Submissions are now open for our 2025 World Mental Health Day Poetry Competition.
Poem Stellium invites poets from around the world to share original work exploring the many layers of mental health: complex, messy, invisible, loud, silent, and deeply human. Whether you’re writing from lived experience or holding space for others, we want to hear your voice.
This competition is about truth — not performance. There’s no need to hide behind a perfect metaphor. Say what needs to be said.
Who can enter?
* Open worldwide, ages 16+
* Poems must be in English
* Free to enter
* One poem per person
Key dates
Submissions open: Wednesday, 1 October 2025
Submissions close: Sunday, 12 October 2025
Selected poems published: By end of October 2025
What you’ll receive
*Three selected poems published on the Poem Stellium website
*Possible features at mental health events, community spaces, or future zine collections
*If based in London, UK, you may be invited to perform your poem (if comfortable)
How to submit
submissions@poemstellium.com
*Either write your poem directly in the email/form, or attach as a Word document (.doc or .docx)
*Please do not send PDFs
Submission guidelines
We’ve kept restrictions minimal — because there are no limits to how mental health can be expressed. Your poem can be long or short, lyrical or direct, messy or polished. Honesty matters most.
Profanity and strong language are allowed if they serve the truth of your poem. What we can’t accept: work that is hateful, discriminatory, or deliberately harmful toward others.
