StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival, congratulates the winners of the 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry. The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London.
Sarah Howe wins Best Collection for Foretokens
The Forward Prize for Best Collection, worth £10,000, has been awarded to Sarah Howe for Foretokens (Chatto & Windus). Sarah was one of the headline poets at StAnza 2026, and the festival is delighted to see the collection recognised. Judge Romalyn Ante described Foretokens as “a thought-provoking, exhilarating and deeply moving journey”.
Born in Hong Kong, Sarah Howe won the T.S. Eliot Prize and The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award for her first collection, Loop of Jade. Foretokens was also shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and was a Poetry Book Society Choice.
The other Forward Prizes for Poetry 2026 winners
The other 2026 winners are:
- Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection (£5,000): Nur Turkmani, October (Hajar Press). Judge Yomi Ṣode called it “a collection that traverses through love, friendship and transformation”.
- Best Single Poem (Written): Tara Bergin, ‘The Fear’, first published in The Stinging Fly. The judges praised the poem as “not only timely; it’s timeless”. Tara read at StAnza in 2018, and the festival is pleased to see her work honoured again.
- Best Single Poem (Performed): Biff Smith, ‘Dumbarton East’, first performed at Loud Poets. Biff won both the Scottish and World Poetry Slam Championships in 2025, and this is an outstanding result for Scottish spoken word.
StAnza extends its warmest congratulations to all four winners and to every poet shortlisted this year.
The full list of winners and shortlisted poets is available on the Forward Arts Foundation website.
StAnza returns in March 2027
StAnza returns to St Andrews from 12 to 14 March 2027 for its 30th year. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about the programme.
