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Previous winners of The Caterpillar Poetry Prize
2025 | JUDGED BY KATE WAKELING
1st prize I complain to my friend who has been turned into a tree by Laura Theis
‘I was hooked by this poem from the moment I took in its title. There is something so invitingly simple yet wondrous about the premise: a friend has been turned into a tree. Well yes, why not? From here, the poem moves softly between humour and gravity. It manages to delight and provoke; it is playful and moving but never fey (which is harder than it sounds). There is depth and complexity here – about ecology, about friendship – but this is all worn lightly and the tone is sustained with great skill and beauty from start to finish. Picking a favourite line is almost impossible but if I had to choose one, I’d plump for “She greens at me, wistfully” which is such a gorgeous image, expressed with such economy, music and charm. I don’t exactly know what it means – except I also do. For me, this is the sort of magic that only a poem can accomplish.’ Kate Wakeling
‘‘Winning the Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an absolute dream come true!! I found out that I had won first prize on my birthday, and it was the best birthday present I could ever have imagined ‒ especially because I'm about to publish my children's debut, Poems from a Witch's Pocket, with the wonderful Emma Press this autumn. It felt like a magical stamp of approval for the kind of writing I put in the book, so it has made me extra-happy ‒ I laughed hysterically and jumped up and down on the bed. Writing and reading poetry for children is such a complete joy, I love it so much, and I have been a fan of The Caterpillar for years and have discovered so many wonderful poets through the prize, I still can’t believe I have now joined their ranks. I am so incredibly grateful.’ Laura Theis
2nd prize Dyslexia by Nicky Hetherington
‘I had been keeping my eyes open for a really funny and surprising poem and was so glad to come across this delight. Of course, like lots of things that are genuinely funny, this poem is also grounded in something thoughtful and perceptive, and it’s important to note that this poem does far more than just be funny. Through the joyfully absurd imagery at its close, it expresses something very particular and poignant about the challenges of living with dyslexia. I especially loved the framing device of the “dry stone wall”; this slow intricate craft is an excellent metaphor for writing as a whole, while the particular weight and labour of the process also conveys something powerful about dyslexia. And then bang, out of nowhere land the squirrels and saucepans. I did a proper lol.’ Kate Wakeling
3rd prize Food Bank by Lorraine Mariner
‘This accomplished sonnet packs a punch through such simple and direct language. It is powerful and moving in its dignity and precision. The use of a child’s voice, so matter of fact, is skilfully handled and I thought the use of form here was especially effective: the poem feels taut and controlled, which reflects its subject very sharply. The suggestion of rhyme which runs through the poem is beautiful in its subtlety (pairing “poorly” and “normal” struck me as particularly deft). This was a poem I found myself hankering to return to, and each time I read it again I found another glinting detail of the poet’s craft and care, which in turn led me deeper into the poem’s meaning and purpose.’ Kate Wakeling
2024 | JUDGED BY JOSEPH COELHO
1st prize Foster Child by Louise Greig
‘This poem made me feel like a fly on a wall for a very dear
and private conversation. The gentle rhyme and rhythm of the piece makes it
feel like a dream where parent and child become forest spirits. I love the
clever use of dialogue and the wonderful way that a play on words – foster and
forest – create the impetus for the piece from start to finish. A highly
accomplished beautiful piece of writing, doing what great poetry does, taking a
moment in time and distilling it down to its magical essence.’ Joseph
Coelho
‘I am quite stunned and overwhelmed. What an honour to be
reconnected with the glorious Caterpillar Poetry Prize! Thank you to Rebeca and
Will for everything you do to keep children's poetry alive, and enormous thanks
to Joseph Coelho who has my greatest respect in the children's poetry
landscape.’ Louise Greig
2nd prize Boy
in Uniform with Drum by Dean Atta
‘I loved how this poem gave voice to a voiceless boy, how it
prompted me to search and discover the story of Taylor, Jackson, a 12-year-old
slave (or was he 14?!) who became, or was made, a drummer boy during the
American Civil War. This poem says so much so succinctly about freedom and
agency, about what stories are told and how history can reframe a narrative.
The lack of punctuation until the last line works really well, allowing the
words to be voice free from any restriction. A great poem.’ Joseph Coelho
3rd prize How
to Metamorphose by Rose Rahtz ‘This is a poem of empowerment, personal development and
change. The rich language challenges and excites "Oh Wonderful! The
lightning in your thorax" It makes me think of newfound strength and hope,
of overcoming adversity and discovering a more powerful self. The poem invites
the reader to look inwards and to see what power resides there. It offers a
diversity of potential interpretation and I believe will truly have a different
"reading" for every reader. That final repeat of "And the
roaring. The roaring. The roaring." left me goosepimpled.’ Joseph
Coelho
2023 | JUDGED BY MICHAEL ROSEN
1st prize Hints of an Adventurer by Ciara O'Connor
‘This is a portrait with the lilt of a ballad. Bit by bit, we come to see the “adventurer” expressed with sympathy but also with an element of mystery. The persona watching the “adventurer” is intrigued, sympathetic, wondering, and that leads us to do the same, but just as we think it’s going to be resolved, the adventurer slips away ... I wanted to know more!’ Michael Rosen
‘For the legendary Michael Rosen to have read my poem is thrilling. For him to have chosen it is the stuff of dreams. The Caterpillar has been hugely important to me. It’s the place I first sent my work to, and seeing it appear within its gorgeous pages gave me the confidence to keep writing. I know I’m not the only person to feel like that. It’s bittersweet that this is its first “non-print” year but Rebecca and Will’s legacy lives on in this wonderful poetry prize.' Ciara O'Connor
2nd prize Butterfly Necklace by Joshau Seigal
‘This is a softly beautiful evocation of a treasured possession, which is given an extra twist with the metaphor of the butterfly flying off. It’s restrained and calm in tone, and all the more powerful for that. This is a fine example of what a poem can generate in a small space through looking closely at a single object and the feelings surrounding it. It made me want to think about similar objects in my life.’ Michael Rosen
3rd prize My Voice by Elizabeth Brown
‘The power in this poem comes from the surprise of the core metaphor ‒ that a voice is seen as something that can be hidden or taken out. This is a strong reminder of how our mind can position itself as if it’s looking at something that is in us or part of us. There’s something very poignant about this “voice” character who may or may not thrive in front of everyone else and we’re left wondering, will it? Won’t it?’ Michael Rosen
2022 | JUDGED BY NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
Pry'vit by Carole Bromley
‘In these tragic times of invasion and horror for the people of Ukraine and
peace-loving people worldwide, a calm and seemingly simple poem which expresses
(with no fanfare) an act of humanity ‒ meeting ‒ acknowledgement. I have
thought about it every day since I first read it. Hello. There you
are. You need a pencil too. We may not speak the same language or know one
another’s history exactly, but I recognize you. As a caterpillar in a garden
recognizes a leaf ‒ as a child recognizes the moon ‒ hello. This is what we do
together.’ Naomi Shihab Nye
Naomi Shihab Nye also commended poems by R. W. Kelly, Ciara O'Connor, Robert Schechter and Sarah Ziman
2021 | JUDGED BY MICHAEL MORPURGO
Herman the Hermit Crab by Christine McBeth
‘It’s a powerful piece of writing, a poem that everyone
should read. That good, that important, to us, and to hermit crabs.’ Michael
Morpurgo
‘I was astonished and delighted to hear that I had won The Caterpillar
Poetry Prize. I hope, with this huge encouragement from Michael Morpurgo, to
spend a lot more time writing for children in the future.’ Christine
McBeth
Michael Morpurgo also commended poems by Stephen Comerford, Latorial
Faison, Mhairi Helme, Emma Hill, Sophie Lewis, Jonathan Sellars and Sarah Ziman
2020 | JUDGED BY ROGER McGOUGH
The Zebra with the Leopardskin
Pants by Fergal McNally
‘I knew I was in good hands when I set off on the journey with a zebra who felt
like an outsider in his community, through no fault of his own. There was a
happy conclusion to the poem that will appeal to any young reader who may
sometimes feel out-of-step with the world. Should we need it, there is a
Zaggeldy Creek waiting somewhere for all of us.’ Roger McGough
Roger McGough also commended poems by Brian Cooke, Jackie Hosking, Joseph
Moorwood, Kate O’Brien, Coral Rumble, Robert Schechter and Sarah Ziman.
2019 | JUDGED BY BRIAN MOSES
Wonder-pudderful by Andrew Weale
‘I was hooked from the moment I read “a hyphen had swept between them/like a
bird/and joined them with its wings”. I love the way that the word existed only
for a brief moment in time, but it reminded me of something that the French
writer Montaigne once said: a rose blooms once and then dies, but for anyone
who saw the rose, it blooms forever. This poem has such potential and children
will love the idea behind it.’ Brian Moses
2018 | JUDGED BY CHRISSIE GITTINS
Dear Mustafa by Coral Rumble
‘This
arresting, dramatic poem had my attention from the start. It’s
transparent direct language propelled me straight into the narrative. A
resonant, circular poem summoned deftly through the image of a frayed jumper.
It uses pinpoint details and easy rhyme. Not a word is wasted.’ Chrissie Gittins
‘ The Caterpillar is such a unique and inspired magazine. Winning
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is all shades of wonderful! So honoured, and a
little dazed.’ Coral Rumble
2017 | JUDGED BY JOHN HEGLEY
Auntie Aggie by Janet Turner
‘There were many happinesses in the poetry I read, but "Auntie Aggie"
won out in the end. The opening is very strong and in-drawing. The story flies
straight and trusted and there are many incidents of delight – and
"bum" and "pants" seemed necessary, not merely
decorative.’ John Hegley
2016 | JUDGED BY PUBLISHERS OF THE CATERPILLAR
Dear Ugly Sisters by Laura Mucha
‘This
one caught us off guard. It made us laugh out loud. It’s very witty, but it’s
also written with a deftness of touch that makes it seem like it must have been
easy to write. And that in itself is quite an achievement.’ Rebecca O'Connor
‘I love writing poetry for children, and believe it’s one of the best ways of
getting young people interested in language, reading and performance. I think
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an important award, particularly as there are
so few outlets for children’s poets, and it’s a huge honour to have won
it.’ Laura Mucha
2015 | JUDGED BY PUBLISHERS OF THE CATERPILLAR
Don't Think of an Elephant by Louise Greig
‘A poem full of wonder and mystery, a poem that feels
like it has been around for a long time, and will endure.’ Rebecca O'Connor
‘I am quite stunned and absolutely thrilled that my poem has won the inaugural
Caterpillar Poetry Prize!’ says Louise. ‘I am a huge fan of The
Caterpillar and was delighted and inspired by the competition.’ Louise
Greig
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