The T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society have now published the first set of video reviews created by participants in the new Young Critics Scheme.

Holly Moberley reviews The Room Between Us by Denise Saul and SZ Shao explores Jemma Borg’s Wilder, while Aliyah Begum, Eric Yip and Noah Jacob offer lively, conversational reviews of The Thirteenth Angel by Philip Gross, Slide by Mark Pajak and Ephemeron by Fiona Benson. The video reviews are now available to watch on the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society’s YouTube channels.

‘We are delighted with the outcome of the Young Critics Scheme,’ said Michael Sims, Director of the T. S. Eliot Prize. ‘I would like to thank all the reviewers, who present astonishingly insightful and invigorating readings of their selected title from this year’s shortlist – the video reviews are highly recommended viewing!’

The Young Critics scheme, a new partnership project between the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network, invited ten writers aged 18-25 to create their own video review of each of the collections shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize. The aim was to help them develop their creative and critical skills and to amplify young people’s voices in the conversation around this year’s T. S. Eliot Prize shortlist.

Look out for the second set of video reviews – Mukisa Verrall, Lily McDermott, Davina Bacon, Ruth Awolola and Abondance Matanda on (respectively) Manorism by Yomi Ṣode, bandit country by James Conor Patterson, Quiet by Victoria Adukwei Bulley, England’s Green by Zaffar Kunial and Sonnets for Albert by Anthony Joseph, which will be released in the coming weeks, ahead of the T. S. Eliot Prize Readings on 15 January 2023. Keep an eye out on the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society’s YouTube channels and social media for news of their release.