Announcing the Poetry School MA in Writing Poetry Scholarship 2023

We’re delighted to announce the Poetry School MA in Writing Poetry Scholarship 2023 for an underrepresented poet. For a second year, Poetry School is offering a full fees scholarship award (£10,000) to the Poetry School / Newcastle University MA in Writing Poetry for an outstanding applicant who is currently underrepresented in the poetry world.

By underrepresented poets, we mean talented creatives who face barriers to opportunities due to mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors of abuse, working class backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQIA+, and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities or traveller communities*.

‘We, at Poetry School, couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to offer this full scholarship to a talented writer who otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in our incredible MA. We are so proud of all our MA students and graduates, and recognise that the opportunity to study for an MA is something every writer of talent deserves. We are committed to breaking all barriers to participation with our work and see this scholarship as an important step towards that goal.’ Sally Carruthers, Poetry School Executive Director.

This accredited MA uniquely combines masterclasses, workshops, and individual teaching with a core footing in the professional poetry world, encompassing all aspects of creative practice. There is expert tuition from nationally and internationally renowned poets: Glyn Maxwell and Tamar Yoseloff (London); Tara Bergin, W.N. Herbert, Sinéad Morrissey, and Jacob Polley (Newcastle). Students come together for a one-week summer school in July, alternating between the two cities each year.

The Scholarship will be awarded on a competitive basis to an applicant who has applied for 2023/24 entry to the MA in Writing Poetry and has selected to study in London at Poetry School. Applicants should have an achieved or predicted first-class or high 2.1 undergraduate degree or, where relevant, a lower qualification with professional practice that provides equivalent academic and research skills.

To apply, please note in your personal statement included in your application to the MA in Writing Poetry that you would like to be considered for the Poetry School Scholarship for underrepresented poets. Once you have submitted your application for a place on the programme, please email a 300-500-word statement to [email protected] detailing why you are an eligible candidate for the Scholarship.

Deadline for Scholarship applications: 5pm, Friday 12 May 2023.   

Contact: Tessa Foley, MA Manager at the Poetry School, at [email protected].

This scholarship is made possible through the generosity of an unnamed donor.

You can find out more about our MA in Writing Poetry on our website.

There are also other scholarships available for MA in Writing Poetry students. Details of these are available here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/elll/study/postgraduate-funding/

*This definition is taken from the Creative Future website (with permission).