British Council Ireland is delighted to partner with Poetry Ireland on the Eavan Boland Award 2025
The Eavan Boland Award returns for 2025, with support from the British Council, Poetry Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the University of Manchester. The Eavan Boland Award, founded by Poetry Ireland in 2021 and now a biennial award, celebrates Eavan Boland’s role as a pathfinder, teacher and leader in the world of poetry. The Eavan Boland Award honours her legacy by fostering emerging and mid-career poets through two cross-residency opportunities at Trinity College Dublin with the School of English and the University of Manchester at the Centre for New Writing. This year’s selectors are John McAuliffe, Professor of Poetry at the University of Manchester, and Dr Rachael Hegarty, poet, educator and Dubliner. The Award is open to submissions from early-career poets based in the UK and mid-career poets based in Ireland.
In 2025, the Eavan Boland Award will support:
- an early-career poet based in the UK, who will be in residence at TCD School of English (Creative Writing) in November 2025
- a mid-career poet based in Ireland, who will take up a residency at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester in October 2025.
The deadline for applications is Monday 30 June 2025 at 17.00.
Residency Opportunities
UK Early-Career Poet Residency at Trinity College Dublin
UK-based poets at the early stages of their career are invited to apply for a two-week residency at Trinity College Dublin’s School of English (Oscar Wilde Centre). Applicants must not as yet have published a full poetry collection (publication in chapbooks/pamphlets is allowed) and should clearly demonstrate how the residency will benefit their practice.
The awardee will:
- Receive €2,000, plus travel, accommodation and two post-residency mentoring sessions with the adjudicators.
- Work closely with the creative writing team at the Oscar Wilde Centre, Trinity College Dublin.
- Participate in seminars and creative discussions.
- Be encouraged to explore interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as AI, brain health and STEM disciplines.
- Connect with Poetry Ireland during the residency and contribute to the public event programming in April 2026.
Irish Mid-Career Poet Residency at the University of Manchester
Mid-career poets based in Ireland are invited to apply for a two-week residency at the Centre for New Writing, University of Manchester. Applicants should have at least one published collection (or equivalent) and clearly demonstrate how the residency will benefit their practice.
The awardee will:
- Receive €2,000, plus travel, accommodation and two post-residency mentoring sessions with the adjudicators.
- Work with Professor John McAuliffe at the Centre for New Writing.
- Access the John Rylands Library including the Eavan Boland Archive and Carcanet Press materials.
- Engage with Creative Manchester for interdisciplinary exchange.
- Visit Carcanet Press HQ, attend events at the Manchester Literature Festival, and review for the Manchester Review with editorial feedback.
- Participate in a final public event in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and UNESCO City of Literature.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit via Jotform:
- a 100-word biography
- a 500-word letter detailing their work and its connection to Eavan Boland
- why they are suited for the award
- their interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, be specific and demonstrate evidence of which disciplines and with whom they would like to collaborate
- five pages of poetry.
The deadline for applications is Monday 30 June 2025 at 17.00.
Full submission guidelines and application form: www.poetryireland.ie/news/eavan-boland-award-2025