Forward Arts Foundation · award year
Forward Prizes for Poetry 2025
The 2025 Forward Prizes for Poetry went to Avidya by Vidyan Ravinthiran and Wellwater by Karen Solie (Best Collection) and Chaotic Good by Isabelle Baafi (Best First Collection). 10 books made the shortlist across 2 categories.
Winners
Best Collection
- Avidyasource (opens in a new tab)
- Wellwatersource (opens in a new tab)
Best First Collection
- Chaotic Goodsource (opens in a new tab)
Shortlist
Best Collection
- I Sugar the Bonessource (opens in a new tab)
- Southernmostsource (opens in a new tab)
- The Island in the Soundsource (opens in a new tab)
Best First Collection
- Altarsource (opens in a new tab)
- Gooniesource (opens in a new tab)
- Heirloomsource (opens in a new tab)
- Theophaniessource (opens in a new tab)
About the Forward Prizes for Poetry
Best Collection and Best First Collection shortlists and winners. Best Single Poem is skipped because it honours single poems, not books.
Organization: Forward Arts Foundation. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)
Shares the most books with
- T. S. Eliot Prize 56 shared books
- Costa Book Awards 25 shared books
- Rathbones Folio Prize 11 shared books
- Griffin Poetry Prize 9 shared books
- Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 8 shared books