The T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society are delighted to open applications for a second year of the highly praised Young Critics Scheme.
Davina Bacon, who participated in the inaugural Young Critics Scheme, presents a video about her experience on the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society YouTube channels.
The exciting mentoring programme offers ten emerging critics, aged 18 to 25 and based in the UK and Ireland, the chance to learn about reviewing poetry collections from experts, and to create their own video review of one of the ten collections shortlisted for the prestigious T. S. Eliot Prize 2023. The video reviews will appear on the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society’s websites, social media and YouTube channels in the run-up to the announcement of the winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize on 15 January 2024.
Applications for the 2023 Young Critics Scheme are now open and must close on 16 August 2023. Find the full details about the programme, and submit your application here.
This year’s scheme follows a hugely successful first year, in which the Young Critics’ video reviews were seen over 25,000 times and shared online by readers, publishers, poets and critics. Several of the Young Critics have since been invited to review for leading magazines including The Poetry Review and Poetry London.
To encourage applicants to this year’s Young Critics Scheme, we asked some of the Young Critics to make videos about their experience on the programme, with reviewing and video-editing tips. Davina Bacon (pictured above) has contributed a wonderful video about her experience to the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society YouTube channels. Look out for SZ Shao’s video, which will be published shortly. Two features published on Young Poets Network as part of the 2022 scheme also help young writers prepare for the programme: How To Write A Poetry Review and 15 Top Tips From Leading Critics.
The ten selected participants will attend four online workshops in October and November 2023 on reviewing poetry, editing and video-making, including one led by the acclaimed critic and poet Jen Campbell. They will be assigned one book from the T. S. Eliot Prize 2023 shortlist in early October, and asked to submit a video review by 20 November 2023.
The Young Critics will receive copies of all the shortlisted collections and two free tickets to the celebrated T. S. Eliot Prize Readings at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London, on 14 January 2024 (or free access to the livestream if they are unable to attend). They will have the chance to meet each other over dinner, and beyond the programme they will receive support from The Poetry Society and T. S. Eliot Prize to form networks and further develop their reviewing careers.
‘The world of reviewing feels more accessible to me than ever, like a potential career avenue,’ commented one of last year’s Young Critics. Watch last year’s video reviews here – and don’t forget to apply in time for this year’s scheme before the deadline of 16 August.
The Poetry Society is the UK’s leading organisation for poetry. With innovative education and commissioning programmes, and a packed calendar of performances, competitions, and digital projects, The Poetry Society champions poetry for all ages. poetrysociety.org.uk