Have you written a poem you think would appeal to children? Then why not enter The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2025!

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is organized by The Caterpillar, a print magazine for children featuring poetry, short stories and art. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16.

The prize is for unpublished poems written by an adult for children aged 7–11. The poems can be on any subject. There is no line limit. Entries must be in English.

The winning poems will be published in the Irish Times online. The winners will be announced in June 2025.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.