Poetry SchoolLaura Wainwright has been shortlisted for this year’s Laurel Prize 2026! Read more about her and her poem ‘River Roses’ from her collection The Storm’s Flora.
About Laura
Laura Wainwright is from Newport, South Wales. Her debut poetry collection, The Storm’s Flora (Seren), was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney First Collection Prize 2026 and won the Wales Book of the Year Poetry Award 2026.
On being shortlisted
Astonishing and unreal. Nothing short of a thrilling waking dream. I’m so deeply grateful to the judges for their interest in my work.
On ‘River Roses’
I grappled with choosing a single poem to represent the collection and finally decided on one that feels acutely topical as I write. ‘River Roses’ grew from a commission by the environmental charity, Sustainable Wales/Cymru Gynaliadwy, for their book, Gorwelion: Shared Horizons (Parthian, 2021). Edited by Welsh writer and environmentalist, Robert Minhinnick, contributors were asked to address, and imagine the future effects of, climate change and environmental degradation in their home areas.
I wrote a hybrid piece – part poetry, part essay – titled ‘Airbrushed Fields: At Newport’s Glebelands’, which focused on the burial of industrial chemicals, particularly ecologically harmful ‘forever chemicals’ or PCBs, beneath what is now parkland and playing fields alongside the river Usk in the city of Newport, Gwent. This, along with further meditations in the piece on notions of erasure and assumption, revelation and distortion, were later distilled as ‘River Roses’ in The Storm’s Flora.
The poem felt revivified this week as I watched the new BBC documentary series, Buried with Michael Sheen, which uncovers historical corporate contamination and toxification of the environment in Wales and England through the disposal of industrial chemicals. Newport’s Glebelands is identified in the programme as one of several areas of concern.
This year’s Laurel Prize winner will be announced on Friday 25 September at a special event as part of BBC Contains Strong Language.
Ceremony Date: Friday 25 September 2026
Location: BBC Philharmonic Studio, MediaCity, Salford, M50 2EQ
Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
The ceremony will feature readings and discussion with the shortlisted poets on a panel chaired by Professor of Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, Helen Mort. The event will culminate with the live announcement of this year’s winning writer. This event is free to attend but you must book your place:
The full line up for the Contains Strong Language weekend can be found here. There will also be two Laurel workshops run by the Poetry School over the weekend:
Writing the Quays with Sammy Weaver
Saturday 26 September, 11am-1pm, University of Salford
Join award-winning poet and narrowboat dweller, Sammy Weaver, for this 2-hour poetry and walking workshop exploring the Salford Quays. BOOK HERE.
As Easily as Leaves to a Tree: A Workshop in Negative Capability with David Morley
Saturday 26 September, 2pm-4pm, University of Salford
Laurel Prize Chair of Judges David Morley leads a 2 hour generative writing workshop exploring ‘negative capability’ as a practical method for writing poetry. BOOK HERE.
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