Parkes | ballast: a remix | Tall Lighthouse | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2011 | James McGonigall | Cloud Pibroch | Mariscat | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Neil Addison | Apocapulco | Salt Publishing | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Simon Armitage | The Motorway Service Station as a Destination in its Own Right | Smith/Doorstop | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Sean Burn | mo thunder | The Knives, Forks and Spoons Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Olive Broderick | Darkhaired | Templar Poetry | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Ralph Hawkins | Happy Whale Fat Smile | Oystercatcher Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2012 | Róisín Tierney | Dream Endings | Rack Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Paul Bentley | Largo | Smith/Doorstop | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Douglas Dunn | Invisible Ink | Mariscat Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Charlotte Gann | The Long Woman | Pighog Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Maitreyabandhu | The Bond | Smith/Doorstop | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2013 | David Clarke | Gaud | Flarestack Poets | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Kim Lasky | Petrol Cyan Electric | Smith/Doorstop | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Kim Moore | If We Could Speak Like Wolves | Smith/Doorstop | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Ben Parker | The Escape Artists | Tall Lighthouse | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Neil Rollinson | Talking Dead | Aussteiger Publications | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Chrissy Williams | Flying into the Bear | HappenStance Press | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2014 | Laura Scott | What I Saw | The Rialto (poetry magazine) | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Christine de Luca | Dat Trickster Sun | Mariscat Press | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Mimi Khalvati | Earthshine | Smith/Doorstop | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Ian McMillan | Jazz Peas | Smith/Doorstop | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Richard Moorhead | The Word Museum | Flarestack Poets | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Samantha Wynne-Rhyderrch | Lime and Winter | Rack Press | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2015 | Gill McEvoy | The First Telling | HappenStance Press | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | Alan Jenkins | Clutag Five Poems Series No. 2 | Clutag Press | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | Anja Konig | Advice for an Only Child | flipped eye publishing (flap pamphlet series) | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | Peter Riley | The Ascent of Kinder Scout | Longbarrow Press | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | David Tait | Three Dragon Day | Smith/Doorstop | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2016 | Richard Scott | Wound | The Rialto | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2016 | Polly Clark | A Handbook for the Afterlife. | Templar Poetry | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2016 | Fiona Moore | Night Letter | HappenStance Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2016 | Camille Ralphs | Malkin | Emma Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2016 | Lizzi Thistlethwayte | Angels and Other Diptera | Water Flag Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Robert Hampson Richard Price |
| 2017 | Charlotte Wetton | I Refuse to Turn into a Hatstand | Calder Valley Press. | Leaf Arbuthnot Phil Hatfield Ruth Padel Sir Nicholas Penny |
| 2017 | Natacha Bryan | If I Talked Everything my Eyes Saw. | Gatehouse Press Lighthouse. | Leaf Arbuthnot Phil Hatfield Ruth Padel Sir Nicholas Penny |
| 2017 | Alyson Hallett | Toots | Mariscat Press | Leaf Arbuthnot Phil Hatfield Ruth Padel Sir Nicholas Penny |
| 2017 | Theophilus Kwek | The First Five Storms | Smith/Doorstop | Leaf Arbuthnot Phil Hatfield Ruth Padel Sir Nicholas Penny |
| 2017 | Phoebe Stuckes | Gin & Tonic | Smith/Doorstop | Leaf Arbuthnot Phil Hatfield Ruth Padel Sir Nicholas Penny |
| 2018 | Carol Rumens | Bezdelki | The Emma Press | |
| 2018 | Gina Wilson | It Was and It Wasn't | Mariscat Press | |
| 2018 | Rakhshan Rizwan | Paisley | The Emma Press | |
| 2018 | Ian Parks | If Possible (Cavafy Poems) | Calder Valley Poetry | |
| 2018 | Liz Berry | The Republic of Motherhood | Chatto & Windus | |
| 2019 | Rowan Evans | The last verses of Beccán | Guillemot Press | |
| 2019 | Seán Hewitt | Lantern | Offord Road Books | |
| 2019 | Anita Pati | Dodo provocateur | The Rialto | |
| 2019 | Declan Ryan | Fighters, losers | New Walk Editions | |
| 2019 | Morgan Owen | moroedd/dŵr | Cyhoeddiadau'r Stamp | |
| 2020 | Paul Muldoon | Binge | The Lifeboat |
| 2020 | Gail McConnell | Fothermather | Ink Sweat and Tears Press |
| 2020 | Jamie McKendrick | The years | Arc Publications |
| 2020 | Sarah Wimbush | Bloodlines | Seren |
| 2020 | Alycia Pirmohamed | Hinge | ignitionpress |
| 2020 | Rhys Iowerth | Carthen denau | Cyhoeddiadau'r Stamp |
| 2021 | Gboyega Odubanjo | Aunty uncle poems | The Poetry Business | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Fiona Benson | Ariadne | Broken Sleep Books | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Holly Singlehurst | The sky turned thick as honey | The Rialto | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Matthew Hollis | Leaves | Hazel Press | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Selima Hill | Fridge | The Rialto | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Hugo Williams | Badlands | Mariscat Press | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2021 | Leontia Flynn | Nina Simone is singing | Mariscat Press | Julia Copus André Naffis-Sahely Manuela Pellegrino |
| 2022 | Shane McCrae | Hex and Other Poems | Bad Betty Press | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
| 2022 | Naush Sabah | Litanies | Guillemot Press | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
| 2022 | Maya C Popa | Dear Life | Smith/Doorstop | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
| 2022 | Matthew Haigh | Vampires | Bad Betty Press | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
| 2022 | Tomi Adegbayibi | Colours & Tea (Human) | Muscaliet Press | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
| 2022 | John Burnside | Apostasy | Dare-Gale Press | John Glenday Stephanie Sy-Quia Natasha Bershadsky Giulia Carla Rossi |
* 2016 shortlist announcement. Winner announcement. Wound, by Richard Scott.
* 2017 shortlist announcement. Winner announcement. I Refuse to Turn into a Hatstand, by Charlotte Wetton.

## Michael Marks Publishers' Award

The Michael Marks Publishers' Award recognises an outstanding UK publisher of poetry in pamphlet form.
The following is a list of shortlisted publishers. Winners are listed in yellow, first in their year.
| Year | Publisher | Judges |
| 2009 | Oystercatcher Press | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | HappenStance Press | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Tall Lighthouse | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2009 | Templar Poetry | Ian McMillan Jackie Kay Richard Price |
| 2010 | HappenStance Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Oystercatcher Press | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Templar Poetry | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2010 | Veer Books | Ali Smith Jo Shapcott Richard Price |
| 2011 | Crater Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Richard Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Kater Murr's Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Richard Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | The Knives, Forks and Spoons Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Richard Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Mariscat Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Richard Hampson Richard Price |
| 2011 | Roncadora Press | Lavinia Greenlaw Richard Hampson Richard Price |
| 2012 | Smith/Doorstop | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Donut Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Pighog Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2012 | Rack Press | Alan Jenkins Tanya Kirk Carola Luther |
| 2013 | Flarestack Poets | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Mariscat Press | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Rack Press | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Pighog Press | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2013 | Shearsman Books | Tanya Kirk Thea Lenarduzzi Judy Brown |
| 2014 | Rack Press | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Emma Press | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | flipped eye publishing | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Smith/Doorstop | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2014 | Shearsman Books | Zaffar Kunial Tanya Kirk Andrew McCulloch |
| 2015 | Mariscat Press | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | Eyewear Publishing | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | Smith/Doorstop | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |
| 2015 | The Emma Press | Debbie Cox Helen Mort Rory Waterman |

## Award for Poetry in a Celtic Language

In 2019, the inaugural Michael Marks Award for Poetry in a Celtic Language was awarded to Morgan Owen for his pamphlet moroedd/dŵr, published by Cyhoeddiadau'r Stamp.

## Michael Marks Award for Environmental Poet of the Year

This was inaugurated 2022-23 and recognises an outstanding UK poetry in pamphlet form about climate change, its effects and what to do about it. There is one award each year. They have been:
* 2022-23: Linda France for Letters to Katłįà published by The Wordsworth Trust.
* 2023-24: Jane Burn with A Thousand Miles from the Sea
* 2024-25: Ben Verinder with How to save a river.