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100 Poets 2004 Edition £3,000
Winner: Angela Cheyne Buy
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100 Poets 2003 Edition
£3,000
Winner: George
Coombs
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100 Poets 2002 Edition
£3,000
Winner: Lorna Meehan
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100 Poets 2001 Edition
£3,000
Winner: Alan Chesterfield
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Building Bridges
Everything has to start somewhere...
Forward Press has been instrumental in changes to the poetic world since it was first created in 1989. Founded by Ian Walton, it was borne from the many barriers a poet encounters when seeking publication of their poems. After experiencing first hand the exclusivity of academic cliques and the monopolies that the bigger publishing firms had on the literary world, certain revelations came to light.
The average person who wrote poetry in this country was being denied the basic chance of publishing their work. Restricted that is, by those deemed to be the elite, or by those who would only publish poets if they thought they might be able to make some money. Poets needed bridges to publishing, not barriers.
13 years later, and with
800,000 poets published, Forward Press has found itself in the unexpected position of being the biggest publisher of new poetry in the UK. Poetry has been experiencing something of a boom in recent years. It has a key role in the UK education syllabus and is something many turn to for comfort, relaxation, or release. It's estimated that around one and a half million people write poetry in this country, and the opportunity to reach a wider audience has never been greater.
Why Write Poetry?
Poetry comes from within and as such the motivations behind initial writings are extremely diverse. Poetry is an excellent way to release an inner voice. An individual's poetic stance is always subjective. Although a person can appreciate the form and craft of a poem, it doesn't necessarily mean they like the poem itself. Poetic content is constantly evolving, and with the ever moving language words change context. 'Gay' in the
1920s had different connotations to when we use the word today, and to think if Shakespeare or Coleridge had access to words like Juggernaught, or nanotechnology would they still have created timeless classics?
Why Publish?
Overnight poetry stardom is not going to happen. Although many do not write for accolades, it appears a curious phenomenon in poetry circles that for a poem to be recognised or have credibility, it has to undergo the scrutiny of its critics. To achieve credence in poetry is to have a poem subject to dissection, and reinterpreted with various labels. Many people, including the editorial team here, take the simpler view - does this poem say something that strikes a chord: something that makes you think; feel; see; laugh; cry; understand.
In the publishing world talent and craft do count, but ultimately most decisions to publish anything come down to budget. Those elevated to the level of poetic superstardom were all born out of different circumstance. Byron had a patron; he was free to pursue his muse. Blake self published, and stood by the strength of his convictions.
In the beginning, Forward Press paid royalties to poets they published. The amounts received were variable by how long the book had been published and when certain sales ceilings had been reached. As it has always been difficult to sell poetry, princely sums of about 50p were being awarded to poets every year or two. Although the payments were small, poets' attitudes towards Forward Press changed. When a financial carrot is dangled in front of any creative writer their perspectives can alter, and sometimes 'the fun' aspect is lost, it becomes serious. The possibility of getting paid for something they enjoyed doing became more of a reality.
The financial aspect radically altered the inner machinations of the company. It suddenly found itself with thousands of poets already published, willing to give up the day job, and take up writing full time. From a publishing point of view though, poetry is an enigma. Based on figures supplied from a recent edition of The Bookseller you only need to sell more than 70 copies a week of your own work to outsell Milton (Paradise Lost). Compare that to a present day poet, such as Roger McGough and you will outsell him if you shift more than 100 copies a week. This is in a time when poetry is enjoying the luxury of popularity.
The Top 100 Award
To understand the substance of any award bestowed on a poet requires an examination of its history and its importance to poetry, and poets themselves. The Forward Press Top 100 Poets award was born in 1998. It was brought in to replace a royalty system that cost a fortune to administer, and didn't really give much back to the poets.
All of the poems published by Forward Press each year are considered for the Top 100 poets award. The awards are a share of an overall £10,000, which breaks down as 1 x £3000, 2 x £500, 4 x £250, 10 x £100 and 83 x £50. No entry fee is charged to the poet, and no annual subscription is asked for. The previous £3000 prize winners from the past four years are as diverse as the poems Forward Press receives.
Previous Prize
Winners 
Poetry
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