Be part of Swaledale Festival’s celebration of the seasons with an exciting new poetry call! 

At the edge of another summer.
At the edge of a fallow field.
At the edge of day.

Waiting

For last light of dusk
To call all the children

Home.

from Summer (16’) by Rachel Tzvia Back 

You might have heard Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but did you know that the musician wrote sonnets to help him map out his seasonal concertos? Or that nearly 300 years later, composer Max Richter released a new version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons as a modern retelling? In 2026 Swaledale Festival will explore the four seasons through music, visual art, words and more. 

What do the seasons mean to you? We want to hear!
Swaledale Festival invites you to share your poetry inspired by the seasons.
This exciting open call brings together and celebrates the creativity of people of any age, stage, background or experience level - from longstanding professionals to total newbies - putting new work at the heart of the Festival. Everyone is welcome.

What are we looking for? 
Unpublished poems that explore anything seasons-related! We especially welcome work from poets living in the northern Yorkshire Dales. While it's wonderful if your poem reflects our local landscape, more general seasonal themes are also encouraged. You can send poems about any (or all) of the seasons throughout the year, though while we're enjoying the warmth, now is a particularly good time to write about summer!

Need inspiration? 
Just step outside and focus on your senses. What can you see, hear, smell and touch? What tastes do you associate with the summer? Think about your own experiences. Do you have memories of summers past? Are your summers changing? What feelings or images or ideas arise? You could also check out this collection of summer poems from the Poetry Foundation.

What will happen to your poems? 
All entries will be considered for publication and celebration before and during Swaledale Festival 2026. This could include a display at festival venues, publication on social media, recital at an event, or even publication in an e-book or printed anthology. More details will be made available throughout the year, and authors of the entries used will be notified via email. Your ideas are welcome too!

What else do you need to know? 
Project terms and conditions:

• There is no entry fee and you can submit as many times as you like throughout the year, up until 30 April 2026.
• You cannot amend your entry once it is submitted.
• Works should not have been published elsewhere and copyright must belong to the author.
• All entries must be the author's own work. AI-generated work is prohibited. 
• Maximum length: 30 lines, excluding title. No minimum length. Any and all poetic forms are welcome, from sonnet to haiku.
• All rights remain with the author, but in submitting your poem, you grant Swaledale Festival the non-exclusive right until the end of 2027 to publish, perform and celebrate your poem in line with its charitable objectives.
• Any income from use of the poems will go towards Swaledale Festival’s charitable purposes.
• Swaledale Festival’s Data Protection and Privacy Policy is available here.

How do you share your poem?
Just fill in this simple form.  

Any questions, please email us at: enquiries@swalefest.org.

Send your summer-themed pieces now while the sun is shining!