2025 Laurel Prize Ceremony
This year’s Laurel Prize Ceremony is on Friday 19 September at 5.30pm (BST), and will be aired via a free live-stream. This year’s ceremony is a part of BBC Contains Strong Language which takes place in Bradford from 18-21 September. See CSL’s incredible programme here. We’ve programmed two Laurel Prize workshops run by the Judges that will be a part of the festival. Please see details below:
Laurel Prize Workshop: Reading the Finalists
Saturday 20 September, City Library 10-12pm (BST) Centenary Square, Bradford BD1 1SD
Tickets: £25, purchase here.
Kathleen Jamie, poet, essayist and Chair of the Judges of the Laurel Prize 2025, discusses the collections of the finalists. Expect to explore the diverse ways this year’s finalists have written about nature, the more-than-human and the climate crisis. This stimulating, intimate and inspirational session will offer rare insights into the Laurel Prize’s 2025 finalists and explore what these collections say about the contemporary landscape of ecopoetry. New and experienced poets welcome. Please bring a laptop or pen and paper if possible.
Laurel Prize Workshop: Ecopoetry’s Cutting Edge
Saturday 20 September, City Library 2–4pm (BST) Centenary Square, Bradford BD1 1SD
Tickets: £25, purchase here.
Daljit Nagra, celebrated poet and 2025 Laurel Prize Judge, walks us through the current landscape of ecopoetry. In judging this year’s prize, he says, “I’ve had the great fortune to read the best poetry about climate crisis that is currently being written.” Daljit will share some of the work submitted for the prize from poets across the globe and showcasing their various approaches to writing. This exploratory and practical session is designed to stimulate your creativity and you can expect to walk away with a new-found appreciation and knowledge of ecopoetry’s cutting edge. New and experienced poets welcome. Please bring a laptop or pen & paper if possible.